Music

Punk in the Park – REVIEW

Published

3 weeks ago

September 19, 2024

Pete Glocker

Mosh Pits and Malcontents: Punk in the Park Shatters the Status Quo in Orlando!

September 14th, 2024

Just after 1 PM, my girlfriend Tini and I rolled up to the Central Florida Fairgrounds, just a stone’s throw from downtown Orlando. The sky was overcast, dark clouds looming like the threat of a mosh pit. After slamming a tailgate beer, we stormed into Punk in the Park, the one-day riot of music and chaos thrown by Brew Ha Ha Productions.

We barreled straight into the beer fest, awhich was set to shut down at 3 PM—because who doesn’t want a cold one before the real chaos begins? Inside an air-conditioned warehouse, we found local brews from central Florida, everything from IPAs to stouts that felt like rebellion in a glass. Some standouts were from The Ravenous Pig (Winter Park), Grace Note Brewing (Jacksonville), Sanford Brewing Company (you guessed it, Sanford), Brewdog (Columbus, Ohio), and Prison Pals (Doral). After drowning in deliciousness for an hour, we spilled out into the thrumming vibe of the festival.

Beerfest during Punk in the Park at Orlando’s Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider

First up on stage was the legendary Guttermouth, the SoCal legends ready to set the place ablaze. Mark Adkins and the crew stripped down and blasted through their hits like a punk explosion—“Lucky the Donkey,” “Lipstick,” “Asshole,” “Hit Machine,” you name it. After they left us gasping for air, we hustled to the second stage.

This setup screamed Warped Tour nostalgia, and next up was Against All Authority, the Miami ska/punk DIY warriors back in action! They rocked tracks from all four albums, including gems from their debut, Destroy What Destroys You—20 years of righteous rage! My heart raced when they unleashed “Silence Is Golden but Duct Tape Is Silver,” complete with a healthy dose of anti-Trump sentiment.

Then came Teenage Bottlerocket, bursting onto the stage like a punk rocket. Their Ramones-inspired pop-punk hit us like a freight train, but time was short. The sun dipped lower, and the beers kept flowing as we reveled in the sounds of punk legends. TSOL dropped “Code Blue,” and the Swingin’ Utters smashed through “Five Lessons Learned.” The Vandals wrapped us in a nostalgic set—my first time seeing them live, and they killed it with “It’s a Fact!” from my beloved Cinema Beer Nuts compilation.

Swingin’ Utters perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando’s Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider

The main stage saw a tidal wave of punk history crash down: The Casualties, The Bronx, Black Flag— and the Dead Kennedys with their original lineup as East Bay Ray shredded the guitar like a true punk god. And then, the grand finale: Alkaline Trio. They sounded tight and sharp, but we had to hold our breath until the last song for their melancholic anthem, “Radio.”

Bravo, Punk in the Park! You delivered a day of pure, unfiltered punk chaos, and we soaked it all in. Until next time—stay loud, stay defiant!

Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
The Vandals perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
TSOL perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
TSOL perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Teenage Bottlerocket perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Teenage Bottlerocket perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Swingin' Utters perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Swingin' Utters perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Swingin' Utters perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Swingin' Utters perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Against All Authority perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Crowd during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Crowd during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Crowd during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Beerfest during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Beerfest during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Beerfest during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Beerfest during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Beerfest during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider
Alkaline Trio perform during Punk in the Park at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds. photo by Pete Glocker, ©South Florida Insider