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Beg, borrow or sneak your way in for these 10 Punk Rock Bowling acts

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The Menzingers play a club show Saturday night at the Bunkhouse.
Ian Caramanzana

Television (Bunkhouse Saloon, Friday, 9 p.m.) To quote a sticker on Television’s landmark, ’77 debut, Marquee Moon, it’s “jazz for the punk rock set.” Be there for the influential NYC act’s Vegas debut.

Drug Church (Festival stage, Saturday, 4:40 p.m.) Think of the grungey Albany, New York, quintet’s sound as the aural version of a Negroni—strong, but palatable and balanced. Check out the four-chord fury of “Banco Popular.”

Off! (Festival stage, Saturday, 7:55 p.m.) We shouldn’t need to tell you who fronts this prolific hardcore outfit (ex-Black Flag/Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris), but we kinda just did ...

Iggy Pop (Festival stage, Saturday, 10 p.m.) The punk icon plays his first Vegas show in a decade. He’s appearing under his own name, not with The Stooges, so expect everything from that band’s classics to cuts from 2016 solo LP Post Pop Depression.

The Menzingers (Bunkhouse Saloon, Saturday, 10 p.m.) The poppy Pennsylvania quartet injects sing-along choruses into its driving brand of punk. Fans are known to fight for a chance to shout a few words into the mic.

Choking Victim (Festival stage, Sunday, 7:50 p.m.) If you’ve been to a punk gig, chances are good you’ve seen a Choking Victim patch or T-shirt. The NYC stalwarts fuse politically charged lyrics with an aggressive brand of ska.

Fidlar (Festival stage, Sunday, 8:50 p.m.) Take the scrappy attitude of garage-rockers like Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees and feed it tons of cheap beer, and it would probably sound like this. The LA band has soared to indie stardom behind catchy choruses and feedback-ridden madness.

Municipal Waste (Fremont Country Club, Sunday, 10:30 p.m.) The Virginians’ crossover-thrash sound makes them a unique booking among PRB’s club-show lineup. Expect to hear music from forthcoming album Slime and Punishment.

Discharge (Festival stage, Monday, 6:05 p.m.) The English act’s debut album, 1982’s Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, paved the way for aggressive music as a whole, from thrash metal to grindcore.

Cock Sparrer (Festival stage, Monday, 9 p.m.) The U.K. Oi! pioneers meld punk aggressiveness with the simple, melodic sensibilities of pop. Seeing Cock Sparrer at Punk Rock Bowling is like a night at your favorite pub—with thousands of your buddies singing along as the fest winds down.

Punk Rock Bowling May 27-29, Saturday & Sunday doors 3 p.m.; Monday doors 2 p.m.; $50/day, $125/fest. Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, punkrockbowling.com.

Tags: Music, Punk music
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