As small clubs close their doors around the country, breweries seem to be carrying the torch as venues for punk rock bands to play. One such company, Burning Bridges Brewing, has been putting on shows for smaller bands to play at its two locations in San Dimas and West Covina. Catering mostly to an older punk rock crowd, these shows harken back to the days of the 1990s when bands would play in small coffeehouses to a small niche crowd.
endorphins is a five-piece heavy indie rock band from Los Angeles featuring ex-members of Decent Criminals. The influence of Jawbreaker was ever-present with the band’s driving drums and riff-heavy bass lines. endorphins’ three guitars beefed up their sound at various moments, especially during their cover of “Attitude” by Bad Brains. However, the band did not play an overly aggressive set in general. They are definitely a band to keep an eye on.
Next was Suburban Life; their energetic set was a highlight of the night for me. Featuring former Gentlemen Prefer Blood vocalist Todd Smailes, Suburban Life felt like the best East Bay punk rock band to come from Los Angeles. So much so that their cover of Green Day’s “Geek Stink Breath” even had the original band’s haters bobbing their heads. I know you could throw a rock and hit a band that sounds like Jawbreaker nowadays, which would be a bad thing if most of these bands didn’t take the proper lessons from one of punk rock’s most talented trios. Suburban Life is no exception.
Featuring two-thirds of Suburban Life, Casuist played third. If you like your melodic punk with a touch of emo, this may be the band for you. Celebrating the release of their single, “Good Grief,” Casuist played songs that felt a little more serious than endorphins or Suburban Life, but still put on a good set full of fast, double-bass-pedaled punk rock. Good, loud, and profound is a great combination that suits them well.
Odd Robot closed out the night. The San Bernardino five-piece played a fun power-pop set including “Secondhand Noose,” “Schadenfreude,” and “You’re a Fucking Nightmare,” and their latest single, released last year, “Buddy.” While “Buddy” kind of puts the band in a different direction song-wise from their typical self-deprecating tone and incorporates an acoustic guitar and trumpet, it’s a direction I hope they lean into a little more in the future. This was my second time seeing Odd Robot, and they did not disappoint. Here’s hoping for more sets from them in the new year.
This was my second show at Burning Bridges Brewing in San Dimas, and I continue to be impressed with their setup despite its small size. While its seating is limited, its small size makes for great sets that take punk rock back to its DIY roots, just subbing breweries in for coffee shops. Still, shows like this are what are going to keep the scene alive until it becomes affordable for someone to run a small club again.