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& Friends Live at Garden Amp
July 2nd, 2026 Review by Bruce R Kilgour
Orange County was treated to one of the most stacked lineups in recent history with six of the best punk and rockabilly outfits Southern California has to offer. In one of their few shows scheduled in 2026, Salton Sea’s Throw Rag brought along a band they have shared many bills with, Huntington Beach based The Grabbers.
Also on the main stage for this packed Garden Amp show were Fullerton’s Greg Antista & The Lonely Streets and, all the way from San Diego, The Plagues. The intimate Locker Room – the small space in the backstage area of the venue – was also put to great use on this evening, hosting sets from Bourbon Saints, Get In Loser, and The Fryin’ Saucers.
Kicking things off on the main stage were The Plagues, whose 11-song set drew entirely from their 2023 LP “High Crimes & Cheap Lines.” Highlights included “Don’t Tell Me,” “Straight Shooter,” and the furious closing song, “Suicide.”
Bourbon Saints were next up in the Locker Room, and opener “Fire Breathin’ Preacherman” set the tone for a frantic nine-song set.
That song, and six others from their 2023 album “Black Heart Blues” were performed along with the two excellent 2024 singles “Open Casket” and “Hand Over Hemorrhaging Heart.” Original members Arturo Trujillo on vocals and guitarist Chuck Poquette had the room rocking.
Greg Antista & The Lonely Streets is truly an all-star punk band, featuring members that have been in Joyride, Adolescents, Cadillac Tramps, T.S.O.L., Mink Daggers, and more.
The band’s furious nine-song set was mostly split between tracks from their 2019 debut album, “Shake, Stomp and Stumble,” and their 2025 LP, “Bastards & Broken Hearts.”
The sole song from their second album, “Under the Neon Heat” – “Halfway to Whole” – was appropriately performed in the middle of their set. Vocalist Antista, guitarist Frank Agnew, bassist Warren Renfrow, and drummer Jorge E. Disguster delivered a full-throttle set of old-school punk to an enthusiastic crowd.
Costa Mesa based band Get In Loser played a fast and fun set in the Locker Room to a packed crowd that appeared to be filled with friends, family, and LOTS of younger fans. John on guitar, vocalist Mad Mike, bassist Marty Bobo, and Bates on drums are an engaging bunch, mixing humorous banter with their catchy punk pop tunes.
The Grabbers have released only two LPs since forming 33 years ago. The Huntington Beach band played all but two songs from their 1993 debut album, “The Way I Am,” during a frantic 15-song set. Two songs from the “Huntington Beach Vs. The World” EP (also from 1993) rounded out the show.
Opening with “Kodac Moment” and “The Days of Wine and Roses,” vocalist Tommy Macke prowled the stage with his trademark intensity.
The band is comprised of longtime members Rue Rivera on drums, Stever Rapp on bass, and Rob Milucky and Maurice Torres on guitars. Closing the set with “The Way I Am” and a blazing “So It Seems,” the band showed why they have lasted three decades. It’s been a while since The Grabbers played in Orange County, and their fans were truly appreciative to have them back.
Closing out the Locker Room was the highly anticipated set from The Fryin’ Saucers, a band of Southern California rockabilly veterans anchored by the legendary drummer Bill Bateman (of The Blasters) and Jonny Ray Bartel (from The Red Devils and The Knitters) on bass and vocals.
Joined by guitarists Anthony Ennen and Lando Howl, this relatively new outfit has done just a few shows, but play as if they’ve been together forever.
Their blistering 12-song set was comprised mainly of ‘50s Sun Records era rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll covers. Early set highlights were “Mad Man” and the Big Joe Turner classic, “Honey Hush.” Bartel has been wowing fans with his stand-up bass for over four decades, and Bateman is well known for his stints in The Blasters, The Red Devils, and The Cramps.
“Flyin’ Saucers Rock ‘n’ Roll,” a groundbreaking 1957 song by Billy Lee Riley was simply incendiary, and presumably where this band got its name. Ennen and Howl traded licks at breakneck speed for 35 straight minutes. Fryin’ Saucers are a must-see new band.
Shortly after 9 p.m., the mighty Throw Rag launched into a frantic “Swingset Superman” from their 2005 LP “13 ft. and Rising.”
They followed with crowd favorites “Bag of Glue” and “Hang Up” from their second album “Desert Shores” before taking a break so that vocalist “Captain” Sean Wheeler could say hello to his adoring fans.
Longtime members Francis Cronin (bass), Daniel Lapham (rhythm guitar), and Patrick Bostrom (lead guitar) were joined by Jorge E. Disguster on drums on this evening.
A cover of the obscure 1967 song “Mini-Skirt Blues” (which was also covered by The Cramps) followed, then a few tracks from their last two albums. Cronin then grabbed his keytar for “Space Hump Me” in which he joined Wheeler on vocals. “3-D Cross” and “Radio Romantica” were next, followed by “Demons” and “Beast in Me.”
Wheeler had been extremely talkative throughout the set and engaging the crowd so often resulted in a few songs being cut from the prepared setlist.
Time remained, however, for a rousing cover of “Please Don’t Touch,” a 1959 novelty hit by Johnny Kidd & The Pirates.
Let’s hope that Throw Rag hits the stage more often in the near future, as their energetic show is as exciting as ever!
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Todd Markel Rock Images
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SID 260702 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
