Local Love Promotions is celebrating the Tucson music scene with their Punk Fest event. It will take place Friday, July 19 at 191 Toole.
The lineup will include Something Like Appropriate, Bleach Party USA, Gutter Town, Manslaw, the Besmirchers, Planet Strict 9 (PS9) and Midnight Island.
The four-piece ‘80s gutter punk band the Besmirchers are known for being aggressive, confrontational, filthy and hardcore in their performances. The group, which features local punk rock legend Lenny Mental on vocals and “abuse,” has released two CDs, two seven-inch records, a 17-inch picture disc and one 12-inch vinyl. They often incorporate dancers into their performances.
The three-piece group Gutter Town recently released a video for their song “Take Your Time.”
Formed in 2018, the four-piece group Midnight Island released the album “Since You Asked” late last year. It features songs such as “Mr. Man” and “Not Every Story (has a happy ending).”
Formed in 2016, Bleach Party USA is a “surficidal” punk rock band. In January, they put out a 12-inch record called “Scorpion Tacos.”
Two years ago, Something Like Appropriate released the EP “Pink Anxiety,” a compilation of the first four songs they wrote as a band. This includes the songs “Start Again” and “Inside Voice.” Their music tends to have an upbeat, bright sound while exploring more serious subject matter. They have been recently recording new music at TwoCat Studios in Tucson.
Local Love regularly puts on events in venues such as the Rialto Theatre and 191 Toole. Owner Brent Kort has been putting on shows spotlighting local bands for the last 11 years.
He said events such as Punk Fest bring out fans and local musicians to enjoy styles of music that they have listened to or played since they were young.
“It becomes a big punk family affair,” Kort said. “You wouldn’t think it, but at Punk Fest, there’s so much love thrown around in a room.”
Kort is the manager of R Bar, which is located right outside of the Rialto Theatre, and is also one of the managers of the Rialto and 191 Toole.
He has been in the funk/blues/rock/reggae group Funky Bonz for over 30 years and is also part of the Americana, desert rock and reggae group Saguaroville and the country cover band Dust.
In the past, he played with the punk rock group Hillbilly Bo, which opened up for David Allan Coe, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles and Suicidal Tendencies. He was also part of a Ramones tribute band called Ramonz.
Kort said his experiences as a musician inspired him to put on Local Love shows.
“Local Love is how I wanted to get involved,” he said. “I wanted to treat bands the way they should be treated… I’ve been playing for so long. We still have every kind of experience, from the best and amazing to, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe we just did that.’ So, I wanted to give worthy bands a chance to play great venues.”
Kort said that he tries to feature bands at different levels, from groups making their debut to ones that have been around for over 30 years.
“Either I know them, or I know them from other bands,” he said. “I managed and booked at the Rock for a longtime. I’ve put on live showcases and battle royales… We put on a battle of the bands, gave bands prizes and money and let them play on a stage…. That’s how I got to meet a lot of bands a long time ago and also playing in the music scene for 30 years, I’ve known a lot of bands in different scenes as well.”
Kort said he also regularly discovers new groups.
“There’s new bands being brought to my attention every day,” he said. “They’ll send me a link and say, ‘I would like to get involved with your Love Loves,’ and I will give them a listen and see if I can put them on a show. A lot of times, if it’s the first time they’re playing with me, they’ll go first or last because that’s a good indicator of how well they’ll draw. Then, I usually have relationships with bands for years and years. I’ve had some of the same bands play with me for over 10 years, and then some get really big, and they can go and do their own shows, which is fantastic.”
Kort said that during events such as Punk Fest, listeners often discover new bands, and groups network with each other.
“It helps when you bring other people’s crowds,” he said. “They also make connections. So, they get to open for them or maybe trade shows. It’s getting these bands on a really nice stage together, hopefully sharing their friends and making new fans because of it.”
Kort often does shows that are themed around a certain genre or concept. Many of his shows feature metal or punk rock groups, but he has also put on blues shows, country events, hip hop nights and tribute band features.
Kort said that getting a chance to play in venues such as 191 Toole and the Rialto has a lot of meaning for the bands.
“Especially with the Rialto, it’s a stage that all of their favorite bands have played on. Maybe they saw their first concert there,” Kort said.
Punk Fest
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show. Friday, July 19
WHERE: 191 Toole, 191 E. Toole Avenue, Tucson
COST: $5 in advance, $8 at the door
INFO: 520-740-1000. rialtotheatre.com
