It’s a sunny Tuesday in Southern California. The air is thick and warm, and aside from the incessant hum of the 5 freeway, it’s quiet. I see folks commuting to work, carrying on with their daily tasks, unaware of what’s brewing underneath them. This past Saturday was the birth of something special. In an age where everything is just a quick swipe away, this wasn’t the case. The first underground show put together by Jakob Nowell and Zane Vandevort was something you just had to be at to fully comprehend.
by Wilbur K.
Aug 20th, 2024
Saturday morning I drove 70 miles north from my home in San Diego, to an otherwise sleepy suburb north of Los Angeles. The event: “Locals Only”, presented by Skunk Records and SRH Productions. Word of the show spread quickly, and eventually made its way down to San Diego. Hosted by Jakob Nowell of Sublime, and Jakob’s Castle, and Zane Vandevort of Strange Case, rumor has it that this was the first of many shows from the young duo. Promoted under Skunk Records and SRH, Jake and Zane are paying homage to both their lineage and mentors, while carrying the torch for a new generation of Southern California DIY music. Jakob’s father Bradley Nowell, from Sublime, founded Skunk Records with Michael Happoldt of Long Beach Dub Allstars in the 90’s. Kevin Zinger, Zane and Jake’s mentor, founded SRH in 1991. The early SRH shows in Mission beach hosted bands like Sublime, Pennywise, Offspring, Sprung Monkey and many others. Seeing the boys take over what their fathers started many years ago feels like a return to form for Southern California Counter Culture.
When I first got wind of this story I felt excited, but that excitement quickly turned into nervousness when remembering that it’s no longer the 90’s, and the “good-times” feel like a distant memory. With an ever-prominent generation of self-obsessed Tik Tok kids dancing on camera for their 15 minutes of fame, it seemed unlikely that this generation could ever pull something off that both felt authentic and old school punk-rock. When I arrived at the show all of those doubts were instantly thrown out the window. In the next-door lot to the venue I found Jakob and Zane spray painting bedsheets with Spades and “Locals Only” surrounded by a crew of other young musicians. Skating, talking shit, and having the time of their lives setting up the show.
I instantly knew the history and culture of Skunk, SRH, and Southern California was in good hands.
As I walked inside, you could feel the excitement. Doors had just opened and the boys were putting the finishing touches on their event. The entire place felt like a time capsule from an era I thought died when I was a kid. DIY banners, decorations and a couple hundred kids filled the space with booths from vendors like SRH, Val Surf and Black Bear, to kids selling vintage clothing. Music kicked off at 6:30 and people poured into the venue. I was shocked to see how many tickets they sold in a sleepy-suburb like Thousand Oaks. I spoke to multiple people who told me they had also driven all the way from places like San Diego and Santa Barbara. Strange Case played around 9:30 and practically tore the place down.
With a blend of surfy-punk/garage-rock vibe, they were a refreshing break from the usual music of kids in their 20’s today. Jakob’s Castle took the stage around 10:30, and put on a performance I won’t soon forget.
As a life-long Sublime fan I was very curious to see what Jakob’s solo project was like live. Despite his music pulling influence from hyper-pop and other alternative pop flavors, the live show felt 100% as punk and authentic as any of the bands I grew up listening to. Nowell’s energy and passion cuts through like a knife to hot butter, turning any nay-sayer into a believer. You can tell he just really f*cking loves doing it. He threw in a grip of Sublime songs, but to my pleasant surprise Nowell flipped his own spin on the classics. A blend of crunchy drum breaks, surfy guitar sauce and buzzing synth bass all blended into a modern spin on the same tracks we grew up loving. He even added a few punk songs like “Same in the End”.
After about 5 minutes in the mosh pit I realized I was outnumbered by a castle of youngsters wasted off cheap beer ready to break something. Luckily the thing breaking wasn’t me tonight. By Midnight the show was coming to an end. Empty solo cups and cigarette butts littered the soggy pit area. Smoke from the tiki torches was now slowly dissipating. A line of kids about 100 yards led up to Nowell at the merch booth taking photos, signing shirts and spreading the word about his plans to bring back the SoCal DIY scene, better than ever.
I listened to Jakob passionately speak about him and Vandevort’s plans to promote the next shows up the coast, perhaps under the event name “No Guest List” (A humorous nod to the egregious number of people who ended up on the list once the show sold out).
I felt overwhelmed with memories from my 20’s at shows oddly similar to this. It took me back to a time where anything felt possible, and every night was another adventure. Local’s Only felt special… In a way I find it hard to describe. Oddly nostalgic, yet new and even timeless? Perhaps the “good old days” aren’t merely behind us, but actually right in front of us. Saturday was one of the best shows I’ve been to in years, regardless of who was playing. The event felt bigger than just a show. It was an energy. It was an attitude. Needless to say I’ll be buying my ticket early for the next one because there just might not be a guest list…
Xx W
