On Saturday, June 8, at the Pomona Fairplex in California, fans will be treated to nearly 40 of the global heavy-music scene’s favorites, new and old — including a couple of yet-to-be-announced mystery acts.
Top-billing headliners include The Original Misfits (a reunited founding lineup of the classic kings of horror-punk), Social Distortion, Iggy Pop, Turnstile, Bad Religion and (the current iteration of) Sublime. In addition to some of the most influential punk bands of all time (and incomparable millennial favorite Ceremony), fans will be treated to some of the biggest punk and hardcore bands of the moment — including but not limited to Joyce Manor, Viagra Boys, MSPAINT and Soul Glo.
But by far the biggest news from this announcement is the return of Dallas’ own Power Trip. After the tragic death in 2020 of legendary frontman and founder Riley Gale, the surviving members of the group have (quite controversially) moved forward in their plan to continue performing as a band with vocalist Seth Gilmore at the helm.
Shortly after the announcement of their billing on the flyer for No Values Fest, Power Trip released an official statement revealing that there will be more live show announcements to come. Published on Instagram, the statement reads as follows: “Nearly four years ago to the day, unbeknownst to us, we would perform for the last time as Power Trip. It has been a difficult road since then, marked by deep pain, grief, and everything else that came with losing our brother Riley. We know this can’t be undone, and it will always remain part of us. We have thought deeply about the future of Power Trip and what always comes back to us is that this band was founded on resilience, perseverance, and most importantly: a love for the music and for all of the people it has brought us closer to along the way. We’ll never have the words to convey our appreciation of the enduring support we’ve received over the years, and we feel as though the time is right to get back on stage for all of you who’ve been there throughout our existence as a band. With that, we are excited to announce a round of upcoming 2024 performances starting with No Values festival on June 8th in SoCal. Joining us will be our long-time close friend/collaborator, and singer of Fugitive / Skourge — Seth Gilmore — who will be handling vocals for these upcoming shows. Stay tuned, more info on the way … Riley Gale Forever. Power Trip Forever. See you in the pit.– Blake, Chris, Nick and Chris.”
Fans and friends of the late Riley Gale have been divided on the idea of Power Trip continuing without him. Legal troubles between The Riley Gale Foundation (operated by the Gale family and volunteers) and surviving members of Power Trip have resulted in polarizing public statements from both sides, setting the rumor mill ablaze in speculation that the Gale family is out for a cash-grab from the band.
However, representatives for The Riley Gale Foundation say the funds from the 501(c)(3) organization have never been distributed to any members of the Gale family, and that in addition to substantial donations made to Dog Ranch Rescue, the Riley Gale Foundation has spent upwards of $100,000 since late 2020 establishing and operating the Riley Gale Library, which serves as Dallas’ only homeless youth shelter for the LGBTQ+ community.
In more recent years, the foundation has founded the semiannual “Friends of Riley Gale” fundraising benefit concert, as well as The Riley Gale Band Tour Grant — which funds touring expenses for burgeoning metal and hardcore bands. The inaugural grantee was Dallas-based metal outfit Frozen Soul.
A 2021 civil suit between Power Trip and the foundation settled out of court.
In an official statement from the organization, Riley Gale’s family expressed their wish for all of his estate’s income and royalty payments in perpetuity to go directly to the Riley Gale Foundation.
Power Trip fans, friends, and family continue to keep an eye on how everything plays out — hopefully in a way that properly honors one of Dallas’ most treasured musicians of his generation.
