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INDUSTRY REPORT # 54
Catching Up With
A Conversation with Eddie Casillas
December 21,2025 by Kevin Gomez
When you think about punk or ska music from Riverside, there’s one band – especially for me – that comes to mind more prominently than anyone else: Voodoo Glow Skulls. For over three and a half decades the ska-punk act has been proudly representing Riverside, the location of their earliest shows.
Their brand of ska-punk isn’t the lighthearted third wave that came out of Orange County, but rather, a harder, metal-inspired brand that came closer to what the Mighty Mighty Bosstones coined “ska-core.”
The band famously started up amongst the Casillas Brothers: Eddie on guitar as main songwriter, Jorge on bass, and Frank on vocals. Recently I spoke with Eddie about the history and future of Riverside ska-punk and what 2026 has in store for Voodoo.
You’ve no doubt heard about “60 Miles East,” the exhibit from Travis Barker and 98 posse showcasing Riverside’s punk, ska, and hardcore scene from the 1980s to early 2000s. As you might imagine, Voodoo Glow Skulls are heavily on display at the exhibit, which opened November 1st and runs through April 12th of next year.
Photos by Michael Olivas
Casillas told me the project started prior to Barker’s involvement when one of the curators, Zach Cordner of “The Riversider Magazine,” approached the band about their involvement with the art exhibit. “He and his partner stopped by my place and picked up some items that we donated for the exhibit,” Casillas explained.
Casillas toured the exhibit at the Riverside Art Museum during the opening reception and was blown away by the line of fans wrapped around the building. “I saw so many familiar faces, from other bands to fans from the early days,” Casillas said. “I recognized so many people just from seeing their faces at shows from back in the day.”
Voodoo has an entire wall dedicated to them at the museum featuring various artifacts from their storied career. Casillas described it to me, “We have a banner from the old backyard party days, so probably within our first couple years as a band.”
Casillas also donated one of his main guitars, a Fender Telecaster from the ‘90s, a former trombone from his studio, flyers, as well as some of the famous luchadora masks Frank used to wear.
Casillas said it was not only humbling, but surprising that they would be one of the main focuses for this project. As is the case with many older punk bands I’ve spoken with, you don’t realize at the time that 30 or 40 years later this thing would not only still be going, but be an important part of history. “I don’t think about the past so much, or any kind of legacy, and all of a sudden you go to this thing and I think we’re featured on every wall, in some way.”
I assured him that whether or not he realizes it, Voodoo Glow Skulls are a major part of the Riverside music scene, and the overall ska-punk movement.
We spoke about the punk scene in Riverside growing up and when the band first started. Casillas said he saw countless shows at Spanky’s Café, and although he saw several shows at the famous Showcase Theatre in Corona, “I think Voodoo only played there maybe once or twice.”
Spanky’s however, would be where they were exposed to so many punk, ska, and hardcore bands at an early age. “Spanky’s would be the O.G. one where we first saw local bands,”
Casillas continued. “And then eventually they would get more established bands and even international ska and hardcore bands.”
Recently the ska community has been abuzz about a recent post from Dicky Barrett who stated he is actively trying to get the Mighty Mighty Bosstones to reunite. Voodoo Glow Skulls have stated that the band was not only a huge influence, but the Bosstones actually took them on their first real tour.
“They caught wind of our first album (1993’s “Who Is, This Is?”),” Casillas said, “and invited us to play for a month on a leg of their tour in the Midwest.” For Voodoo, it was their first experience getting to see a touring band with a bus, a crew, and sold-out shows at theaters.
Speaking of bands reuniting, Eddie and Jorge’s brother Frank returned on lead vocals after a seven-year hiatus. During that time, Death by Stereo’s Efrem Schulz filled in on vocals and I asked how the transition was for Frank’s return. “As smooth as you get,” Casillas admitted.
For the band, it’s great to have their brother return, but on a far more personal level, Frank’s reunion meant so much more. The brothers’ mom passed away just a few months ago, and she got to see the brothers patch things up, “and I’m grateful for things like that,” he revealed.
For fans of the band’s last album, “Livin’ the Apocalypse,” the only one recorded with Schulz, Casillas gave us hope that we might yet see these songs played again live with Frank. “A lot of that record was worked on with Frank while he was still in the band.” He went on, “My brother doesn’t have any qualms with playing those songs from that album, so we hope to give that to the people live eventually.”
As for new music, their last record with Frank was 2012’s “Break the Spell.” But, Casillas is not in any rush to put out a new album with the state of music streaming these days.
He said, “I’m always writing,” Casillas said, “and we have about 20-30 songs right now but we just have to buckle down and finish it. But we’re still restructuring it and I want it to live up the last album, so we’re just going to wait until it’s ready and good enough.”
It’s refreshing to see a band utilize patience and caring about the quality of the music they’re putting out in place of making a quick buck. But, that kind of passion and dedication is why Voodoo Glow Skulls are still around and gaining new generations of fans.
While we wait for that next great record the band already has a handful of shows announced for 2026.
Locally, they’ll be playing with Mexico’s Inspector January 23rd at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium, and the following night they will head up the I-5 to play at The Vermont in Hollywood.
They’ll also be playing Less Than Jake’s Wake & Bake in Gainesville, March 13th and 14th.
No matter where Voodoo plays, they bring the thunder, check them out if you want to be electrified by living legends.
TO FOLLOW
SID 241220 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
