The sun was shining hot and bright as the No Values music festival would make its debut at the Fairplex in Pomona. The excitement was as thick as the traffic I was stuck in. It took about three hours to finally make it inside the Fairplex grounds. All but 35 minutes were spent waiting in a line of cars where I somehow ended up paying $5 to go through a regional park to get to the Fairplex grounds. After hours of white-knuckling the steering wheel, I was finally in and parked and ready to rock No Values. Despite parking being advertised as free, we paid with our precious time instead of dollars.
Photography by Lilly Duran
After following the trail of people all the way to the festival gates, it sank in just how many great acts I missed while being stuck in venue traffic. Sad for a fleeting moment, it made me more determined to catch every band I could and enjoy every hot, sweaty, stinky bit of No Values. Upon entering the fairgrounds, I could hear the growls of Kat Moss calling to me. As luck would have it, I got to see the last few songs of Scowl’s set, a band I definitely wanted to see and support, especially considering their actions to stand with Palestine. Bouncing around in the cutest black dress, Kat and the band had the entire crowd spinning. Their set ended, and I just couldn’t help but crave more. Starting the day with some female-fronted hardcore was definitely the pick-me-up I needed. Watch a clip from their set.
Quickly, I maneuvered myself through the crowd to the next stage. I found myself in the pit for The Vandals, giggling between shots. The band, known for their humorous approach to punk rock lyricism, took the stage with beaming smiles. The crowd was loving it, singing along to their hit song (one of many) “Urban Struggle.” Even the mosh pits seemed to be a bit more fun with The Vandals.
Walking around the festival grounds, many festivalgoers and stage workers proudly wore their keffiyeh, and some of the stages had Free Palestine flags hanging over equipment. While not an overly outspoken demonstration, it was good to see some support in a large-scale public setting like that.
Black Flag was the next set I caught. Their first song started with a lengthy crescendo that set us up for a quick but energetic setlist. With my backpack strapped on tight like Dora The Explorer and the sun starting to shift, I made my way over to what would come to be one of the best sets of the day: Ceremony. The crowd went absolutely wild. Instantly, there were countless people crowd surfing and circle pits throughout the space. Even the photographers who made their way in for the set were smiling and cheering. It was a great sense of community looking around as they played “Open Head,” seeing everyone within view yelling the words. Ceremony’s energy with their fanbase translated outside of the studio albums is extremely palpable, making their live performance one of the best I’ve seen.
Agent Orange, the Orange County natives that blended surf with punk in the early 80’s, came out with a bang. After their first song, they welcomed Jello Biafra to perform with them. Seeing all those icons on stage at one time was a bit mind-blowing.
The expectation for the day became this: If you want to see these bands, you will have to run—like actual running, not just fast walking. Set times were about 5 minutes apart, and like I said before, we were going to make up for lost time. The next few hours I spent putting my Hokas to the test. After a quick stumble in the dust, I saw some of The Garden playing their experimental sounds.
The blend of newer and older artists stacked throughout the day was a fun detail; it felt intimate to see those who inspired each other taking the stage one after another. Each band had a shoutout to another band that was playing that day, showing how they had all taken inspiration from one another. The next few hours were filled with legendary bands, Suicidal Tendencies, The Jesus Lizard, Sublime (with Jakob Nowell), and Bad Religion. Though I was here for work, I am a fan first. That said, I spent some extra time seeing Joyce Manor and Turnstile play.
By accident, Joyce Manor started their set 10 minutes early. But once they had finished their planned setlist, they decided to stay on stage and take requests from their fans eagerly screaming out their favorite songs, hoping today would be the day they heard it live. Turnstile was next, and boy-oh-boy was I excited. For the last few years, their setlist has been pretty consistent, but No Values was a bit of a switch-up. As the sun began to set on the day, the sky started to look a bit like the cover art for their album “Glow On.” While some of us moshed and danced like cheerleaders, I think we were all a little bit taken aback when their set ended about 15 minutes early. People were murmuring to each other, wondering if that was really it. They never returned to the stage, which was a bit disappointing, especially considering how highly anticipated their set was.
On the bright side, I was able to fit in some L7, the iconic all-female punk/ group from Los Angeles. Seeing more women on stage was such a nice reprieve from the male-dominated lineup. These strong and influential women performing proved the enduring power of women in punk.
ARTISTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
BEST NEW MUSIC
The evening started to cool off, the set times started to spread back out, and we only had a few more bands to see. Fullerton’s very own Social Distortion was up, closing the Mission Blvd stage. Mike Ness’ signature gritty vocals and the band’s rockabilly-meets-punk-rock sound got the crowd’s energy spiked back up. Everyone in attendance knew at least a song or two, and made sure they sang along when they could.
Viagra Boys closed out the Garey Ave stage, combining their humor with their punk intensity and tight musicianship. Frontman Sebastian Murphy, known for his charismatic stage presence and offbeat antics, kept everyone guessing his next move. Surprise, this time, it was flashing his entire backside to the crowd! Viagra Boys make sure you have fun, and they make sure you never forget their performance.
Closing out No Values, it was time for the headliner: The Original Misfits. Turning the stage into what looked like a haunted hayride attraction, the vibes were set. Things felt eerie and creepy as the night sky darkened and bright blue eyes stared at you from inside the giant pumpkin. Everyone gathered, anticipation building. How many people here have waited their whole life to see this band? They all came out adorned in outfits that exemplified their horror-punk aesthetic and matched the spooky stage decor. Glenn Danzig’s fierce and distinct vocals resonated through the festival grounds, perfectly complemented by Jerry Only’s bad ass bass and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein’s insane guitar.
Each track they played sparked up sing-alongs and relentless moshing, the audience feeding off the energy emanating from the stage. By the time they closed their set, it was clear that the Misfits had delivered a performance that would be remembered as a defining moment of the festival and a powerful celebration of the punk rock spirit.
No Values was a wonderful assortment of subgenres that brought everyone together. Families, children, couples, singles, new punks or old punks; everyone found a place there. From trad goth to Nacho Libre impersonators hosting a huge lineup scattered across four large stages, there was no dull moment inside the Fairplex for the inaugural No Values. Everywhere you looked, people were laughing, moshing, dancing their hearts out. The entire day was filled with electric energy that never died down. Personally, I am hoping this is a festival we see year after year.
Despite the time lost in entry traffic, the initial frustration was delightfully squashed by the joy of experiencing No Values.
This post may contain affiliate links. Ads and affiliate links are how independent blogs like Grimy Goods can operate. Thank you for supporting our work and being a part of our music community.
