Dr. Strange Records in Alta Loma, Ca has been an unsung mecca of punk rock in the Inland Empire for decades. While in-store performances from bands are not a new thing, at Dr. Strange, they always feel special. You can see it in the amount of work that goes into it. The number of people willing to help to make sure the show was successful is what community and punk rock are about. This week, Matt Freeman’s new band Crimewave 66 played a free matinee show with support from Caleb Henry and Orange Grove Massacre. It was one of the most fun shows I’ve been to all year.
Orange Grove Massacre opened the show. This three-piece punk rock band from the Inland Empire is a regular fixture at Dr. Strange and put on a great set. The band seems to be a family affair with Dave Sr. on guitar and vocals, Dave Jr. on drums, and family friend Silva on bass. Playing mostly short songs, the band plowed through a set with songs ranging from Dave Sr.’s grandpa fighting in WWII (“Nazis No More”) to Dave Jr.’s anger about his mom’s cancer (“Sickness”). Hearing the stories behind some of these songs and Dave Sr.’s honesty with the crowd made us feel welcome. Performing two covers, one of the Circle Jerks’ “Live Fast Die Young” and Sublime’s “Pool Shark,” combined with their originals, shows the heart and fight this band has. If you see them on a bill, give them a chance. Dave Jr. is a beast behind the drums at just thirteen years old. While Dave Sr. hinted this band serves as training wheels while Jr. finds his own way, I hope Orange Grove Massacre will keep going.
Caleb Henry and the Customs’ set was a much bigger affair. With twice as many members in their band as Orange Grove Massacre, their set could have been seen as the outlier of the show; it was in a way with their keyboardist and fiddle player, but it worked. More of a roadhouse band than a punk rock band, their set was very versatile and they knew how to win over a punk rock crowd. While the band had flairs of honky-tonk and Southern rock, they didn’t hammer these genres into the ground like a lot of these types of bands tend to do, alienating a good portion of the crowd. Caleb Henry won them over with angst and humor in some of the lyrics, but the crowd participation during their cover of the Devil Makes Three’s “Old No. 7” didn’t hurt either.
You can always look at a Rancid side project and know you’re going to get quality; Crimewave 66 is no exception. By the time they got on, the store was packed as expected with Matt Freeman of Rancid’s latest project, which includes Grabber’s guitar player Rob Milucky. Milucky played with Freeman in his psychobilly band, the Devil’s Brigade. The band tore through songs from their self-titled EP and a couple more that will be on the full-length later this year. When vocalist Chris Hüber took a break from singing, Matt Freeman threw down a couple of covers: a fantastic rendition of the Dead Kennedys’ “Police Truck” and Rancid’s “Tenderloin” made the crowd shout for more. However, they are still such a new band they only have about ten songs. Crimewave 66 isn’t super fast but is definitely aggressive. Songs about the Arizona desert and old gunslingers fit into a set that sometimes leans into country and rockabilly.
On top of the bands that played, Dr. Strange let vendors set up in the parking lot to sell crafts, records, and food. You could spend the majority of the day there, and it wouldn’t feel like wasted time. Dr. Strange Records is a punk rock institution that keeps the scene alive in the Inland Empire. They frequently put on free shows along with a big summer bash in May. If they can bring this quality entertainment for free, imagine what they will do with a budget. The crowd, the energy, and the sense of community made seeing one of punk’s enduring bass players in a small venue a core memory for fans young and old.