Dying Scene

DS Interview: Noodles from The Offspring gives advice and music recommendations

I got a few minutes to talk with Noodles from The Offspring before his DJ set at Punk Rock & Paintbrushes 10th annual holiday art show in Los Angeles. We talked about being on the road, countries he’d love to play for in the future, and up and coming bands he’s been listening to. Dying […]

I got a few minutes to talk with Noodles from The Offspring before his DJ set at Punk Rock & Paintbrushes 10th annual holiday art show in Los Angeles. We talked about being on the road, countries he’d love to play for in the future, and up and coming bands he’s been listening to.

Dying Scene (Spike): I know you have a set to do so I’ll keep this short and sweet. This is such a great event! I know your wife (Jackie Wasserman) has some work on display, right?

Noodles: She does! For the first time ever. I’ve been trying to talk her into it for 9-10 years, and finally she hung out with Emily (Nielsen) over the summer and Emily talked her into doing it. She wont listen to me, but she listens to people smarter than me, so that’s okay.

I really like all of her stuff, it’s all really cool. Especially how she uses rocks?!

The eyes, yeah! “She Still See’s You”.

I love it. How are you keeping up with the modern punk scene? Are there any bands that you’re really into right now that you want more people to know about?

Yeah there’s a bunch and you know some have blown up in the last couple years, like Amyl and the Sniffers are great. They opened up for AC/DC the other day, so they’ve definitely come a long way. There’s a lot of bands, Slaughterhouse is coming up and doing a lot. A band called Pinkshift, I don’t know how long they’ve been around, I just recently discovered them, but they’re great out of Baltimore. The Rumours band, Die Spitz is great, Spunk is a fun one. There’s always up and coming stuff and a lot of local bands, and I love just finding new bands. Anyone that’s out there doing it and just kind of making noise, and doing it well, I love it.

That kind of ties in with my next question, what does punk mean to you?

Oh god, yeah. I’ve said a lot of things, like punk just means questioning convention or whatever, but really punk rock is kind of like Buddha hood. It’s like something you hope to attain, but might not ever actually achieve it. It’s just staying open minded. I’ve seen a lot of people, even in the punk scene, get to be about my age, and all of a sudden their minds are as rigid as their bodies are! So I think having an open mind and trying to step away from all the rigidity of thought, there’s something punk rock about that.

Did you ever think The Offspring would last 40 years?

Fuck no. I didn’t know how long it would last. First of all, we never thought it would be a career choice, you know. I’m hanging out with my friends like Melvin in NOFX, and the very first time we thought “wow man, these guys are actually making a living playing music”, was when we opened up for NOFX in Europe for like 6 weeks, but we were broke! You know, we all had day jobs and were going to school, but those guys were actually making a living so we thought maybe it’s possible. We saw Bad Religion making a living, but not a career choice, still it’s something we love to do, but never a career choice.

You just got back from tour, and now you’re going back on tour soon. Do you ever rest?

I got about a month and a half. I actually sleep better on the road sometimes. I get into a hotel room, put the blackout lights on, and I’m just out. It’s weird how that works, but a lot of times you have to get up early, and you’re traveling, and it’s crazy. The traveling is pretty brutal. The word traveling has the same root word as travail, so you know travails and travels, they do beat you up. But getting out and playing a show every night is what we love to do. That connection with the audience and fans, and when you’re resonating (with them), it’s the best drug in the world. It really is. There’s nothing like that.

Is there one country that has a really great reaction to you guys?

I wouldn’t say there’s one country, you see fans that are different all around the world. South American audiences in general are one of the most passionate and crazed, like there’s no boundaries. You kind of want to hold them at arms distance because they will rip you apart if you get too close, but they are so much fun to play for. They really are, and we’ve been fortunate enough to have traveled really all over the world. The only places we haven’t played are parts of Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, and nowhere in India. I would love to play some of those places just to see what the fans are like there.

My last question for you, do you have any advice for a young punk like me?

Yeah, anyone trying to be creative, just keep following those creative things. Whether you’re writing, painting, I mean there’s tons of great art here tonight, there’s tons of great music in the world, just keeping doing it. If you’re in a band, play music with like-minded people that share the same love of the music, and be open to opportunities. If there are no opportunities, make some. Get out in people’s faces and eventually, if you’re good atall, people will notice. And have fun!

Getting first hand advice from Noodles himself, then dancing to his DJ set after was pretty damn cool. Check out the video on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.

@murderc1ty

i asked noodles what he’s been listening to lately… and a couple other things xD🖤 @dyingscene #theoffspring #punkrock #poppunk #90s #y2k #noodles #amylandthesniffers #bands #guitarist #alt #emo #fyp

♬ original sound – cam / spike
by Staff Writer spike
Tags: 
alternative rock California orange county pop punk Punk

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DS Album Review: Sad Snack – “Vending Machine”

Who doesn’t like a good ska-punk record, but you know what’s even better? A great ska-punk record. Vending Machine from San Francisco’s Sad Snack is just that: nine horn-driven ska songs that remind me of why I fell in love with ska-punk in the first place. From the first buildup in the opening track, “Survive […]

Who doesn’t like a good ska-punk record, but you know what’s even better? A great ska-punk record. Vending Machine from San Francisco’s Sad Snack is just that: nine horn-driven ska songs that remind me of why I fell in love with ska-punk in the first place.

From the first buildup in the opening track, “Survive This,” Sad Snack feels more horn-heavy than a lot of the ska bands I’ve heard lately. It’s a strong opener. If you were judging this album by the staples of ska, Sad Snack hits them well. It’s hard to single out a few tracks as highlights because all of the songs are fantastic. However, I will say that “Vending Machine” is my favorite.

Smack dab in the middle of the record is “Nervous Jam,” an instrumental that gives a nice little buffer between “Vending Machine” and “The Story Doesn’t End.” The songs on Vending Machine are wordy in a good way. The second side continues the strong wordplay and emotion that the first side did. Closing song, “Garbinger,” is a perfect example of this.

A lot of the songs have serious subject matter despite their mostly upbeat sounds. Ska doesn’t always have to be peppy, but it doesn’t need to be when it’s this well put together. The punk in the ska-punk of this record feels more pop punk and emo in some spots than straight punk rock, and that’s not a bad thing. It lends itself well to their sound.

The clean guitar sound stands out from other releases I’ve heard this year. While there’s nothing wrong with distorted ska chords, sometimes it’s a little much. I also like the back and forth between male and female lead vocals. It’s been a minute since I heard a band do that well, let alone a ska band.

This was my first Sad Snack record, and it’s sure not to be my last. Vending Machine is a fantastic addition to the music released this year. My only complaint is that it’s too short. If I had a little more time with it, it might have made it into my top albums for the year. Do yourself a favor and run, don’t walk, to this album.

by Staff Writer Forrest Gaddis
Tags: 
CA California Punk Sad Snack san francisco

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DS EP Review: PoisonLibrary – “HarvestMoonRebirth”

An artist recently reached out to us to have their new single reviewed and I’m VERY pleasantly surprised with taking on this track by PoisonLibrary. They have been seen floating around our reviews in the past under a different name and I now have the honor of writing this review for the new release under […]

An artist recently reached out to us to have their new single reviewed and I’m VERY pleasantly surprised with taking on this track by PoisonLibrary. They have been seen floating around our reviews in the past under a different name and I now have the honor of writing this review for the new release under a new name! The artist sent me a small little blurb about the song I’d like to share with you guys:

“After over 20 million views on IG reels, and 50+ live shows, including a sold-out 300-cap show at Chicago’s Beat Kitchen — this release marks the public reveal of a new name, sound, and direction.

For years, I hated autumn (which, as a Midwesterner, is unusual). It’s the season when I went through breakups, went no-contact with my parents, and hit the lowest point of my life. ‘HarvestMoonRebirth’ is the sound of finding optimism, self-love, and hope for the future in Autumn 2025.

‘HarvestMoonRebirth’ is about no longer wanting to die in autumn, and being excited to live.”

The 3½-minute track blends strings, guitar, synth, and vocals, evoking moments of Donnie Darko (in the synths), Attack on Titan (in the emotional bridge), and the cathartic heart of Dashboard Confessional. It was performed, mixed, and mastered by me.“

Honestly, going into this track, I felt like I was about to get early Sleep Token, but then you get hit with that punk sound and transported to a completely different sound. I can’t help but get a strong influence of The Front Bottoms with the way the vocals come in mid-first verse and into that first chorus. It continues with that harmony that we all know and love into the second verse which introduces a catchy and entrancing little synth addition and then the listener is whiplashed a tad when the bridge slides in and gives us a swap into a more raw and live sounding grit to the vocals leading into the third verse that softens back up a bit into the lull of the start. Overall, my boyfriend put it quite perfectly when he heard me listening to it on repeat while writing, this artist gives me La Dispute meets Jack Johnson and I am LIVING for it.

Alright, now for my favorite part, the lyrics. Talking with the artist a bit, I shared that I am a member of AA and he mentioned this song is about a journey navigating challenges in his own life and hoped that I could resonate with it in my own way. Honestly, he was right. These lyrics can be resonated with for so many different walks of life. Grief, recovery, basic life challenges (finances, housing, etc), you name it. This song is very relaxing and I’d almost argue lullaby-like for those of us looking for a way to just escape and turn off our brains for a few minutes. “Sometimes you gotta hit reset // Then everything comes together” hit me personally because it took me a long time to realize that the only way to move passed a challenge that you knew you couldn’t overcome with one avenue or solution, you can’t just pick up where you were with a different method. It’s restarting and resetting everything that puts your perspective fresh for the new method that will give you that higher chance for success. It’s knowing when to admit “okay, that method didn’t work, so back to square one”.

The chorus kinda gave me a “lover’s note” vibe. I’m not sure that was the intention, but from my interpretation. “And I hope the harvest moon // Brings to you a new tune // And I hope that the harvest moon // Brings the time we’ve been waiting for”. Reading it back again, it could be a lover’s note or a note to oneself. A lover who has left due to your choices and hoping the harvest moon will tell them of their new life and new tune to bring them together for the time that they’ve waited to spend together healthily, or a note to oneself, where they’re hoping the moon sees their efforts and bring them a cleansing new life of time gotten back after whatever it is that was challenging you in life. The harmonies and the gritty vocals of the chorus and bridge, mixed with the soft spoken verses, has me really loving the way this song flows. Not to mention that I can genuinely say that I could use this as a lullaby and fall asleep to it if I wanted.

The bridge has a strong and clear message, the rebirth after a challenge is crucial, and it usually feels sudden, unexpected, and it’s never “easy”, but the hours you spend during that rebirth will be more than worth it. The notion that the moon, or this invisible entity that’s sitting with you during this rebirth, is speaking to you and promising to stay along side you while you are bring reborn in the night. “You will be // Reborn tonight // You will be // Reborn tonight // Every hour I’ll stay by your side”, as someone who knows many recovering alcoholics that had it worse than I did, that promise to stay by their side and be that rock and support that so many people desperately need when going through any challenge, really, not just a sober journey, is so important (at least, it is for me).

This last verse, guys. Oof! The third verse is the verse that I resonate with the most. I’m at this point where I am nearly a year sober and I am READY for this to all pay off. This year has been a rollercoaster of challenge after challenge and getting to review this song and it end up having the exact message I needed for the end of this year was just too good. “I know you’re fed up with the life you’ve lived // I know you’re ready for a new subject // Tired of thinking // Fed up with fitting in // Ready for dreaming”, if this isn’t be the last few months, I’m not sure what would be. I’ve absolutely loved this side project of reviewing songs for Dying Scene for this EXACT song. Finding gems in bands and songs like this has been such an amazing horizon expander for me musically and it gives me more music to help me through my own journeys in life. I hope you guys enjoy this song as much as I have and also toss it on your daily playlists!!

“HarvestMoonRebirth” by PoisonLibrary can be streamed anywhere you stream your music as of November 13th, 2025!!

by Staff Writer Emily Bradford
Tags: 
chicago emo indie rock pop punk Rock

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DS Book Club: Spanish Punk: Screaming for Democracy in a Postdictatorial State by David Vila Diéguez

While the history of punk rock scenes in places like the United States and the United Kingdom is well documented, it would be ignorant to assume these are the only places where punk rock made an impact. Throughout punk rock’s existence, it seeped into other countries and established scenes similar to our own. David Vila […]

While the history of punk rock scenes in places like the United States and the United Kingdom is well documented, it would be ignorant to assume these are the only places where punk rock made an impact. Throughout punk rock’s existence, it seeped into other countries and established scenes similar to our own. David Vila Diéguez‘s book, Spanish Punk: Screaming For Democracy in a Postdictatorial State, is a history of Spain’s punk rock scene after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975.

The information presented in the book seems to be an overlooked part of not only punk rock’s broader history but Spain’s own cultural history as well. It’s broken up into five chapters, covering aspects such as Spain’s interpretation of punk rock, comparing it with Movida Madrileña, and its anti-transition, anti-capitalist, and anti-neoliberal stance. The book, for me, really shines when it covers the aspect of Spain’s scene and its interpretation of punk rock.

Focusing on life, attitude, fashion, style, and music, this first chapter does a good job of presenting a Venn diagram of these aspects compared to other scenes. It highlights some of the bigger bands and movements within. Spain’s equivalents of zine and straight edge culture aren’t surprising, but the similarities and differences between them and America’s are still interesting.

Punk rock emerged from Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy, protesting the amnesty law of 1977. Similar to punk rock movements in other countries, it wasn’t welcomed by the press or the public in general. Diéguez contrasts the difference between punk rock, which “went for the throat,” and Movida Madrileña, which celebrated the country’s new freedom in more poppy and happier ways. It was interesting how these two movements were related to the country’s ascent out of dictatorship after Franco had passed away.

The book also touches on broader academic perspectives, including a brief bit about the Punk Scholar Network, which examines punk on many different levels and is referred to as Punkademia. There are places where the book is bogged down by dense writing, but that is expected in an academic-type book. Given that this is a book about Spain, paragraphs are sprinkled with phrases and lyrics from the Spanish punk rock scene’s songs, but they are translated in the footnotes when needed from the many different languages spoken in Spain including: Basque, Galician-Portuguese, and Catalan. These footnotes actually help break up some of these dense passages.

David Vila Diéguez’s book is extremely well researched, and in comparison to some of the other academic books I’ve read, this one seems to be edited much better. It is unfortunate that it took this long for this book to come out. While there are a handful of documentaries on the Spanish Punk scene, this seems to be the first book to examine it as a whole. PM Press continues to release poignant books that make even the smallest niche feel essential.

by Staff Writer Forrest Gaddis
Tags: 
David Vila Dieguez PM Press spain Spanish punk

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DS Feature: Punks Doing Good: Punk Rock Gives Back 3rd Annual Charity Ornament Auction

It’s the holiday season, a time for giving, and what better way to do so than with Punk Rock Gives Back and their Third Annual Charity Ornament Auction. From December 6th to the 13th, Punk Rock Gives Back will auction off ornaments online from some of punk rock’s greatest contributors. Check out the list of […]

It’s the holiday season, a time for giving, and what better way to do so than with Punk Rock Gives Back and their Third Annual Charity Ornament Auction. From December 6th to the 13th, Punk Rock Gives Back will auction off ornaments online from some of punk rock’s greatest contributors. Check out the list of participants below. 

The auction itself will benefit a number of charities. The ornament’s artist chooses which charity will benefit and is subject to a tax write-off. All ornaments can be shipped anywhere in the United States, but not outside.

The auction itself will culminate at a free event thrown at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, CA. Along with the auction itself, there will be vendors like Two Birds Baking, Punk Rock Pottery, and the Outside Agitators. Empired, the Jack Knives, and more will provide live music. There will also be a DJ set from Face to Face drummer Danny Thompson. Start your holiday season right by giving to some charity and supporting local bands and vendors at Punk Rock Gives Back 2nd Annual Charity Show on December 13th, 2025.

by Staff Writer Forrest Gaddis
Tags: 
Bobo Delphina Empired punk rock gives back Punk Rock Pottery rudy nuno

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Dying Scene Radio Presents: Four Records – Episode 8: Mike Doherty (Odd Robot, Sederra)

Welcome to Four Records! Each episode we feature one guest as they go over four records at four different times in their life. This week Forrest talks with Mike Doherty from Odd Robot and Sederra. Mike has also played in Longfellow, The Ataris, and Papa Roach. Odd Robot has some shows coming up: Dec 6th, […]

Welcome to Four Records! Each episode we feature one guest as they go over four records at four different times in their life. This week Forrest talks with Mike Doherty from Odd Robot and Sederra. Mike has also played in Longfellow, The Ataris, and Papa Roach. Odd Robot has some shows coming up:

Dec 6th, 2025: Backstage Live @ Cideshow Rehearsal Studio Gardena, CA

Feb 7th, 2026: Sunspace Sunland, CA

Mike Doherty’s Four Records:

0-10: Ozzy Osbourne – Bark at the Moon

Teenage: Bad Religion – Suffer 

Twenties: Quicksand – Manic Compression 

Recent Record: Samiam – Stowaway

Listen on Podbean

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Email: fourrecordspodcast@gmail.com

Opening song: Rad Skulls – Loud as Shit

Closing song: Lucas Perea – Underneath Ashes

www.DyingScene.com

by Staff Writer Forrest Gaddis
Tags: 
Bad Religion Bark at the Moon Four Records Longfellow Manic Compression

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DS Exclusive: Inside the live performance art exhibit ‘Police State’ from Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova in Chicago

Inside Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, a replica Russian prison cell sits in the Edlis Neeson Theater with Nadya Tolokonnikova inside. Best known for founding the Russian punk rock performance art and protest group Pussy Riot, Tolokonnikova sits inside the cell sewing garments as visitors peek inside through small slots, giving them a small grim glimpse of what Russian prison life was like as part of her performance art installation Police State.   Running from November […]

Inside Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, a replica Russian prison cell sits in the Edlis Neeson Theater with Nadya Tolokonnikova inside. Best known for founding the Russian punk rock performance art and protest group Pussy Riot, Tolokonnikova sits inside the cell sewing garments as visitors peek inside through small slots, giving them a small grim glimpse of what Russian prison life was like as part of her performance art installation Police State.  

Running from November 25 to 30th, Police State is a reenactment of Tolokonnikova’s imprisonment by the Russian government on charges of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” from 2012 to 2013 following an anti-Putin protest titled Punk Prayer in Moscow’s main cathedral. 

“Transforming the Edlis Neeson Theater into a claustrophobic cell monitored in constant, all-seeing surveillance, the space becomes both a prison and a sanctuary, where despair instead gives way to radical acts of creation… A paradox of confinement and self-determination, POLICE STATE confronts the brutality of unrelenting control while insisting on the possibility of connection and liberatory release despite it.” 

Stepping inside the exhibit you are immediately met with a dark and unsettling presence, eerie soundscapes, and the hush of visitors whispering to each other. On the floor a television sits with a live feed of Tolokonnikova from the cameras in her cell. Long banners sway back and forth from the ceiling next to a lighted guard tower with Pussy Riot’s “Police State” song lyrics displayed, “OH MY GOD I’M SO HAPPY I COULD DIE,” “BIG SMILE FOR THE CAMERA IT’S ALWAYS ON,” and “NO PROBLEMS IN PARADISE WE’LL LOCK THEM UP” in large letters. What is most noticeable, however, is the red neon glow of a symbol above the exhibit created by Tolokonnikova that resembles a Russian Orthodox Cross.

Inside the cell itself are walls lined with chipped blue paint and artwork sent to Tolokonnikova by current and formerly incarcerated Russian, Belarusian, and American political prisoners, a bed, toilet, and desk with a sewing machine.

According to Amnesty International UK, the working conditions where Tolokonnikova was being held at a Mordovian penal colony were illegal under Russia’s labor code.

“I didn’t survive to be polite” can be seen etched into the wall above her desk. 

The performance piece was previously featured in Los Angeles last June, but a few days in police started closing streets down near MOCA as Donald Trump had ordered national guard troops into the area with protests against the immigration raids nearby. The museum closed out of caution, but Tolokonnikova continued her performance while live streaming audio from the protests outside into her exhibit. 

“Police State Exhibit Closed Today Due to the Police State,” she posted on Instagram. 

A book documenting this time during the performance is available for pre-order.

Fast forward to today, during the performance of Police State in Chicago, Russia’s justice ministry is seeking to have Pussy Riot designated as an extremist organization and banning their activities in Russia. A hearing is set for December 15th at Moscow’s Tverskoy Court.

“Singing in the streets is not extremism. Doing street actions is not extremism. Extremism is invading other countries and committing war crimes. Being anti-fascist and wearing a Pikachu costume… is not extremism.  

Pussy Riot have always stood – and will continue to stand – with Saint Nikolai, who wasn’t afraid to throw a piece of raw meat at the feet of Ivan the Terrible himself, calling him out: ‘You eat human flesh and blood.’ 

And if telling the truth is ‘extreme,’ then hold my Red Bull.” 

by Staff Writer Mary_Sunde
Tags: 
activist art art exhibit art movement Art punk

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The New Trust

DS Gallery: The New Trust “Last Fathers” EP release show at Thee Parkside, San Francisco. With Build Us Airplanes and more (11/22/25).

The New Trust celebrated the release of their new record, Last Fathers with a show at Thee Parkside. It was a show filled with friends both on and off stage and this was their first show with a new drummer. Paul Haile has gone above and beyond the difficult task of being true to the […]

The New Trust celebrated the release of their new record, Last Fathers with a show at Thee Parkside. It was a show filled with friends both on and off stage and this was their first show with a new drummer.

Paul Haile has gone above and beyond the difficult task of being true to the style of The New Trust and their previous drummer Julia Lancer (Strangelight) while still contributing something new with his own skills.

They played the new EP in full and other jammers across their catalogue.

Build Us Airplanes played an energy packed set. Like The New Trust, they are also an Atomic Garden alum and released their record All Things Expire earlier this year.

by Staff Writer Leslie Hampton
Tags: 
build us airplanes Leslie Hampton san francisco The New Trust Thee Parkside

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Dying Scene Photo Gallery and Review: The Saints ’73-’78, Des Demonas, and Chimers, Union Stage (11/18/2025).

What a night! On 18 November, Union Stage presented original members Ed Kuepper (guitar) and Ivor Hay (drums) and the team that made up The Saints ‘73 – ‘78 put on the best 90 minutes of high octane rock ‘n roll we’ve seen in a minute, making it clear that they and their music remain […]

What a night! On 18 November, Union Stage presented original members Ed Kuepper (guitar) and Ivor Hay (drums) and the team that made up The Saints ‘73 – ‘78 put on the best 90 minutes of high octane rock ‘n roll we’ve seen in a minute, making it clear that they and their music remain vital. Fellow Aussies Chimers opened the show with local up-and-comers Des Demonas filling the middle slot.

The Saints ‘73 – ‘78 lineup features original Saints members Ed Kuepper (guitar) and Ivor Hay (drums), with Mark Arm of Mudhoney (vocals), Mick Harvey of The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (guitar and keyboards), and Peter Oxley of Sunnyboys (bass). Stagehand Troy Purnell joined in on harmonica and backing vocals on ‘Run Down.’ The accompanying horn section included Eamon Dilworth (trumpet), Julien Wilson (tenor sax), and Mark Spencer (baritone sax). This was my first time seeing The Saints and had a great time. If you have a chance to see them at any time, do it! The Saints are playing their last show on this tour in Berlin. Find them here.

Des Demonas is DC’s garage punk band made up of Jacky “Cougar” Abok (vocals), Mark Cisneros (guitar), Paul Vivari (organ), and Matt Gatwood (drums). I’ve caught Cisneros with Hammered Hulls and with Kid Congo Powers, and the Pink Monkey Birds several times, and I’ve also seen Abok behind the drum kit for his other band, Sex Faces, so it was a thrill to watch the two of them share a stage again. Vivari’s organ work and Gatwood’s drumming rounded out the set perfectly, adding a funky edge that drew in an entirely new crowd. Make sure to catch Des Demonas in 2026 when they join Neko Case on her Neon Grey Midnight Green Tour, kicking off 8 January 2026.

Chimers, the dynamic Australian duo of Padraic Skehan (lead vocals and guitar) and Binx (vocals and drums), brought their signature post-punk sound on their first (ever) US tour and first show in DC. They were joined by The Saints ‘73-’78 horn section (Dilworth on trumpet, Wilson on tenor sax, and Spencer on baritone sax) for a fiery rendition of their song ‘People Listen (to the Radio).’ Skehan shredded on guitar while Binx powered through their set while setting the tone for the night ahead. This was also my first time seeing these guys. Don’t miss out on seeing the Chimers as they close out the year and head into 2026 touring with Bleak Squad here.

The Horn section joined the Chimers on “People Listen (to the Radio).”

  • The Saints Setlist:
  • Swing for the Crime
  • No Time
  • This Perfect Day
  • Lost and Found
  • Memories Are Made of This
  • Private Affair
  • Brisbane (Security City)
  • Story Of Love
  • The Prisoner
  • The Chameleon
  • No, Your Product
  • Run Down
  • Messin’ With The Kid
  • (I’m) Stranded
  • Know Your Product
  • Encore:
  • (I’m) Misunderstood
  • All Times Through Paradise
  • Demolition Girl
  • Nights in Venice
  • Des Demonas Setlist:
  • Tuff Turf
  • Obsession
  • Restructuring
  • Arthur Lee Bomb Squad
  • Cure for Love
  • The Duke Ellington Bridge
  • Conduit
  • Fascist Discotheque
  • Forest Fires
  • Miles Davis Headwound Blues
  • Apocalyptic Boom Boom
  • The South Will Never Rise Again
  • Bay of Pigs
  • Chimers Setlist:
  • Gossip
  • Generator
  • Glossary
  • beasts
  • rhythms
  • Optic
  • Timber
  • People Listen (To the Radio)
  • 3am

by Staff Writer Fleurette Estes
Tags: 
australian punk Binx Chimers DC Des Demonas

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DS Show Review and Photo Gallery: Weakened Friends make triumphant Boston area return with help from PINKLIDS and Nova One (Sinclair – Cambridge, 11/20/25)

Portland, Maine’s Weakened Friends released one of the best albums of 2025, Feels Like Hell, back in October, and in mid-November, they finally brought their record-release tour to the Sinclair in Cambridge’s Harvard Square, a bit of a triumphant return to their adopted hometown area. The evening was kicked off by the upstart PINKLIDS. If […]

Portland, Maine’s Weakened Friends released one of the best albums of 2025, Feels Like Hell, back in October, and in mid-November, they finally brought their record-release tour to the Sinclair in Cambridge’s Harvard Square, a bit of a triumphant return to their adopted hometown area.

The evening was kicked off by the upstart PINKLIDS. If I’m being honest, I’d not heard or heard of PINKLIDS until seeing the lineup for this show. If I’m still being honest, I’m super glad I’ve now heard of them. Hailing from the Cape Cod gateway town of Wareham, Massachusetts, PINKLIDS are probably the coolest new band that I’ve seen in quite some time. Years, anyway. Boiling PINKLIDS down to one specific sound is a bit of a fool’s errand, but it’s safe to say that the band would have fit in nicely in the post-punk playground that was the Lower East Side decades ago. There are healthy doses of post-punk and surf rock and maybe even Stray Cats-style rockabilly. Like if Fugazi were an art-rock band in a Tarantino movie. Angular riffs and frequent tempo changes abound, and vocalist Amber Lawson commands the whole thing with unbridled camp and confidence.

Occupying the direct support spot on this show were Weakend Friends’ tourmates on this run, Nova One. Nove One are yet another band that I’m ashamed to say I wasn’t previously familiar with and am proud to say that I now am familiar with. The brainchild of Roz Raskin, Nove One is very much a concept band, a feminine-presenting yet genderfluid, retro-futuristic style and sound that evokes a sort-of late-60’s girl group vibe. Think like a group of Ronnie Spector’s with matching pink wigs and vertically-striped black-and-white blouses, in a dream pop/alternative band. “pick my petals” and set-closer “you were right” were personal favorites.

Weakened Friends hit the stage at 9:30pm and instantly launched into the one-two punch of “Not For Nothing” and “NPC” from the wonderful Feels Like Hell. The Portland-based trio – Sonia Sturino on vocals and guitar, Annie Hoffman on bass and backing vocals, Adam Hand on drums – have solidified into a powerful live force over the better part of the last decade. We’ve seen them in a variety of settings over the years – opening slots at the now-defunct Great Scott (R.I.P.), in-store acoustic performances at record stores, etc. – and it’s fun to see them now, having levelled up in every conceivable way while still maintaining the rawness and intensity of the earlier days. The light and video shows and adding layers of pre-recorded instrumentation bring a certain increased gravity to the occasion. Earlier songs like trio of “Main Bitch” and “Waste” and “Common Blah” which were performed in a mini set for the old heards translate immaculately to the bigger stage and the increased production. Given that it was an album-release show of sorts, the band blazed through ten of Feels Like Hell‘s dozen tracks, including the cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s cover of Ednaswap’s “Torn,” which was prefaced by a callout to all of the children of the 90s and to the elders of the 80s which, as a person born in 1979, made me feel some type of way (read as: geriatric).

Hoffman bounces endlessly around the stage for the duration of the set, her smile and infectious energy serving as contrast to Sturino’s growling guitars and full-throated lyrics that deal heavily and self-doubt and apathy and anhedonia. There’s a raw angst and a sense of unbridled aggression in a Weakened Friends set circa 2025 that would have fit right in Seattle (or at least Northampton MA) thirty years ago. It’s no wonder the band caught the attention of Jack White and opened at a few shows earlier this year. And with the added production, there’s the sense that we’ll soon be able to say that we were lucky to catch Weakened Friends headlining in a room as small as the 525-capacity Sinclair.

I felt at the time and still feel a week removed from the event that this particular show was one of the best – if not the very best – that I saw this year. Check out more pictures in the galleries below!

by Staff Writer jaystone
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boston cambridge feels like hell nova one pinklids

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