The Descendents, Kid Dynamite, and Ty Segall - FYF Fest - September 3, 2011

Timothy Norris

The Descendents

The big show of the night was The Descendents, who had a larger turnout than headliners Death From Above 1979. The crowd was filled with eager young faces who weren't even born when the band started, as well as old punks looking forward to a nostalgic night.

The group raced through a fairly long and satisfying set of memorable favorites, including "Bikeage," "Suburban Home," and "I Like Food," and they finished with "I'm Not A Loser." Although it was strange to see them next to two giant projection screens -- instead of on a smaller stage with kids diving off left and right -- the vibe was still good. Attendees bounced, crowd surfed, and pitted to their favorite songs.

The cloud of dust reached higher than the main stage itself -- which, at FYF, is a sure sign of a great set. Alongside the stages were friends and family, and even the bands who played earlier, fans just like everyone else. At one point the Descendents brought out their kids to read their version of the ten commandments from All-O-Gistics, making the stage look like some sort of punk rock Chuck E Cheese. It all made for a beautiful irony, as the gray-haired band sang about not wanting to grow up.

Kid Dynamite played "Raphael's" stage, the smaller one tucked away in the back, which worked great for these Philadelphia legends. It was the band's first show in California since 1999, but the twelve year gap washed right away. They played a 22 song set, which for hardcore bands is quite epic.

The crowd, meanwhile, was the most energetic I saw all day. They never quit. Kids were head-walking and crawling their way to front. It was nice to see someone actually stage dive here as well, which made it seem more like a hardcore show and less like a festival. (Though, that was a brave man who dove over the gap and the barricade.) It was all a perfect combination of energy, nostalgia, sound and execution.

Critical Bias: Ever since I started listening to punk rock I've wanted to see these bands. Little did I know I'd get to see two of my favorites in one day.

Descendents and Kid Dynamite set lists below.