Event - Punk Rock Bowling 2020 - May 21st to 25th, Las Vegas, NV | Squat the Planet

Event Punk Rock Bowling 2020 - May 21st to 25th, Las Vegas, NV

Matt Derrick

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Unless something utterly stupid happens I'm going to this event for sure this year, and I'm looking for people to come with me.

Its 160 for the weekend and there's a pretty decent lineup this year. Tickets are on sale now and will probably sell out quick, so if you're serious about going I might be able to spot you until you can pay me back.

Anyways, more info here:
www.punkrockbowling.com
 
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beersalt

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Fuckin' A, man..
The line-up is damn good this year.

Tempting for sure.
It says $220 fee for teams of 4..
You think that's in addition to the $160?
 
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Matt Derrick

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It says $220 fee for teams of 4..
You think that's in addition to the $160?

so im pretty sure the 160 is just for the bands and access to the stage/bar areas, and the 220 is if you want to put together a team to actually compete in the bowling event :)

which would be fun in it's own way.
 
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Matt Derrick

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man, in this day and age where punk rock is mostly dead, i'll take any opportunity to come together with a shit load of other punks and have a good time. i don't think 160 for 3-4 days of bands is really all that much to ask. also, i'm curious what makes this so 'safe'? have you been there before?
 
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People were offering about the same price to see down to nothing open up for AVAIL just a few months ago. I'd say 160 for half a week of stuff is a pretty fair price.

It's not the 80's anymore @Juan Derlust theres more then 23 people interested in seeing these bands nowadays, kinda hard to get all of em into a venue the size of a living room for 5 bucks.
 

WanderLost

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@Juan Derlust sounds like you might like this better. Its cheaper anyway. I agree its a bummer how stuff like this gets too pricey, but times change what can you do?
 

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Understood - I'm just bemoaning the passing of an era. By dint of where I've lived, work I've done, AND the fact I'm not addicted to any lethal substances, I've managed to stay alive & actually schmooze with quite a handful of punk rock luminaries - I learned not-for-profit was never really a viable model for any of them. & back in the day incidentally there were thousands upon thousands of diehard adherents - mostly gone, one way or another, sadly.

That's a bummer to hear that yer schmoozing with so called punk rock luminaries left you feeling that not for profit was a dead end. It's pretty obvious punk rock bowling in Las Vegas isn't the center of diy punk ethics but that's not to say at all that there still isn't bands/people that care about that kinda stuff. It's also worth considering that a line up with this number of what I'd call large acts in punk is pretty impressive since the people in these bands arnt 19 anymore and driving 900 miles or flying across the world to sleep on a living room floor and eat a potato for dinner ain't much incentive to tour 8 months outta the year anymore. Being in a touring band is work and even punks deserve to get paid for it. Some of these bands have in fact been together since the 80's, and if I had any gripe it would not be with the bands themselves for how much the festival costs (which I dont think it's a unreasonable amount of money) but with the organizers themselves.
 

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Yaaaa...i see both sides.. kinda..
I get that these bands need and deserve the money they make, but theres also nothing stopping these bands from doing a surprise show for cheap every now and then.
Like McDonald's started out as a mom and pop and got screwed and now its all bullshit. Is it still what it was?? No...
Now that im drunk i kinda see it as the same thing lol.

I just saw the line up and its Big Mac live for 160$

Like wouldnt we call bullshit on mainstream country artists for not actually being country when theyre flying around in private jets and making millions pandering to their audience while singing about riding tractors?

If its punk as a genre of music then there's nothing to keep alive. 3 chords and a guy screaming against the grain? While going with the grain?
Not really punk anymore i dont think.

The only real reason this show costs so much is because the bands know they have a value and so do the promoters.
(Greenday american idiot)
Theyre capitalists.

also cuz the bands playing have racked up responsibilities and now have to make money for them and their families.

Doesnt sound like punk. But if you like the music and wanna spend 160 and shit. Do your thing. Im sure itll be 160 worth of fun.
 
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Yaaaa...i see both sides.. kinda..
I get that these bands need and deserve the money they make, but theres also nothing stopping these bands from doing a surprise show for cheap every now and then.
Like McDonald's started out as a mom and pop and got screwed and now its all bullshit. Is it still what it was?? No...
Now that im drunk i kinda see it as the same thing lol.

I just saw the line up and its Big Mac live for 160$

Like wouldnt we call bullshit on mainstream country artists for not actually being country when theyre flying around in private jets and making millions pandering to their audience while singing about riding tractors?

If its punk as a genre of music then there's nothing to keep alive. 3 chords and a guy screaming against the grain? While going with the grain?
Not really punk anymore i dont think.

The only real reason this show costs so much is because the bands know they have a value and so do the promoters.
(Greenday american idiot)
Theyre capitalists.

also cuz the bands playing have racked up responsibilities and now have to make money for them and their families.

Doesnt sound like punk. But if you like the music and wanna spend 160 and shit. Do your thing. Im sure itll be 160 worth of fun.

This is a very well thought out critique and has shed new light on how I feel about punk. Thank you for taking the time to write it because it sure was a eye opener.

42 bands for 160 bucks, that's like what, less then 4 bucks a band? Not to mention fuck knows how many people are involved in other ways just so folks have the chance to see some of these bands that rarely play shows anymore at all. Again, it's pretty obvious that punk rock bowling is not a shining example of punk ethics but to compare the event to a big mac and throw in some bo burhman logic into it seems pretty silly. Maybe yer mad cause its not a me first and the gimmie gimmies festival? See what I did there? Cause the band has a name about getting something for free.

I think this event thread has been derailed enough maybe somebody should start a thread where we can all lament on the time we saw resist and exist for a nickle at a laundromat and then they gave us gas money for the privilege of driving to see them.
 

WanderLost

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This is a very well thought out critique and has shed new light on how I feel about punk. Thank you for taking the time to write it because it sure was a eye opener.

42 bands for 160 bucks, that's like what, less then 4 bucks a band? Not to mention fuck knows how many people are involved in other ways just so folks have the chance to see some of these bands that rarely play shows anymore at all. Again, it's pretty obvious that punk rock bowling is not a shining example of punk ethics but to compare the event to a big mac and throw in some bo burhman logic into it seems pretty silly. Maybe yer mad cause its not a me first and the gimmie gimmies festival? See what I did there? Cause the band has a name about getting something for free.

I think this event thread has been derailed enough maybe somebody should start a thread where we can all lament on the time we saw resist and exist for a nickle at a laundromat and then they gave us gas money for the privilege of driving to see them.
I see it more as 160 a head and the max occupancy stays the same but the price goes up every single year.
Not like everyone who goes is gonna see every band and is even gonna like half the bands. So 4 dollars a band just seems like a flawed way of calculating value for this.
But like i said before if you like the music and wanna spend 160 on it you will probably have 160 worth of fun. I wasnt being condescending. I understand that if its worth 160 to whoever wants to pay it . Its worth 160 FOR THEM.
For me its like spending 10 dollars on a candy bar not to mention the cost it goes to get there and then fucking stay there and consume food and alchohol or whatever and a place to stay if youre into hotels.
Sorry for derailing the thread. Ive had a beef with punk music for a while and felt like belting it out. All im saying is ITS NOT PUNK ANYMORE.
Spend whatever you want on it. I know its justifiable.
In my opinion i think its bullshit.
And its not bo burnham logic.
Its bo burnham facts btw.
Lol.
 
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How can Punk be pinned downed so easily, punk ethics enters the world of BLatz, g.g allin ,FEAR, crass, conflict, The misfits ,the buzzcocks, TSOL, and blink 182. All these bands are different, some very moral and very political, while other bands have their own different views and tastes.
The sound can meet funk like in poison girls, ska, pop,or heavier metal, . Punk as a genre is so broad. Punks make what punk is, if punks wanna be capitalist, then there will be punk capitalists. I happen to love a lot of the punk sounds I have heard, which is what makes me punk I believe, not a specific ethic. I am a firm believer that just because your an angry, political, leather jacket wearer, that doesn't make you a punk. Its the enjoyment of the genre of music. Natzi punks are punks lovers who are natzis. Then, yes you can start talking about labels or history, but the punk I am attached to is the music that ended up under that classification. Being a punk is the feeling that punk music gives you, if you do not understand that, well go post something about something YOU do fucking love, because is feels fucking good to love something.
If punk people have pissed you off in the past, just remember people and sucking go hand in hand. Support punks, yo we the brokest genre, though. You would pay 160 for Metallica, but a punk festival its too much. What happens punks will lose the ability financially to do what they love, because some punks have to still live within the confines of this world, with bills and kids, and school, and projects and food. Ex. The AFro Punk festival, I heard that shit used to be punk as fuck, by the time I found about it Kanye west was headlining. Why the change, the owner called it growing up, though his answer urked me more than a bit, I understand. If people think punk muscicians we still be able to tour when people aren't willing to pay more than 1/15th of there gas money to see them, well.
 

WanderLost

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How can Punk be pinned downed so easily, punk ethics enters the world of BLatz, g.g allin ,FEAR, crass, conflict, The misfits ,the buzzcocks, TSOL, and blink 182. All these bands are different, some very moral and very political, while other bands have their own different views and tastes.
The sound can meet funk like in poison girls, ska, pop,or heavier metal, . Punk as a genre is so broad. Punks make what punk is, if punks wanna be capitalist, then there will be punk capitalists. I happen to love a lot of the punk sounds I have heard, which is what makes me punk I believe, not a specific ethic. I am a firm believer that just because your an angry, political, leather jacket wearer, that doesn't make you a punk. Its the enjoyment of the genre of music. Natzi punks are punks lovers who are natzis. Then, yes you can start talking about labels or history, but the punk I am attached to is the music that ended up under that classification. Being a punk is the feeling that punk music gives you, if you do not understand that, well go post something about something YOU do fucking love, because is feels fucking good to love something.
If punk people have pissed you off in the past, just remember people and sucking go hand in hand. Support punks, yo we the brokest genre, though. You would pay 160 for Metallica, but a punk festival its too much. What happens punks will lose the ability financially to do what they love, because some punks have to still live within the confines of this world, with bills and kids, and school, and projects and food. Ex. The AFro Punk festival, I heard that shit used to be punk as fuck, by the time I found about it Kanye west was headlining. Why the change, the owner called it growing up, though his answer urked me more than a bit, I understand. If people think punk muscicians we still be able to tour when people aren't willing to pay more than 1/15th of there gas money to see them, well.
I get that. Punk is very broad and it means different things to diff people. I just dont like this bowling thing and the price. It feels like a bait and switch to me. The best bands on this line up got their start on something that was supposed to be different and now its just like hot topic or warped tour shit.
Like if you wanna put out a punk fest get a little more creative than slamming a show together in the biggest money pit in the country and charging out the ass for it. Like what if there was a squat the planet hotel? Would i be an asshole for bein like wtf is this?
 
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Beegod Santana

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So I've spent a lot of time working in the festival industry and ya, this is what you'd expect to pay for a 4 day rave with camping included, and over $50/head to go bowling... ya, kinda screams money grab to me. Also Monster energy drinks and pbr are the two biggest sponsors, so you know, just be aware that this is a corporate event who's business structure is pretty similar to Lollapalooza or Bonnaroo. If you think whatever bands you wanna see are worth it, go nuts, but don't pretend that this is anything more than a corporate money grab selling you a punk rock experience. Personally I would recommend just showing up with a clip board and a broken radio and acting super stressed, you'll get in.
 

Beegod Santana

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So just a little music industry lesson real quick, cause I think most people don't know this. Whenever you have a concert, if any music is played (live or over the speaker system) that is licensed (meaning the artists have registered it and are trying to get royalties for it), the venue and/or promoter is required to purchase what is known as a "blanket license" from BMI and/or ASCAP or they risk having their asses sued off by various corporate overloads for copy write violations. There's no set price and it enables ASCAP and BMI essentially to have the final say if an event or venue can even open. The only way around this is if you're only having unlicensed, original music at your event. This is what has made small punk shows such a pain in the ass for the industry for so long, and also why they're becoming such a rarity. Back in the day not getting your album in box stores or on the radio wasn't a big deal for small bands, they'd just sell their own merch at the shows and the mainstream industry HATED it. It's basically being an independant dealer in cartel territory. These days though with pandora and itunes and all that even small bands are getting licensed. You may not realize it, but if you've been selling downloads on bandcamp, you're licensed and any venue that books you better have a blanket license. To me at least, this has always been the divider between "real" punk shows and things like the warped tour.

Like I said before, if you really wanna see the bands and think the ticket is worth it, go nuts. Most of these bands did their time on the diy scene and they're just playing for a set rate and probably the bottom 10 bands are playing for free. Diy is fun, but the sad reality is it's near impossible to make it pay the bills and feed the kids and a lot of these bands are getting old. Just be aware that you're purchasing a nostalgic punk rock "experience," not attending an actual punk show.
 
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Not sure if I made it clear in my earlier 2 posts, but pretty sure i said punk rock bowling in Las Vegas isn't exactly a good example of diy punk rock or its ethics, but also with that being said 160 bucks to see this line up of bands is more then reasonable.

My apologies if I didn't compare the event to fast food items or candy bars or site a comedians point of view to make my point. I'll try to be more clear in the future.
 

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