Hit up a couple of great shows over the last few days over at the East Bay iconic venue 924 Gilman. The vibe there is always high energy and positive from so many perspectives. A showcase for up and coming local talent as well as for helping launch well known acts like Green Day and Rancid among others. It’s a member supported enterprise and relies significantly on volunteer help and fundraisers to stay afloat. I dropped by last Friday for the first of night of a two evening fund raising event. The hall was perhaps about half full with an enthusiastic crowd of 140-150 fans. The atmosphere was positive and welcoming, and you get the message about inclusivity when you see the code stenciled on the wall as you enter the club

Bitch Fit

This is a band you definitely need to see, check out their instagram @bitchfit.oakland. They pumped out a supercharged rapid fire set of fierce tunes with a strong stage presence. Confident and in command, they had the crowd pumped up and moving in the pit right from the beginning. Their singer/frontgrrl Ailish was all over the stage, fierce AF and kept the energy flow. They also delivered plenty of on point political commentary. They have an upcoming gig in Petaluma at the Phoenix Theater on July 3rd. It’s an all-ages show, and starts at 7:30 so don’t be late! Rumor has it they may be working in the studio on some new tracks.

Bitch Fit Performs at 924 Gilman

Hell Bound Pound

Hellhound Pound (AKA The Nasty Boyz) out of Richmond tore it up - driving power chords and solid rhythm through a series of original tunes as well as a couple of covers. Several songs were from their new live EP. The lineup consists of Sergio Hernandez lead vocals, Marcos Hernandez (aka kornflakes) on drums, Alejandro Hernandez, guitar, Moises Esparza playing the bass and Cesar Bruno also shredding on guitar.

It’s been a busy year for the band, they’ve already played over 20 shows this year and released a new single “pig chi lee”. They also dropped a diy music video filmed at their top secret practice space along with a RAW LIVE EP this year recorded at Oakland secret. You can pick them up on their instagram account link tree @hellboundpound

Upcoming shows

June 20th - “Anarchy in the O-A-K “ Ballers baseball punk night- pre game performance

July 3rd - noble cinema studios Vallejo

July 11th and 12th - viva la punk Fest Oakland/santa rosa

The Bonstones

The Bonstones definitely have fun on stage, that is absolutely for sure. They were grinning from the beginning as they launched into a tight set of good ol’ East Bay punk rock and roll. Everyone including myself was also smiling! These guys can crunch and shred like nobody’s business AND carry a nice melody along with the noize! I listened to a few of their other tracks (found them on Apple Music) after the show was over and you def have to check them out.

Their website says that longtime friends (since high school) Robby, Marky and Joey Bonstone started the band in 2021 out of their “island Stronghold” in Alameda California. Being an Oakland, guy I won’t comment on that lol. They then drafted two more Bonstones, Scooby and Ronny, to complete the band. So far they have released two full length albums and a good number of seasonal cover singles.

They have played together all around the Bay Area, and additionally toured Italy, Germany, Colorado, Florida and the rest of California. They have an upcoming gig at the Ballers “Anarchy in the O-A-K” , a pre-game punk block party on June 20th. It gets started at 2:30. Check out their website at www.thebonstones.com for more info and links to purchase/download their music, videos and merch!

The Bonstones perform at 924 Gilman

The Strange Ones

The Strange Ones did not disappoint, they have a great sound and are at ease in the ever-changing colors of the LED lighting on the Gilman Stage. They are from Oakland, with Kevin O’Connell on vocals and guitar, Ruben Rios on drums and vocals, Tim Bryant on Guitar and vocals, and Dan Bruce anchoring with Bass and vocals. They channel their energy “with nods to bands like Radioactivity, The Hives, and the Buzzcocks” according to a review by Riff Culture Magazine in 2024. They projected a definite edgy punk rock and roll sound and had the crowd doing the pit circle frenzy thing early in the evening. In fact one of the highlights was their frontman (Kevin? lmk if I’m wrong) jumped onto the floor and charged around with the folks in the pit while playing! That’s commitment and investment in your craft!

The next gig they have listed on their instagram (@strangeones_) will be at Spats in Berkeley July 5th and again on August 28th.

Check out their video here. https://youtu.be/4Es5RD5SSPE