Let me admit up front that I am not really a festival guy. Sure, I’ve been to them. Had a blast at a few. But it is not my preferred way to hear live music.
I know plenty of people who love it. They cut their rock & roll teeth on Lollapalooza. They have a standing reservation at some BNB in Indio for Coachella through 2050. They met their life partner at Boston Calling.
None of that applies to me. Even so, every year, I will scan the major upcoming festivals to see if any are exciting enough to draw even a small-venue fan like me out into the teeming crowds. For economic reasons, I usually confine myself to the USA. For laziness reasons, I usually look at the East Coast.
Punk fans should look forward to July 26, 2025
But this year, I found one day that might take me three thousand miles west this summer. If you’re a punk rock fan and are anywhere in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon, the last week of July, you might want to get a ticket for the first day of the Project Pabst Festival.
The first two PPFs took place about ten years ago. Then, the festival went dormant. It reappeared last year, and this year, it is back with a bang.
Day 2 – Sunday, July 27 – is the alt/indie day. Death Cab for Cutie, Japanese Breakfast, and Built to Spill are at the top of the bill. I know people who love all three of those bands. If I can swing it, I’ll try to catch the Sunday. But for me, it’s Day 1 that is worth the trip.
Saturday, July 26, is Punk Day. The lineup isn’t simply an awesome collection of bands. It’s a diverse selection that covers many flavors of punk—the old and the new. It even has a local legend.
The headliners on Day 1 of the Project Pabst Festival are Iggy Pop and Devo. Iggy is one of the godfathers of the genre. His glam punk from the 1970s sounds fresher today than most music of more recent vintage, and he is a treat to see in person. The man may be a physical marvel who is touring Japan and Europe before coming to the States for PPF, but he’s 77 years old. If you haven’t seen him, better grab whatever opportunity you can.
Devo is sometimes called post-punk, even though no one actually knows what that means. They brought that punk DIY ethos to new wave throughout the ‘80s and are crisscrossing the land this Summer, hitting Shaky Knees and Oceans Calling on either side of Portland.
If I just wanted to see Devo, I’d catch them at Oceans Calling. It’s thirty miles from my house. However, the supporting acts at PPF are what make it so exciting this year.
The Damned, mainly in tact from their heyday as one of England’s first punk bands, will be on hand. The Chats, a much younger band from Australia, will also be there. I hate to admit that I really only know their song “Smoko,” but it’s cool enough to make me eager to catch them live.
Brooklyn’s Gustaf, who won the praise of Beck a few years back, will be there between tours, opening for LCD Soundsystem and St. Vincent. Post-hardcore darlings Gouge Away are on the bill. Their album Deep Sage made my personal top 20 for 2024. And the fabulous Nasalrod is there, guaranteed to crank up the energy on the heels of their tornado of a split album with Victims Family.
Nasalrod’s presence speaks to the fest’s desire to cling to its local Portland roots. To further that goal, the legendary Exploding Hearts will perform. The Hearts were on the verge of national stardom twenty years ago when a tragic accident took the lives of nearly every band member.
The lone survivor, guitarist Terry Six, started up again a few years back with some tour dates and a remastered release of their only studio album, Guitar Romantic.
The Exploding Hearts were inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame, and getting a chance to hear Terry Six and his new bandmates play “Modern Kicks” may have been a highlight of the day.
But for me, the highlight will probably come when Philly’s Mannequin Pussy takes the stage. Their album, I Got Heaven, was in my top five for 2024. Then again, I’m seeing them a month earlier in DC, where I live. So it’s not like I’d be coming to Portland just for them. The entire lineup is well worth the trip.