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Live at The Observatory Santa Ana
February 20th, 2026 Review by Todd Markel
The Observatory in Santa Ana hosted what promised to be a stacked night of old-school punk. That promise took a small hit just days before the show when The Dickies quietly bowed out for unknown reasons. Disappointing, sure, but once the lights went down and the amps came alive, it was clear the night didn’t need rescuing.
Opening duties went to Angry Samoan, officially minus the “s” these days. Led by the only original member, drummer Bill Vockeroth, the band wasted no time, launching straight into classics like “Right Side of My Mind” and immediately locking into familiar territory.
Handling vocals duties was Manny Espindola, a well-known figure on the local punk circuit and frontman for the band Jack Tripper. Espindola stepped confidently into the role, tearing through staples like “Gimme Sopor” and “Gas Chamber” as the crowd readily responded.
Their set leaned heavily into the band’s enduring legacy, with songs like “You Stupid Asshole,” and its companion, “You Stupid Jerk.” They took a detour into their punk cover of the Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today.”
And, of course, no Angry Samoan set would feel complete without “Get Off the Air,” their once-infamous swipe at L.A. DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. Purists may scoff at the idea of a band with only one original member still carrying the name, but when a group has been around for nearly 50 years, lineup changes aren’t just likely, they’re inevitable. As the night would soon prove, Angry Samoan wasn’t alone in that reality.
It was then time for Black Flag. Every new incarnation of the band arrives with certain curiosity and controversy, and this lineup was no exception.
Change has always been part of the band’s DNA, with guitarist and primary songwriter Greg Ginn as the lone constant. Fans often fixate on Henry Rollins or Keith Morris, forgetting that the microphone has passed through several hands over the decades.
Few band logos go beyond music the way Black Flag’s four bars have. It’s not just a logo – it’s a symbol, instantly recognizable and permanently etched into punk’s visual language.
Following the departure of Mike Vallely after nearly 11 years of fronting the band, Ginn unveiled this new “Gen Z” lineup in April 2025, made up of mostly unknown Texas musicians, but featuring Max Zanelly, handpicked by Ginn, as the band’s first female vocalist, along with bassist David Rodriguez and drummer Bryce Weston.
The band opened with “Can’t Decide” from the “My War” album, followed by the classic “Nervous Breakdown” off their 1979 debut EP. From the first notes, they sounded tight and assured, as Zanelly’s vocals slid into the catalog with surprising ease.
Black Flag played two full sets, digging deep into their catalog with songs like “No Values,” “Black Coffee,” “My War,” and “Gimme Gimme Gimme.” They all hit with confidence and conviction.
The night wrapped up with a chaotic, crowd-pleasing cover of “Louie Louie.” More than anything, the performance underscored how durable these songs still are, alive, confrontational, and fully capable of thriving in the hands of a younger generation.
In the end, the show delivered what a hard-core punk night should: sweat, volume, history, and just enough controversy to keep things interesting. Not bad for bands that refuse to be frozen in time.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Todd Markel Rock Images
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SID 260223 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
