The Offspring, Pennywise, Circle Jerks and Adolescents Line Up for Mike Roche Benefit in Southern California
Punk community in Southern California joins together this fall to honor T.S.O.L. founding bassist Mike Roche.
Nov. 7 – The Offspring, Pennywise, Circle Jerks, Adolescents, Guttermouth, Change Today, Mainliners, Death By Stereo, Love Canal, Dissension Nov. 7, Garden Amphitheatre, Garden Grove, CA $25-$200 This benefit is taking place as Roche's health has deteriorated after being diagnosed with Parkinson's and dementia.
Tickets will be available at 9 a.m. PST on September 18th at Gardenamp.com. There's a GoFundMe for those who can't make the show but want to support the cause.
Roche has been with the Southern California punk scene since 1978, when T.S.O.L was formed. As founding bassist of T.S.O.L., Roche was integral to the group's signature sound, sharing his own unique style of playing and use of a Rickenbacker bass with subsequent generations of musicians. (That bass is in the collection of The Punk Rock Museum.)
For Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge, Roche's influence started when he first saw T.S.O.L. play live.
"Mike Roche is primarily the only reason I play in a punk band," Dragge said. "I saw my first 'real' punk show with the band T.S.O.L. - after the show I decided I wanted to play in a band."
Dragge said Roche has had a presence throughout the punk community for more than 40 years, both as a performer and as a friend. When friends and other musicians heard what was happening, they began to set up the benefit.
The Offspring were one of the first bands to pledge their support.
"Without T.S.O.L. there would be no Offspring" guitarist Noodles told the LA Times, citing Roche's bass playing as a guiding inspiration for the band. He also acknowledged that the relationship between the bands later grew to be about friendship rather than just fan and band.
This means that we have a lineup that combines years of Southern California punk in a one night extravaganza with the money that is collected will go towards the cost of keeping Roche alive.
Art Details The event will also include a commemorative print by artist Shepard Fairey that will be available only at the event.
Fairey has a long history with T.S.O.L., dating back to his discovery of the band as a skate punk teenager. He said it was the band's style, attitude, speed, melody and lyrics that impressed him.
His diagnosis of Parkinson's and dementia was announced by his longtime partner, Tracy Vaughn, in 2024. The benefit organizers say he has been experiencing further deteriorating health and is needing full-time care at a cost that surpasses his insurance coverage.
While a punk scene created through the decades of history, the Nov. 7 benefit is bringing many of those threads back to one place. The lineup not only features bands who learned from T.S.O.L. but also old friends and members of the broader Southland punk family.
Buy tickets starting Sept. 18 at 9 a.m. Pacific via Garden Amphitheatre. There is also a GoFundMe you can donate to if you want to help support Roche but won't be able to watch the show.
