Festivals & Events: 10 Punk Rock Champions You Should See at Punk Rock Bowling

There's usually a reason why the long running, veteran, respected punk rock bands are able to do what they do year after year after year. Simply put, the reason many punk veterans have lasted as long as they have is because they are the best at what they do. This year, Punk Rock Bowling (pssst... we're sponsors) has really booked some heavy hitters that have been doing their thang for two decades or more! There's FLAG, there's Descendents, there's The Dwarves -- and that's just the TIP of the iceberg. Check out some of our favorite picks for punk rock heroes that you should see at Punk Rock Bowling this year... and by all means, post your faves in the comments below. PRB runs May 26-30 in Vegas and June 11-12 in Asbury Park.

Anti-Nowhere League
We all owe Metallica a debt of gratitude for rescuing the Anti-Nowhere League from the scrap heap of punk rock history. Their cover of the exquisitely crude “So What?” created a renewed interest in the band, whose history goes all the way back to 1980. Anti-Nowhere League’s 1982 album We Are…The League is an overlooked gem of early UK punk. Don’t miss your chance to sing along with Animal to “So What?, “I Hate People” and “Let’s Break the Law.” -Tom Crandle

The Buzzcocks

Buzzcocks are one of the great British '70s punk bands, dominated by Pete Shelley's nasal, desperate vocals and hooky love songs. Not only did they almost single-handedly created pop-punk (“Everybody's Happy Nowadays,” “I Don't Mind”), but they were one of the first punk bands to create their own label. They're still going strong, releasing their album The Way in 2014, so don't miss the other famous Mancunian act of neuroses and pop melody. -Conor Crockford

Cock Sparrer

Cock Sparrer is one of the most important and influential street-punk bands of all time. Shock Troops and Running Riot in ’84 are undisputed oi classics. They are old geezers who play energetic and joyful shows that put most younger bands to shame. Cock Sparrer is simply one of the best live bands you will ever see. Don’t miss you your chance to shout along to “Take ‘em All,” “Runnin’ Riot” and “England Belongs to Me.” -Tom Crandle

The Descendents
When I was 13, I vowed that if Descendents ever came to the east coast, I’d be there in a heartbeat. I still haven’t seen them. But whether you’ve seen them before or not, either way this is our year. The band bleeds punk rock and definitely makes a great addition to the Punk Rock Bowling lineup with their nerdy punk rock angst. With a huge discography under their belt, The Descendents are guaranteed to rip through older and newer songs alike. Heck, we might even get lucky enough to hear something new the bands been brewing (coffee puns) for the past year or so. -Jon Steinberg

Dillinger Four
It’s looking like 2016 is going to be the first time I will be attending Punk Rock Bowling and the first time that I will actually have a chance to see Dillinger Four. FINALLY! They have been on my “must-see” list for quite a while. The fact that they are performing anywhere near the west coast is incredible to me. D4 is the “punk rock phoenix” if you will -- the members come to together to perform and maybe even record something new, then the band goes back into the desert for a while only to be born again to restart the cycle. Their shows look like an insane amount of fun from what I have seen online, so they are at the top of my list to see at this festival. -Ricky Frankel

The Dwarves
I saw The Dwarves once during the summer of 2014 only a few days or so before The Dwarves Invented Rock 'n' Roll was released and I don’t believe they played any of the new material from that record. It was a really great show nonetheless, but I really want to hear the newer material live. How can you not want to get into the chaos that is a Dwarves show, especially in Sin City?! HAIL! HAIL! HAIL! THE DWARVES! ROCK LEGENDS! BLAG THE RIPPER 2016! -Ricky Frankel

Face to Face
Feeling disappointed? Are things too complicated? Then head on over to Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas on Monday to go see So Cal’s Face to Face play their finest tracks and possibly a sprinkle of some new tunes. Face to Face is back at it with their ninth album, and they will be returning to the label that signed them more than 20 years ago, Fat Wreck Chords. Protection is due out in March and the album is rumored to hearken back to the angst of the band's earlier albums. Sounds to me like a recipe for a great time. -Sam Barrett

FLAG
This is quite likely the closest you're ever going to get to seeing Black Flag, and if you need more convincing than that, I'm not sure what to tell you, but I can promise that, at FLAG, you'll see the following: Keith Morris flying around the stage putting frontmen half his age to shame. Bill Stevenson beating the hell out of a drum kit like just about no one else, and Chuck Fucking Dukowski. Do you really need more than that? -Adam Eisenberg

Flogging Molly
Dublin-born Dave King and Flogging Molly might just be the most legitimate heir to The Pogues’ musical legacy. It’s driving folk and celt-punk with plenty of attitude to spare. In the '80s, King also sang in a hair- metal band called Fastway with former Motorhead guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke. So he knows a thing or two about showmanship. Don’t miss Flogging Molly. The booze will be flowing, and they never fail to deliver a good time. -Tom Crandle

Subhumans
If you want to see what a real punk band looks like, look no further than the Subhumans. Since forming in 1980, Dick Lucas and co. haven't just made excellent anarcho-punk rooted firmly in the D.I.Y. tradition, they've lived it. While their recorded output may have tapered off, they still tour on a regular basis and keep active with other projects like Citizen Fish. Catching them among their contemporaries at Punk Rock Bowling would be a good way to cross these legends off of your bucket list. -Adam Eisenberg