Phoenix, AZ—The Casualties, joined by openers Bite the Hand and Bullshit Detector, detonated Valley Bar on April 5, 2025, delivering a wall-to-wall hardcore punk show fueled by counter-culture rebellion and communal joy. From protest sing-alongs to relentless moshing, the night embodied the raw unity of the punk scene.
Setting the tone for the night, local band Bite the Hand, an alternative/post-grunge/punk band, warmed up the crowd. Lead singer Echo Breen took the crowd on a dynamic vocal journey, shifting from clean melodies to gut‑wrenching hardcore screams. Among the songs in the set, Breen belted out recently released “FOAM,” a song about her “good girl” vs. “bad girl” dynamic. Breen later introduced their song “Roswell” to the crowd as a story about the New Mexico town her father is from, which prompted some chatter with the crowd about her own background.
Band members: Daniel (DJ) Rancourt (guitar), Forest Walldorf (drums), Conner Williams (guitar), and Justynn Willingham (bass).
Setlist:
Next on the stage to continue building up the crowd was the San Antonio, TX, thugwave band Bullshit Detector. Thugwave, commonly associated with Bullshit Detector in its inception, is a darker version of punk and oi! music styles. Richard Crenwelge, the hard-hitting vocalist, wasted no time leaping onto the lip of the stage and blasting the crowd with his barrage of the opening song “Violet Crown.” It gave the crowd the release it needed, and the moshing commenced. At the end of the set opener, Crenwelge said, “I ain’t stopping this shit.”
True to his words, the entire set was a constant litany of aggressive lyrical rebellion, fueling the crowd’s need to mosh violently. At one point in the set, a crowd member jumped on stage to sing with Crenwelge, who tossed him the mic and let him have at it. It turned into a crowd-favorite moment.
Very much present on the stage was punk bassist Pisspunx00 (aka Stabby) — her mastery of the four chords, accompanied by her energy, was gasoline on the bombastic set.
Band members: Anthony Vela (guitar), Richard Crenwelge (vocals), Leo Ruiz (drummer), Bjorn Johnson (guitar), Pisspunx00/Stabby (bass).
Setlist:
By the time The Casualties erupted on stage, the venue was packed with punkers, and the crowd was lit. A constant theme throughout the show was the strength of the punk community, and dedications were made throughout the evening to Native American and Chicano punkers who showed up. There was a variety of banter with the crowd throughout the evening, ranging from anger at current social injustices, such as recent ICE activities and tactics, to camaraderie in the community. My personal favorite songs of the evening were “Brick by Brick,” “System Failed Us,” and “Ashes of War,” to which Native American punk band 1876 provided percussion and vocals on the Detonate release, and it is an especially strong song.
As the final notes rang out, it was clear that this wasn’t just a show—it was a reminder that punk is still loud, still relevant, still communal, and still worth showing up for.
Band members: David Rodriguez (vocals); Jake Kolatis (guitar), Marc Meggers (drums), and Doug Wellmon (bass)
Setlist:
Encore:
