Of all music genres, punk rock may be the most dependent on the energy of live shows, especially when so many punk bands — both past and present — focused their efforts on the in-person experience rather than laying down meticulously recorded tracks. With mosh pits being the antithesis of the pandemic’s public health rules, punk is feeling the shutdown pain, so a virtual concert this Saturday hopes to ease some woes.
Called the “ Punk Summit ,” the 4-10 p.m. show features six bands performing on stage at the Majestic Ventura Theater. Five of the bands — All A Blur , The Hell Toupees , The Robot Uprising , Bootleg Brigade , IDecline , and Sick Boy — are from Ventura County, which has been a hotbed of the subgenre nardcore since kids from the Oxnard suburbs started playing back in 1977.
And then there’s one Santa Barbara band as well: The Deveros , with Jesse Bates on guitar and vocals, Nate Hill on bass and vocals, and Karstyn Bates on drums. Punk is a passion, not a profession for the trio, as Jesse works in construction, Hill is a bartender, and Karstyn manages a house-cleaning business while learning web design. Along with occasional members Tommy Hawkins and Joe Stransky, Karstyn said, “We all go way back. We’ve known each other forever!”