Punk Rock Bowling might be taking a smoke break this year, but Las Vegas still has enough volume to rattle your fillings loose all Memorial Day weekend long. So, wipe away the tears with a bar rag and consider this your Plan B through E for getting properly wrecked by rock ’n’ roll.
Start early Saturday with a matinee bash at Double Down Saloon (doubledownsaloon.com). Vegas punk degenerates Mondo Vermin, Happy Campers and Punk’n Country will pile onto the stage while DJs keep momentum pumping between sets.
Next, drive out to Henderson—and hear us out before you groan—where Spiritworld brings its death-western thrash apocalypse to Grey Witch (greywitchlv.com). The hometown wrecking crew just wrapped up a tour, and it’s closing it out in the most sensible way—with local hardcore heroes Roman Candle and Bay Area crushers Doomsday.
Sunday belongs to the pit rats. Catch punk and hardcore royalty Circle Jerks and Gorilla Biscuits at Brooklyn Bowl (brooklynbowl.com) where middle-aged moshers will prove they still have health insurance for a reason. Or slide into something moodier with post-punkers Provoker at American Legion Post 8 (post8lv.com).
By Monday, Sepultura hits House of Blues (lasvegas.houseofblues.com) with Biohazard, Exodus and Tribal Gaze. If you somehow crawl out of there without ringing ears and the vague sense you survived a small riot, you didn’t do it right.
