Dr. Strange Summer Bash: Part 1

The two-day punk rock extravaganza at the stately Cathedral Building in Pomona was a fun-filled, no-hassle, raucous success! The sound systems were excellent, the staff was vigilant, helpful, and friendly, all the bands kicked ass, and there were no fights (as far as I could tell.) Usually, I have no desire to attend festival events because I do not want to be fifty yards away from the bands, paying $6.00 for a bottle of water, standing in line to use a foul-smelling piss and crap box called a porta potty, while rubbing elbows with tens of thousands of other people. On the contrary, this event was exactly the right size and was located entirely within the (air conditioned) Cathedral section of the historic The Union Building. It is an impressive structure that looks somewhat like a brick fortress, but it was originally a YMCA building that was constructed in 1922. The inside is an impressive assemblage of stained glass windows, hardwood floors, and dark wooden walls that create an impressive and genuine sense of awe.I went alone on the first day because I was only able to score one VIP ticket courtesy of the man himself, Mr. Bill Plaster, AKA Dr. Strange. I bought one for Cathy and she joined me on the second day.

Upon entering, I saw a small skateboard shop, a small vinyl record store, a coffee and snack bar business, and even a small barber shop. Astounding. There were two stages for the bands. The main stage was in The Cathedral room and the other was a smaller stage in a smaller room nearby. The Oi-influenced sounds of Broken Cuffs lured me into the small room where I discovered a new band to love. Broken Cuffs was solid, tight, and uncomplicated. These three guys pumped out some quality street punk dripping with heavy Oi sauce. Definitely a band worth your time if you like non-nonsense, straight-up, punk rock.

Some band was playing on the large stage, but I do not know which one. I did not pay attention to who was playing at what time. I just went back and forth between the two stages and stayed for whichever band I enjoyed the most. Fantasy Lane took the small stage next, and whoever was playing in the big room must have finished, because people started streaming into the small one. Good for them and good for Fantasy Lane because these guys from Riverside and Mentone crank out some really good punk rock with a gleaming metal edge. Nobody was slamming yet, but there was plenty of long-haired head banging. “Hmm…I seem to be having a good time” I thought to myself. It was then time to go exploring. As I wandered through the venue, I was dismayed to see so many young people staring at their cell phones. Outside, I was dismayed to see so many older people staring at their cell phones. The delicious smell of tacos wafted on the air while people lined up to buy merchandise from the Dr. Strange booth. Beer and wine was also available at small bars throughout, but I rarely drink so I opted for the free water and sodas. It seems that the VIP ticket also entitled me to free drinks and pizza, but I am not sure. Nobody stopped me when I entered restricted areas and I got smiling nods from the staff as I loaded up on sustenance. I was carrying my notebook and pen, and sometimes that makes people think I work there, so I just acted like I owned the place.

I wandered over to the large stage just in time to see The Knuckleheadz kick things into high gear. These six tough guys are also skilled musicians who crank out tight and fast hardcore with a bit of vato vibe. They have two vocalists, Thomas Telles (AKA Tom Knucklehead), who is also a champion Muy Thai kickboxer, and his equally loud cohort Vamps. Their set was a great mix of hardcore and metal, with an undeniably positive message. I did not get any of the song titles, but the audience seemed to know them well, as the chorus of voices rose up from the crowd to sing along to many of the band’s tunes. It is interesting to note that The Knuckleheadz home base is Knucklehead Martial Arts in Whittier, where the band has created its own social force that provides mentorship and support to at-risk youth. The band members train together and they have their own fight club thing going. Tom is also a good street skateboarder too, and that is always a strong plus in my book.

Spunk was up next on the big main stage and I definitely wanted to see their set. Spunk is now one of my favorite bands after I saw them open for The Dickies in Pomona back in January. Their set at that show was so explosive, I honestly feared for my safety and I loved it. Before they took the stage, I asked vocalist Bruno why he had tits. He replied: “Because my milk feeds the masses.” There was no security personnel monitoring the area between the barrier and the stage, so I took my position front and center. Spunk has built a strong local following and the audience was chanting “Spunk! Spunk! Spunk!” Spunk fans are truly rabid. A huge circle pit formed while Spunk’s sonic bomb detonated. The band reminds me of The Germs, Black Flag, and Minor Threat in terms of powerful delivery and strong audience reaction. While they played the new song “Isn’t it Fun?” Bruno tore out a page out of my notebook and taunted me with it, acting like he was going to tear it up. I was pissed off, but I also knew it was my own fault for leaving something close enough for Bruno to reach. He kindly decided not to rip up my notes and threw them back at me. The set was truly insane with people jumping up on stage singing along with Bruno, and then stage diving back into the melee. Afterward, I thanked Bruno for not destroying my notes. I told him I was angry when he took a page and he asked me why. I said: “I get it. Punk rock. Antagonize the audience. Get a reaction. Whatever, it was a good show and I know not to let you get close to my notes from now on.” I honestly believe Bruno could become a major personality in the punk rock world someday. He has the charisma, energy, and talent to become on par with Joey Ramone, Keith Morris, and Leonard Graves-Phillips. His physical and performative resemblance to Darby Crash is astonishing. If he ever grows beyond annoying teenage antics and develops his ethos, we will have another Keith Morris on our hands.

I overheard someone say Dr. Know was about to play on the small stage so I hurried on over there. The only thing my notes say is: “While standing on the edge of the stage, I got many shredding metal solos to the face.” Minimal notes means maximum enjoyment. When I am thoroughly enjoying a band, I tend to write fewer reminders. Dr. Know was a huge part of my skatepunk past. Dr. Know is the originator of Nardcore, the Oxnard regional form of hardcore punk rock way back in 1981. The band was also an integral part of the punk rock skateboard scene and its shredding punk/metal/thrash fueled many intense skate sessions on my two backyard halfpipes. Many of the classics were played, but I wrote none of it down. Instead, I was immersed in the blissful roar and mind-shattering leads that enveloped me. Lead guitarist Fred Mataquin is a beast. He rejoined the band five years ago and he is working on new material for a new Dr. Know release sometime in the near future.Vocalist Brandon Cruz shared my meditational immersive frame of mind. He performed part of the set seated cross-legged in the center of the stage, eyes shut, hands and fingers in the classic Hindu murdra gesture, raising his hands from time to time only to shout lyrics. Fun fact: Brandon was once a child star who appeared in the popular TV show “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” with Bill Bixby from 1969 to 1972.

Lower Class Brats then filled the large room and the huge circle pit was going right away. Like The Adicts, Lower Class Brats takes its cue from A Clockwork Orange imagery and concepts, but unlike The Adicts, these guys are not ebuillently cheerful all the time. No, the first tune was “Droogstomp,” and that should give you a clear idea of the melodic ultraviolence that filled the air. The next cracking tune was “Rather Be Hated,” because that’s how they are, followed by “All the Young Dudes are Pissed.” Damn, I almost forgot how much I love this band. Looking around, I noticed punk rock families complete with punk rock grandparents and punk rock parents with their punk rock kids. It made me smile to see this current state of punk rock. Still no security people guarding the stage, so people helped themselves to some onstage cavorting and soaring stage dives. The band’s sonic assault ended with…what else? “Ultraviolence!”

Then it was back to the smaller room with some even older school sounds courtesy of The Effigies from Chicago. I was astonished to see the full room quickly empty by about 90% in a very short time. Some popular band must have been playing the large stage, but I did not care. I finally got to see The Effigies in person and I was not disappointed. At one point in the set, vocalist Geoff Sabin stumbled and almost knocked me over. We made eye contact for a brief moment and shared a knowing nod that conveyed “This is great!” Sadly, original vocalist John Kezdy was killed in a bicycle accident in 2023. Sabin stepped up to the mic and while his vocal style is vastly different than Kezdy’s, his renditions are just as good. My favorite tune by far was “Security,” with its bass-driven center, melodic yet harsh guitars, and mid-tempo angst. I basked in the dark grittiness that reminded me a lot of Joy Division. “We’ll Be Here Tomorrow” was stuck in my head for days. All those who left the room missed out. Somewhere in all of this sonic mirth, I thoroughly enjoyed The Freeze. I have absolutely no notes. That means I was having too much fun to write anything. I love that late ‘70s, early ‘80s hardcore sound. Yeah, The Freeze was doing melodic hardcore as early as 1978. “This is Boston, Not LA.” Go check out that compilation album and find out for yourself. Dr. Strange Records has released a few recordings by The Freeze such as “One False Move” in 1999, and “Freak Show/Crawling Blind” in 2004. The small room was set ablaze with angry, manic punk rock with intelligent lyrics. Like Bad Religion, The Freeze makes me feel good about feeling bad. It is a miracle that founding member Clif Hanger is still alive because he has a tendency to be impulsive and self-destructive. Good to see you still here Clif. What was played? I do not remember. It was great though. 

It was then time to mosey over to the large stage so I could finally hear Sloppy Seconds live. I don’t know how I have managed to miss the kings of Junk Rock for so long. Right away, during “You Can’t Kill Joey Ramone,” somebody tumbled over the barricade and their foot hooked my belt and pulled my pants down to my ankles. I do not wear underwear so my dick and ass were plain for all to see. I quickly pulled up my pants and turning to look at whoever might be laughing, I saw everyone up front gleefully engrossed in the band’s performance. They missed out. The large room was absolutely packed and three circle pits were churning away. Sloppy Seconds has been cranking out simple, but catchy and aggressive punk rock that is deliberately goofy and offensive since 1984. Midway through the set, vocalist B.A. said: “Let’s hear it for Bill. He put our our first LP and that is why we are here today.” He was referring to Bill Sassenberger the creator of Toxic Shock Records. I did not know these guys were so popular. Great set.

The final band for day one was the infamous Voodoo Glow Skulls. I was getting tired, but when the band exploded into their frenetic version of The Coasters’ “Charlie Brown,” I was immediately reenergized. Some guy strutted onstage with a large black Dr. Strange Records flag off and on during the band’s set. I saw him from time to time mixing it up in the slampit too. During “Human Pinata,” the stage divers began to fly and I had to quickly dodge flying feet and elbows from time to time. Mexican hyper-speed/ska/punk is quite popular with the punk rock set and the entire large room seemed to throb with energy. The saxophonist suffered from microphone problems for a bit, but his angst was remedied by the quick action of the stage crew. From my prime vantage point within the barricade, I was intrigued by vocalist Frank Casillas’ gold Voodoo Glow Skulls ring. The band’s monster mascot made his appearance at the end of the set with the “Voodoo Anthem.” The crowd roared along with: “Who do voodoo? We do! Fuck you!” After thanking the audience, Frank mentioned that the Voodoo Glow Skulls side project, The Penetratorz, were performing the following day. I went home satiated and exhausted. Part 2 of the review of Dr Strange’s Summer Bash will follow shortly, this review was delayed due to Marcus suffering heart related health issues, we at The Punk Site all wish him continued good health.

Dr Strange Records will be hosting the Winter Bash on January 16th & 17th 2027 at The Cathedral in Pomona, CA