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Social Distortion, Descendents, The Chats

History (Toronto) – September 14, 2026

The crowd at History showed just how much punk’s demographic has shifted over the years. The room was clearly split: veterans who grew up on Social Distortion and Descendents stood shoulder-to-shoulder with younger kids who got into the genre through The Chats—a weird contrast against History’s polished, venue-security-heavy atmosphere.

The Chats

The Chats wasted no time, ripping through a 14-song set in under 30 minutes. Songs like “Billy Backwash’s Day,” “Panic Attack,” “6L GTR,” and “Ticket Inspector” came rapid-fire with almost zero breaths (asthma-prone patrons reaching for their puffers) between them, packing the band's usual pub-punk energy and blue-collar humour.

The biggest reaction of their set came when “Smoko” rolled right into “Pub Feed,” triggering a singalong with the indoctrinated. It’s a track that has taken on a life of its own over the last few years, complete with that bizarre cover by Australian kids' group The Wiggles (which I had the gulp-pleasure of seeing from a fifth-row vantage point).

Descendents

Descendents came out next with a 25-song run, starting with “Everything Sux,” “Hope,” and “I Don’t Want to Grow Up.”

Milo Aukerman remains the antithesis of a traditional frontman. Wearing a Descendents water bottle slung over his shoulder like a cross-body bag, he guzzled water between bursts while sprinting through short, fast cuts like “Coffee Mug.”

Even if a few old, balding heads were holding out for early songs like “Kabuki Girl” or “I’m Not a Loser,” tracks like “Suburban Home” and “Bikeage” carried the set easily. True to form, as soon as they wrapped up, Milo walked out near the side stage to hang out with punters, take pictures, and watch Social D’s set from the floor—breaking down the barrier between fan and performer in true punk fashion.

Social Distortion

Mike Ness took the stage with the presence and confidence you'd expect from someone who has spent over 40 years fronting the band.

Ness walked out wearing a black shirt, white pants and white shoes—a nod to Ian Dury’s “Sweet Gene Vincent” ("White face, black shirt / White socks, black shoes") that prompted a laugh from me for almost getting the formula right (and no, I didn’t inspect his socks even from my vantage point).

Between songs, Ness talked about his family ties to Canada, noting that his mother’s side goes back years in Nova Scotia. He joked about being an “expat” who might end up moving back North, offered a direct apology on behalf of his country for the current U.S. administration, threw in some political commentary directed across Lake Ontario, and dropped his usual reworked "Humpty Dumpty" rhyme: “...couldn't put that motherfucker back together again!”

Armed with his Gibson Les Paul Goldtop, Ness led the band through core tracks like “Mommy’s Little Monster,” “Prison Bound,” and “Story of My Life.” They closed out the night with a three-song encore of “Reach for the Sky,” “Dear Lover,” and “Don’t Drag Me Down.”

It was a solid three-generation lineup. The Chats brought raw Australian pub-rock, Descendents brought their hyper-caffeinated nerd-punk, and Social Distortion tied it together with their classic rockabilly roots rock and roll-punk mix. Even if venues today feel a lot cleaner than the dives these bands started in, the crowd reaction proved the music still connects the same way.

P.S. Mike Ness will pose for pictures with your dog.

Band Websites

• The Chats: Official Website

• Descendents: Official Website

• Social Distortion: Official Website

Weird Al Yankovic has been on his "Bigger and Weirder" Tour for over the past year hitting every major and minor US city on the map. This past weekend, he made his way to the outskirts of San Bernardino county in Thousand Palms playing the town's Acrisure Arena. An oasis of a town just before Coachella Valley. Joining the famed funny man, is sad clown crooner, Puddles Pity Party. Much like Weird Al, Puddles has built a career off taking popular songs and making them funny, all while performed in a full clown getup and face paint. He invites audience members on stage to partake in the fun during his "Who Would Like to Help the Clown" segments that involve him putting a bottle costume on the fan as he sings to them. 

Just before 8:30, the lights dimmed and an intro video for Weird Al began which presented Al as a giant King Kong like figure destroying a city. As the reel finished, Al's parody of Pharrell Williams' "Happy" known as "Tacky" started and a live stream of Yankovic making his way through the arena corridors singing rolled on the screen. Along his way, he crosses paths with Puddles that results with a pie in the clown's face. Before long, he was on the stage finishing out the tune to loud cheers. 

He continued with a number of originals like"Everything You Know is Wrong" from 1996's Bad Hair Day and "One More Minute" from Dare to Be Stupid that has the jokester meandering through the crowd singing to people, giving them sashes, and even a pair of heart patterned boxers thrown into a guest's face.

Following a short clip from Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, where he comes up with "Another One Rides the Bus," the show jumped up a notch. Longtime fans would start to notice cheerleaders taking the stage, the band in grungy outfits, and a janitor with mop in hand. Suddenly, the opening riff to "Smells Like Nirvana" began and there stood Weird Al fully clad in the late Kurt Cobain's iconic outfit from the "Smells Like Teen Spirit" video. The costumes would be a mainstay for the rest of the night. From Devo's notable yellow jumpsuits for "Dare to Be Stupid" to Michael Jackson's red "Beat It" jacket for Al's classic parody, "Eat It." Even went so far as to put on the entire fat suit for "Fat" while maintaining the videos choreography. During a medley that carried us through classics like "All About the Pentiums," "Ricky," "Canadian Idiot," and "Like a Surgeon," he went through a series of swift costume changes while on stage. 

As the night continued, he would switch between parodies and originals, like his theme song for the Captain Underpants movie and even his end credits song that makes little sense without having just seen his biopic. Towards the end of the set, he donned a full hip hop outfit for "White & Nerdy" that kicked off with Al rolling out from backstage on a segue. He finished out the set with fan favorite "Amish Paradise," with the entire band decked out in plain wear and bonnets.

When the time came for the encore, the band had changed into stormtrooper and Jedi outfits, and the dark lord of the Sith, Darth Vader was standing on stage. Weird Al came back out in his Jedi robes, and after a rendition of a joke song written with Michael Stipe entitled "We All Have Cell Phones," he kicked off his hit parody "The Saga Begins." The arena turned into one big sing-a-long. Weird Al kept the Star Wars theme going and ended the night with "Yoda" -- a hit parody of The Kinks' "Lola."

Weird Al is one of the best performers I've ever seen and his "Bigger and Weirder" Tour is about as extravagant as an artist that parodies songs could get. Not a single person in the audience wasn't smiling. So much thought went into the production of this show and it'd be shame to miss it. There are still many dates left, but the tour is on the back-end of the schedule. There's no telling how much longer Al will keep doing this type of production, so do yourself a favor and catch it if he comes through your town. 

"Punk is still very much alive and well... and more needed than ever." In LA, punks of all generations gathered at The Wiltern to witness pioneers and legends converge on stage for a rallying call to action and celebration and fun. Bikini Kill are a few days into their 2026 tour. For their pair of California dates, they were joined by Alice Bag and her band. With the lead up to these shows, Alice announced that these would be her last hurrah. 

Alice Bag had commented on the reason being due to getting old and the difficulties of performing these songs with the intensity they require, but her performance showed that she still has that spark inside. She tromped across the stage with the same wild-at-heart spirit she's had her entire career. Taking moments to approach the crowd and encourage the masses to speak with those around them slipping into fascist thinking and try to get them to understand the consequences of falling down such rabbit holes and to get them to change their views. 

Midway through the set, Alice invited Bratmobile's Allison Wolfe and Trap Girl's Drew Arriola Sands on stage for guest vocals on "77" and "Even." During "No Means No," she asked for the audience to join in to let anyone in the room that was victim of assault know they weren't alone. She rounded out the set with a series of Bags songs, closing with "Violence Girl." 

It was time for Bikini Kill and the crowd couldn't be more anxious to let themselves go. Before jumping right into the music, Kathleen Hanna took a moment to acknowledge the fundraiser they were running throughout the night with the help of CHIRLA (The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights). Before taking the stage, they had already amassed $5k and was hoping to reach 10k by the end of the night. Hanna held up a QR and promoted everyone to take out their phones and share the QR code. They have since hit $20k with Bikini Kill matching. With that, the band jumped right into "New Radio" and the floor erupted! However, as they made their way through their career spanning set, they took any spare moment to hold up the QR code. 

They bounced from their first couple of EPs like with tracks "This is Not a Test" and "Don't Need You" to their final release, Reject All American, with "Capri Pants" and "For Only." Hanna showed off her range from dancing freely across the stage yelling with her signature vocal style to crouching down and doing a deep guttural delivery. Throughout the night, Bikini Kill would switch up duties. With Hanna heading to bass, Kathi Wilcox moving to drums, so Tobi Vail could take over on vocals for tracks like "Hamster Baby" and "Tell Me So." They ended the night with of course, "Rebel Girl" and dedicated it to Alice Bag for her last show.

I wasn't there to see Bikini Kill in the 90's, but I can honestly say that it doesn't seem like time has got the best of them. This is every bit their "prime" as their first run and we're lucky to be alive at a time when Bikini Kill exists and are still performing. Its been one of the best shows I've seen this year. Go see them if they come through your city. 

For many punk rockers on the east coast - the beginning of August marks one of our favorite times of year in Appalachia - The Savage Mountain Punk Festival. This year the dates fell on August 6-8th and was held at the all ages venue, Mezzos, in Cumberland, MD. The building that houses the Mezzos has 3 levels. The bottom level is where the bands play with a green room for the bands, a full bar, and a merch area. The middle level is a bar with a restaurant and a cigar lounge and the top level had tattoo artists this year. There are also local artists and vendors who set up all over the vicinity to sell their wares in between sets. 

Regrettably, I was not able to attend the first night. The line up included: Peep Show, M-60, Dead End Lane, The Cryptkeeper Five, Hayley and the Crushers, and Blitzkid. Word has it that the evening was spectacular. 

Early Friday afternoon, I packed my car cooler with Mountain Dew, water, and peanut butter sammies, (because I’m a classy lady like that) and made my way to Cumberland. When I rolled into town, I met up with some friends and we did an outdoor day activity. When we were finished, we headed back to town and cleaned up for the evening’s activities. I arrived early to the Mezzos where I started to interview some of the bands playing. I spent the better part of an hour in the cigar lounge with Paperback Tragedy; laughing and chatting amidst the cigar smoke around us. 

Friday kicked off with Little Devil Bvstvrds and they set the energy high for the evening. Following them were Paperback Tragedy, Mud City Manglers, The Take, The Downstrokes, Tick, and Titus Andronicus. As the night progressed - more and more people filled the space. Some familiar faces, some not. But to quote Paperback Tragedy’s song “We All Die”, “There’s no strangers here, just friends you haven’t met.” That was really the feeling of the entire evening. Laughter and joy radiated from everyone. I sat down with Little Devil Bvstvards after their set and they said, “You walk into Savage Mountain and it's like a family reunion.”I rolled into Maryland earlier on Saturday than the day before, because I got an invitation to the legendary Savage Mountain pool party. Although I already wrote about this event, it's a party that is privately hosted and funded by members of the board as a thank you to the punk community. Steve Jackson jumping into the pool after The Pietasters set signaled the end and we all packed up. 

Now, this is where I made the gravest error of the weekend. I did not get a hotel room for the weekend. Since I only lived an hour and 20 minutes away, I had been commuting daily. Everyone else headed back to their rooms to nap and shower. I decided to explore the town during this time and hit up a couple of thrift stores and nurseries. I napped in my car for about 30 minutes and then headed to the happy hour event at The Mad Hatter Lounge. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Alice in Wonderland so OMG was this place amazing. 

Finally, it was time for the last night of the festival. Steelboy opened the evening of music wide open. My path has crossed with this band a few times, but I had never seen them live before now. Their set was everything that I was told it would be and the vibe was on point. I asked the band a bit later and asked them what Savage Mountain means to them. They responded, “You know when it’s cold and grey out, actively snowing, just finished clearing off the car? Then you settle in at home, fresh log on the fire, warm blanket over your shoulders, hot cup of cocoa in hand, that feeling of contentment? That’s SMPF.” We also enjoyed sets by Thunder Vest, The Power, Incendiary Device, Rebelmatic, The Effigies, and Agent Orange. 

For many - this has become our annual get together. It’s a place where we all can relax, enjoy the music, and fellowship with folks that we only get to see once a year. The space is nothing fancy and money isn’t wasted to provide an “experience.” But here is the thing - we aren’t fancy and the experience comes from the foundation that the Savage Mountain team has laid and what we have built together on top of it. the weekend delivered exactly what it promised. “Three days, no filler. Just good music. No frills.”

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Photo credit: Ethan Black of DIssonant Records Photography

Savage Mountain Pool Party

Private Event

8/8/26

I’ve heard about the legendary Savage Mountain Pool Party, but I have never been invited before until this year. That changed on August 8th, 2026 when I packed my cooler with Mountain Dew and water and headed to a private address to join some of the rest of the Savage Mountain attendees and… THE PIETASTERS!

After parking my car along the main road, I hopped on the golf cart shuttle that took me up the lane to the party. I walked around to the backyard and the entire scene opened up. It was like the beginning of a favorite summer movie. All of my friends were there clad in their bathing suits, the pool was full of people, and there in the thick of it was a gazebo stage with The Pietasters performing for everyone. The hosts went all out this year. There was a food vendor, a fully stocked bar with a bartender, tshirts, and port-a-potties. But how did it get to be such an iconic event within an already celebrated festival? Let’s rewind a bit.

The very first gathering happened in 2016 and was mostly out of necessity as the hosts waited for family, friends, and festival bands to show up at their house. Over the next few years, it got slightly bigger as more friends and bands would spend the weekend. Then when the original festival location, called Dante’s, closed after COVID, the event moved to a new venue called Mezzo’s. It came with positive changes as now the entire festival could be all ages moving forward. This is also when the Matinee show was dropped and officially replaced with the Pool Party. 

The first couple official years saw pizza delivery and BYOB with attendees around 60-80 people. In 2023, the addition of live music was added when Uzimon performed and a caterer was brought in. Soon - the party took on a life of its own and it has grown exponentially.

For the last 2 years, The Pietasters have been performing and DeDi’s have provided the food. This year saw the addition of bartenders and port-a-potties. 

Everyone had a great time that day and we are grateful to have a space for music and fellowship. While we were lucky enough to catch a set by The Pietasters, the real celebrity of the day was Chadwick. Until next year!