I was a drug addict for over a decade, so I know what it feels like to be in the grip of “want.” To want something so bad that anyone around me, mostly you, sometimes me, would get hurt in the whirlwind.
When I got clean, I couldn’t tell the difference between craving and need. For years, everything felt like need. Everything felt urgent. Food, love, friendship, social interaction, work, music—everything.
So now, when I want something, I pause and ask:
Is this coming from fear or from freedom?
Is it about relief, or is it about truth?
Is this about “fixing”, or is it about “growing?”
Craving comes from absence. Desire comes from clarity.
This past Saturday at One Strange Night In Orange County was for the books. We had the absolute best time hitting the stage alongside a stacked lineup that captured the energy and diversity of punk across generations. Playing on home turf is always special, and the love from the Orange County crowd was loud, raw, and honest. It was a sweaty, beautiful blur of chaos, power, white paint, and I loved every second of it!
The next generation of punk bands especially blew me away— the Tijuana noise of Hong Kong Fuck You and Bay Area’s Ceremony both came in hot and left nothing on the table. Their sheer intensity and dominating stage presence reminded me of the fire that lit this whole thing for us back in the day. It’s exciting to see new bands keeping punk innovative, weird, and fearless. Also, what a joy to see FEAR again! Watching them rip through their set was like stepping back into a glorious, gnarly time warp—Lee Ving and the rest of the guys are legends for a reason.
Another highlight for me was seeing The Garden—I’ve been into what they do for a while, and they totally delivered live. It turns out this was our second time playing together, since they were at No Values last year. Their set had this off-kilter charm and urgency that just works, and they’re seriously nice guys too, which always makes things better. It felt like a big, loud family reunion with a bunch of unruly cousins and loud uncles. Jerk of All Trades did a wonderful job recapping the weekend!
L7 is heading to Santa Ana this July for One Strange Night in Orange County, a stacked ALL-AGES one-day festival that’s bridging generations of punk mayhem. Taking place on Friday, July 19th, the show features a wild lineup of bands, including scene veterans FEAR and fresh, genre-bending chaos from The Garden, Ceremony, Hong Kong Fuck You, and Snow Strippers. It’s a rare mix of old-school fire and new-blood energy — and L7 is thrilled to be right in the middle of it.
PARKING ALERT There’s no site parking. Parking is available at Santa Ana College, 1334 N. Bristol St. (entrance on Bristol St. and Campus Dr. only), with shuttle service provided to and from the event starting an hour before doors open. Door times vary per festival grounds show. Please note that all guests will be directed to Gate 6. Do not park in any of the surrounding lots, as your car may get towed. Rideshare Drop-Off and Pick-Up will be located on Susan St. No pick-ups or drop-offs are allowed on Harbor Blvd or directly in front of the venue on Lake Center Dr.
In 1981, photographer Jennifer Finch, now best known as an essential member of the legendary L7 captured a landmark live performance by FEAR and The Stains at Devonshire Downs, a genre-defining moment in the early Los Angeles punk scene. Her black-and-white images from that night reflect the irreverence and energy that defined the cultural movement to come.
Finch, “Lee Ving’s presence was more than a performance, it was a provocation, both an instigator and a catalyst. Fear are a genre-shaping act that pushed the definition of punk outward, showcasing parody and intelligence beyond the music itself.”
Now, over four decades later, Finch returns to the stage, not behind the lens, but with L7, joining FEAR once again on a stacked One Strange Night In Orange County lineup at the Observatory Festival Grounds in Santa Ana. This full-circle moment bridges generations of punk, celebrating the legacy of bands that helped shape a sound, a look, and a defiant cultural stance that still resonates. Archival images from that 1981 show will be shared as part of this collaboration—reminding us that punk isn’t nostalgia. It’s endurance.
