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Live at Alex’s Bar
December 9th, 2025 Review by Kevin Gomez
Arizona’s finest, Authority Zero came to Southern California to rock a pair of shows with a stop at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach. The venue was decked out for the holiday season and hosted a lineup of four punk bands Thursday night that went well after midnight (on a school night!).
Kicking off the night was Stoke Signals out of Los Angeles. I really liked their sound, particularly lead vocalist and guitarist Giuliano Messina, who had a version of Midwest emotional screaming vocals that reminded me of bands like Gaslight Anthem and Alkaline Trio.
I felt a lot of passion from his vocals and the band’s accompanying music on songs like “Jeff’s Best Friend” and “How to Lose a War.” For “Mummy,” Heartwells lead singer Justin Tauch hopped on stage and took vocals for the last chorus. They finished their set with “Holy Fangs” and their single, “Take the Wheel.”
Next up was fellow Angelenos, SUNBURNT. Playing a slower, melodic punk the band was not quite as heavy, but no less intense. They opened with “Not About It” and then went into “Tunnel Vision.” “Repeating” began with a soothing bass intro from Alex Pombar with piercing vocals from Justin Tyler. Pombar said, “This song is for all the parents out there,” as they eased into “In Front of Me.” They had the crowd singing along for the band’s last song, “Built for This.”
The crowd immediately packed in close to the stage as fan favorites Chaser took over. Community is a huge part of Chaser and nothing captures that more than their live shows.
Friends who have become like family, gathering every time they play a show, near or far. They launched into “Brand New Enemy” featuring a shredding solo from guitarist Bill Hockmuth.
Jesse Stopnitzky kicked off the sick bass intro for “Good Times” that reminded me of Rancid’s Matt Freeman. Before the song’s last chorus, singer Mike LeDonne leapt into the crowd’s welcoming hands as he crowd-surfed for the rest of the song.
LeDonne addressed the crowd, “Everyone here has had their battles. Stop and consider the small ways we get along on a daily basis. It’s about how far you’ve come.” The band went into the aptly titled “Small Victories,” the title track from their 2024 release. Ever the fearless frontman, LeDonne jumped down to the floor and stood in the middle of a circle pit and sang “At What Cost” as Davey Guy ripped through drums.
Stopnitzky took lead vocal duties on the intro for “Flying High” before they went into “A Revel Song” as the crowd continued to mosh and even stage dive from the venue’s small stage. Stopnitzky provided excellent backing vocals as Hockmuth played a mean riff and LeDonne finished off vocals for the band’s last song, “Fault Lines.”
It was time for the evening’s headliners, a band that never takes their foot off gas both on and off stage. Their touring life and schedule is about as hectic and busy as any band out there, as the band prepares to tour Japan next week. But on this night, Long Beach was all theirs. If Chaser got the crowd warmed up and awake, Authority gave them a shot of adrenaline to the chest.
Wasting no time at all they came out of the gates with “Get it Right” and “Lights Out.” Singer Jason Devore’s ferocity was matched only by the crowd itself immediately opening up a pit that would not stop until the band’s last note. “12:34” is a song rooted in its thick bassline from Mike Spero and Chris Dalley’s hammering drums. Fans clapped along with Devore before Brandon Landelius’ guitar solo.
“Liberateducation” featured a metal-style solo from Landelius before the song’s ska breakdown that had people skanking in the pit. “21st Century Breakout” saw a three-part harmony outro from Devore, Spero, and Landelius. “Talk is Cheap” was a slowed-down reggae song highlighted by Dalley’s laid-back drumming and Devore spitting out lightning-fast lyrics.
Spero mentioned that fellow Arizona band and “our sisters,” Venomous Pinks were in attendance, which drew a huge ovation from the crowd. Authority played the popular “Revolution” before Devore announced they were “going back in time” and played their first big radio single, “One More Minute” that attracted one of the most intense pits all night.
The band followed up with their cover of Wall of Voodoo’s “Mexican Radio.”
Before closing the night out, Devore introduced their last song as “all about peace, love, and unity” as they finished with “Lift One Up,” which saw Landelius actually playing until his fingers bled as he left DNA all across his fretboard and guitar body.
Much like Chaser, Authority Zero have built a tightknit family of fans that have loved and supported them all these years, partially because this band will literally give you their blood, sweat, and tears with every live performance.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Todd Markel Rock Images
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SID 251209 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
