Like a rocking '50s all-star package show, Epitaph Records' Punk-O-Rama Tour rolled into the Palace in Hollywood.

F-Minus replaced the Distillers as Punk-O-Rama's opener. The band played nearly all of its fifteen- minute set while most of the crowd was still entering the building. Pink-haired F-Minus singer Brad Logan was no match for the missing Brody Armstrong. Throw technical difficulties into the performance, and F-Minus lived up to its name. The group didn't stand a chance.

Blag Dahlia was the star of the Dwarves' set. Always confrontational, Dahlia sang with real passion and emotion while spitting beer at the audience. Songs like "Over You" and "Everybodies Girl" were performed with a definite blues edge. This was not some shock-filled, auto-destruct gig like last month's show at the Troubadour. The Dwarves took care of business this time around, and mascot- guitarist HeWhoCanNotBeNamed thankfully wore a jockstrap instead of performing totally nude. He stayed in the background and let Dahlia receive most of the attention.

Borrowing their name from the Dr. Marten boot, the Bouncing Souls played supercharged, sing-along anthems such as "Say Anything" and "Hopeless Romantic." Clean-cut and cuddly cute singer Greg Attonito hugged himself throughout the Bouncing Souls' set and often broke into a goofy, unassuming dance. Warm smiles and energetic high-fives powered the band's Punk-O-Rama performance until good-natured audience slamming turned into actual fighting. With the house lights on, the Bouncing Souls soothed the crowd by playing the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" and the Rodgers and Hart standard, "Blue Moon."

Hailing from Boston, the Dropkick Murphys arrived at the Palace with plenty of firepower, including three guitarists and a bagpipe player. DKM's performance resembled more of a military action than a punk rock set, and the Punk-O-Rama audience quickly stole the show. As DKM played, fists pumped in unison and the fight song lyrics of "The Gang's All Here" and "Barroom Hero" were chanted back at the band. Hundreds of fans rushed the stage to close Punk-O-Rama, and DKM singer Al Barr and bassist Ken Casey had to finish AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" standing on top of their speaker cabinets.

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