To be honest, I had mixed reactions when I first heard that there was going to be a punk rock music festival at Red Rocks. It felt like another marketing ploy from our local promoters to bank off of the rising popularity of big music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza. And since there have already been many multi-band punk shows traveling through Denver in the past decade, I wasn't quit sure if we really needed another one. With a lineup that would be more popular to an older crowd and a venue that is more known for its notorious jam band sessions, I was pretty sure that this festival would totally bite. However, I am glad to say that I was completely wrong. Punk Rocks actually, well, rocked.

With Frontside Five, Steet Dogs, Bouncing Souls, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and NOFX (The Circle Jerks canceled at the last minute due to illness), the lineup seemed to be a flashback to when the Warped Tour was still about punk rock and skateboarding. Each band was better than the last and probably played the best I have seen them play in years. And even though moshing was highly supervised and the band/fan interactions were limited, each band stuck to their roots and put on a kickass show.

Unfortunately I was unable to get to show by 4 to watch Frontside Five come on, but below are the highlights from the rest band's performances. Maybe next time the promoters will take into consideration that some [older] people have 9-5 jobs…

Street Dogs
While standing in the rain getting ready to hear the Street Dogs, I didn't have any expectations of the band which has a sound that is a mix between hardcore and Celtic punk. After a long set of watching frontman Mike McColgan, formerly of Dropkick Murphys, sing a mix of old, new and cover songs, climbing on top of speakers and crowd surfing, I gained a new respect for the band and was eager to go search for their records. They also reminded me of the good old days when punk was about being ridiculous and obnoxious and it made me happy to see that this still existed.

The Bouncing Souls
The one band that I was super excited to see was the Bouncing Souls. I've seen the Bouncing Souls play every time they have come to Denver since the late 90's and was excited to see how they would play at Red Rocks. As expected, their set was spectacular. I actually think this was probably one of the best shows I have seen them play in years.
Keeping to tradition, the Bouncing Souls played a wide range of music, from classic songs like "East Coast F*** You", "Say Anything, '87," and "Night on Earth" to their latest hit "Lean On Shena." However it was a little corny to hear about lead vocalist Greg Attonito's trip to Red Rocks in the 80's and how he swore that he would one day play there. But I got over it quickly when I saw his awesome dance moves and quirky smile. Yep, they definitely rocked it and even though there wasn't any chanting of "Ole, Ole, Ole," I still loved it.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
As partial as I am to The Bouncing Souls, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were probably the best performers of the night. This being my first time seeing them live, I wasn't sure what to expect. The horn players and percussionist came out first in mismatched paid suits followed by lead vocalist Dicky Barrett and dancer Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton, who I've decided probably has the best job in the world. The band started with "The Old School Off The Bright" and kept the energy rolling with classic songs like "Rascal King", "Someday I Suppose", and "The Impression That I Get."
The band's performance maintained high energy throughout the 30-minute set of 17 songs, featuring two teenage boys dancing awkwardly while Johnny Vegas skanked around them and a banner with Obama's face unfurling at their finale. However, the most entertaining part was watching Barrett run around like he never took a 5-year hiatus. I can see why the Bosstones have such a huge fan base.

NOFX
Oh NOFX… I am still not quite sure which part of their performance I liked the best. Was it the insult after insult of both fans and other performing bands or getting the girls in wheel chairs upfront to make out while vocalist Fat Mike made inappropriate hand gestures? It could have been that they kept making up reasons for their poor performance for the first half of the set or the hand drawn cardboard banner that they hung in the background. Either way it was refreshing to see that the band hasn't changed since I saw them last.
Throughout their performance, NOFX jokingly played from their "new album" in between presenting their political views and the trash talk that we have all come to know and love. The set list included "Murder The Government", "Bob", "Don't Call Me White", and a special version of "Lori Meyers", on which Smelly's wife came out to sing a verse. Unfortunately there wasn't enough time to play an encore even though the crowd chanted for more.

As I walked down the path to the car, I suddenly realized that I was smiling. Each band reminded me of why I feel in love with punk rock and left me wanting more. I can only hope that next year's lineup will kick ass as much as this one did and leave me once again with a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside.

-Melissa Skrbic-Huss

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