Live review: Diesel Boy live at The Pyramid Scheme

Grand Rapids, MI – 13 Oct 2024

Diesel Boy delivers a good time at a sensible time. 

This review has two purposes. The first is obviously to describe what it’s like to see Diesel Boy in 2024. The second is to shine some light on a worthwhile up and coming punk festival. Grand Rapids doesn’t have any major punk fests, but its convenient location, right between Chicago and Detroit, allows it to benefit from bands touring around other fests. GR almost always gets a couple of stragglers from Riot Fest and Lollapalooza. 

Diesel Boy were in the midwest for the first time in 20 or so years playing T1 Fest. T1 Fest is an annual Chicago based pop punk fest put on by the guys in Capgun Heroes. It helps raise awareness and money to combat type 1 diabetes. It’s a great cause that you should all support, and they always make it easy by booking a ton of killer bands. This year’s headliners included Sludgeworth, Guttermouth, Diesel Boy, The Jasons, The Bollweevils, Kepi Ghoulie and a bunch more. 

Try as I might, I was unable to make it to T1 this year. My consolation prize was Diesel Boy at the Pyramid Scheme on Sunday, October 13th. I was glad I bought my ticket in advance, or I may have been tempted to skip it. (This is a good motivational trick for aging, cheapskate punks.) My belly was full and the Detroit Lions had just destroyed the Dallas Cowboys. It was cold, dark and raining when I left the comfort of my suburban home for the big city. 

Traffic was light and I arrived in plenty of time to see opener Singing Lungs go on at eight. After dealing with some technical difficulties, the trio played an enjoyable 40 minute set to a small but receptive crowd. (Even if they all hung out in the back.) Their sound is somewhere between pop punk and power pop. Like a mix of Hüsker Dü and the drummer’s former band, Cheap Girls. The local-ish band puts plenty of melodies and earnest lyrics over a bed of noisy guitar. 

I was thrilled when Diesel Boy came on right at nine. Although I never considered myself a big fan back in the day, I’ve really enjoyed revisiting their catalog. The songs are a ton of unpretentious fun, and isn’t that what we really need during election season. Most of the favorites were there, “Titty Twister”, “She’s My Queen”, “Saving the World”, and my personal favorite, “Cock Rock”. (I also still enjoy many of the hairy bands we’re supposed to be embarrassed about.) Newer songs like “Punk Rock Minivan” and “Viking Funeral” fit right in too. 

The meager crowd migrated to the front of the stage, and were rewarded with plenty of witty stage banter. There were a handful of superfans, one of whom got so enthusiastic they had to throw his ass out. The new lead guitar player plays a funny looking, very unpunk Parker Nightfly guitar. He wasn’t even born when Diesel boy was in their heyday, but the dude could definitely shred. They finished up their fake three song encore with their cover of Dead Milkmen’s “Punk Rock Girl”. (The one where they switch out the long dead GG Allin for the much more recently deceased Mojo Nixon.) It was all over by 10 PM. We all had a great time and still got a good night’s sleep. 

Confessions of a merch whore: I didn’t buy anything except for three beers. I felt a little guilty about it, I always like to support the touring bands, but I swear I’ve been hemorrhaging money lately.