Words: Miljan Milekić
For three years in a row, starting in 2014, I was fortunate enough to visit the Punk Rock Holiday festival in Slovenia. For five days, the little mountain town of Tolmin would host an incredible lineup of legendary and young punk, ska, and hardcore bands, and the vibes around it would make it a “must” for punk rock fans around the world. But why am I even mentioning it? Well, enter September 2025 and Saskatoon’s Step Kid Events. Granted, it was over the course of three weeks, and not five days, but they brought in bands like Diesel Boy, D.O.A., Comeback Kid, Krang, Punitive Damage, Prowl, and lastly, the trio of Mad Caddies, Authority Zero, and The Corps to close this amazing run.
It was the Vancouver four-piece that opened the night with their unique sound, blending elements from street to skate punk, with a touch of what I would describe as No Use For A Name-esque melodies sprinkled on top. The band is still riding on the waves of their last year’s album ‘Fractured Protocol,’ and for a good reason. Not only is the album itself good, but it has gained much more traction since the last time they were in town, and the album was still hot off the press. A testament to that can be an already crowded Louis’ Pub, before they even stepped on the stage, which is not often the case with opening bands on nights like this. Locked and loaded, The Corps stormed through their set with confidence, ending with two fan-favourites in the form of ‘Bourgeoui-Zed’ and ‘Dogs of War’ before leaving the stage for the night.
Authority Zero came in next, and to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect from their set. I’ve seen the band three times so far, and they were amazing each and every one, but this time, I was ready for a different scenario. Shortly before this tour, singer Jason DeVore shared on his socials that his father is fighting brain cancer, and because he chose treatments instead of hospice, his insurance denied him coverage. (There is also a GoFundMe for those willing to help.) I can’t even imagine how hard it must be to get on the stage and perform night after night, so far away from home, with that on his mind, but despite it all, both DeVore and the rest of the band were on top of their game.
They already had a packed venue by the time they stepped on the stage, and with three decades of experience and genre classics, they didn’t really have a hard task getting everyone going. Songs like ‘When We Rule The World,’ ‘One More Minute,’ ‘Mexican Radio,’ ‘Revolution,’ ‘No Regrets,’ or ‘Ollie Ollie Oxen Free’ have been fan-favourites for years at this point, diverse in their sound, yet united in energy, so there was no surprise they were all followed by mosh pits, sing-alongs and evreything in between. Traditionally, the set was closed with ‘Lift One Up,’ another fan-favourite and highlight of the evening.
Mad Caddies are the ultimate party band. Their mix of punk, ska, and reggae, with a hint of folk, blues, and even soul, makes them one of the most unique bands in the scene, and their fans are all for it. Right from the start, they got everyone singing and dancing with their contagious melodies, relying heavily on the brass section. Similar to the band before them, Mad Caddies’ catalogue goes back three decades, up to last year’s record ‘Arrows Room 117.’ And speaking of the record, I’m not sure if American states have their own anthems, but ‘Palm Trees and Pines‘ should definitely be California’s.
Older songs were also well represented, along with singer Chuck Robertson’s hat moving sideways to introduce the change of pace. Both the band and their fans jockingly acknowledged the stage in life they are in with a funny banter exchange, whether it was the band checking in if anyone in the crowd is actually going to the college whose campus Louis’ Pub is located in, or fans casually offering well-being advice such as “Don’t break a hip.” Naturally, as the end of their set was creeping in, Mad – or Dad Caddies pulled out heavy-hitters such as ‘Monkeys’ and ‘Road Rash,’ ‘Backyard,’ or the legendary ‘Drinking For 11’ with short snippets of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ and Sublime’s ‘Santeria,’ before closing another great Saskatoon show with ‘Weird Beard.’
