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Live at Garden Amp
December 11, 2024 Review by Kevin Gomez
Last weekend Bouncing Souls hosted a residency for three straight nights at the Garden Amp in Garden Grove. Friday was an all-acoustic set of their biggest hits; Saturday saw them play “Hopeless Romantic” and “The Gold Record.” I was there Sunday to see them play “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” and “Anchors Aweigh” in their entirety.
The evening was kicked off by the high-paced punk band The Jack Knives. The band announced earlier this year that their next album, “Into the Night,” will be produced by Bouncing Souls guitarist, Pete Steinkopf.
The Orange County band opened with “Ghost Radio,” the title track from their January 2024 album. Lead singer and guitarist Si Short announced they had just released a new single, “Heartbreak Queen” that Friday, and they shared it with the crowd.
Up next was “Kill Me Now” and “New York City,” both of which reminded me of The Gaslight Anthem, or a gentler version of the Menzingers. “Are You Alright?” closed the set.
It was time for the Bay Area legends, Swingin’ Utters. Lead singer Johnny Bonnel, and guitarist Darius Koski have been at it for three and a half decades.
Although guitarist Jack Dalrymple has several side projects (Dead to Me, toyGuitar, etc.), he always finds his way back home with the Utters and they are never sharper than when all three join forces. Their set was 45 minutes of pure California skate punk, opening with “Stupid Lullabies” and “Untitled 21.”
“Jackie Jab” was a mix of impressive bassline and dueling guitars from Koski and Dalrymple. Koski assumed lead vocals on “Kick It Over” and “Fistful of Hollow.”
Drummer Luke Ray provided a nice backbeat for Dalrymple’s guitar riff. Although Swingin’ Utters was just the second band of the night, this was a particularly rowdy crowd moshing for most of their set. They closed with “The Librarians Are Hiding Something” and “Five Lessons Learned.”
The crowd was so amped and ready for the Souls to start, people began moshing to the Bouncing Souls’ walkout music, “Don’t You Forget About Me” from “The Breakfast Club.” I do believe that’s the first time anyone’s ever moshed to Simple Minds. As the band took the stage, the first thing I noticed was that lead singer Greg Attonito was sitting on a stool, sporting a cane and a walking boot over his left foot. I spoke with Attonito later and he told me he “hurt it playing soccer with my son three weeks ago.”
If there was any concern that Attonito being confined to a chair would make for a mellow crowd, it was immediately wiped out as the boys launched into “That Song,” the opening track from “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.”
The playful mosh pit that started as the band walked out erupted into a wild frenzy of flailing limbs. The souls followed up with “Private Radio” and “True Believers.” Pete Steinkopf started out the guitar intro to “That Something Special” as George Rebelo then thundered in with drums as the rest of the band kicked in.
Bryan Kienlen led with the bass riff for “Manthem” which features co-lead vocals from Kienlen and Steinkopf. When the chorus kicked in, the entire amphitheater joined in. I definitely got emotional as the band finished with the album’s closing track, the powerful “Gone.”
With that they moved into “Apartment 5F,” enjoyed a sing-along for “Kids and Heroes,” and then George Rebelo’s drums really hammered on “New Day.” Attonito stopped in between songs to check on the wellbeing of crowd surfer who went over the barricade, landing on his head. Only when he was assured of his safety did they continue on with “Night Train” and “Todd’s Song.”
As most know, there is a strict 10 p.m. curfew at the Garden Amp because they are an outdoor venue that must follow neighboring noise laws. As such, Bouncing Souls had to cut their set short and missed playing a few songs the night before.
Sunday they were much more aware of the clock and they had time to play every song, including “I’m from There,” and even the “last song” on the album, the hidden track “The Fall Song” featuring Attonito on acoustic guitar.
Promotional Event Photo Courtesy of Bouncing Souls
Incredible musicians, fantastic songwriters, and fortunately for us fans, some of the nicest guys in the business.
Over the course of three days the Bouncing Souls showed why they have remained one of the most respected and beloved punk bands for 35 years.
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