5-20 Punk in Drublic Music and Beer fest, NOFX, Bad Religion, The Interrupters, Mad Caddies, Bad Cop Bad Cop, more, Pittsburgh @Highmark Stadium

Originally when I got the tickets for this I was under the impression that this would end up with a bunch of bands and be an all day thing. Ended up with the 5 advertised bands and at least one local who we didn't see much of. That's all ok, though. Because the bands were all good. I was worried about the freeness of the beer. Lines were long for the free beer, but it wasn't so bad because there were tons of breweries and the lines went pretty quick. I think the free beer in the tiny glass thing went really well. Too bad they cut everyone off right at 4.

Something I loved. So at the footstep of everyone's tent was a bucket where people could dump their beer if they didn't like it. At the end of the night they poured all those buckets into maybe 10 total buckets to make big nasty 20 gallon pales of mixed swill. Then they set those out in the field so you could fill your cup for free if you really wanted to. I didn't see anyone partake, but it's a novel idea and I loved it.

Local - No idea. We were really just getting in there and getting our bearings.

Bad Cop Bad Cop - I hadn't listened to them before, and they were playing while we were getting cup after cup of free beer. Lady punk rock on the easy side. Nothing funny or too hard or fast. They were good to listen to.

Mad Caddies - Killed it. They covered Anti Manifesto by Propagandhi and it was sick. My dude Raf used to love this band back in the day, and this band still kills it. Good pick Raf. Easy going ska band with some killer tunes. I especially enjoyed the stage presence of the trombone player. Best band of the day.

Interrupters - They were really good too. Punk band with dudes in suits who were all brothers and a chic singer. It was good, not great though I wouldn't say. Punk rock, not too hard not too slow.

Bad Religion - The reason I went. They were super good. Greg Graffin has the best voice in punk rock maybe. They're all old dudes by now, but they put on a super good show. It was a treat and a curse at the same time because they played their entire 1988 release Suffer. There are 2 really good songs on Suffer by my count. Opening with You Are the Government was killer, then of course playing Do What You Want any time is killer, but to me the album is a bit of filler. But when it's 30 years old you gotta play that shit. It was awesome to see a set that they'll likely not perform ever again, because of said filler songs on Suffer. They played a few other songs too that were not on Suffer. In the end I loved the set, but wish I had made the setlist myself.

NOFX - They played a short set because evidently someone from the band fell off the stage and cut his hand and had to get stitches. Sucks. I wanted to hear Murder the Government.

Highs - Bad Religion, Mad Caddies, swill buckets
Low's - Stadium beer prices after the free was gone

4-25 Sanction, Settle the Score, Facewreck more, Pittsburgh @Mr. Roboto Project

A free show. Kinda free. I put $5 in the bucket raising money for someone. Worth it.

We got to the show a touch late and missed a band or two I think.

Facewreck - Good heavy tunes. The Crutch song was killer. Hate the band name, but really liked the music.

Settle the Score - A heavy local band that has been playing for a while now and is pretty good.

Sanction - I saw them at Altoona Fest for the first time. They killed it there, and they killed it at Roboto. Up and coming hardcore from Long Island. They bring the heat kinda like Incendiary, similar style. Good time.

Highs - I'm torn on the Roboto floor show, as opposed to setting up on the one foot stage.
Lows - Nothin'