The Garden Brings Back One Strange Night in Orange County
Written by Kabeer Kansara
Published: August 16, 2025
Fans dressed in The Gardens signature Jester makeup Photo: Sophia Fascenelli
Local legends The Garden returned to The Observatory’s Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 19th, headlining the second edition of the all-day music festival One Strange Night In Orange County.
Expanding on the foundation Wyatt and Fletcher Shears laid in the summer of 2023, this year’s lineup featured an additional band, further diversifying the evening’s sound. The lineup reached across both genre and era, with punk veterans and vibrant newcomers appearing on the bill.
Hong Kong Fuck You opened the show promptly with guttural screams from lead singer Christian Hell that could be heard from the back of the general admission line as people filed in excitedly. A tsunami of sound washed over the early crowd, emanating from the three bass guitars on stage held by Leo Agria, Jake Issaba and Erik Zendajas.
Though Hell typically functions as the group’s drummer while also manning the microphone, he put all his efforts into his vocals for One Strange Night. Armed with a mixer, Hell produced a futuristic warble that echoed through the Fairgrounds and bridged gaps in between songs.
The young Tijuanan group’s piercing sound laid the foundation for the evening’s programming through throbbing drums and an unmistakable passion to put on a show. Their afternoon set was soon followed by the historic Los Angeles punk band FEAR.
FEAR has been playing shows since the late 70s and took the stage with a veteran presence. Despite lead singer Lee Ving and drummer Spit Stix being beyond retirement age, the two showed just how young the punk spirit can keep a person, with an energetic showing that served as a crash course for the younger crowd.
Playing through hits in their discography like “I Love Living in the City,” “More Beer,” and “Have a Beer with FEAR,” the esteemed group played a set that could be outlined by two themes: a love for the audience and a love for cold alcohol.
FEAR was followed by fellow LA natives L7, who played an energetic set that turned the crowd into an expanding circle pit. With a Socal breeze blowing through their hair, the all-women unit fueled the crowd’s fire with storied songs like “Pretend That We’re Dead,” and “Wargasm.”
L7, like other bands on the bill, drew on the political nature of their music to comment on the state of affairs within the country and local community. Lead singer and guitarist Donita Sparks embraced the Socal immigrant community between rolling riffs. Lee Ving took time to make his disdain for Donald Trump known on behalf of FEAR. The political roots of punk have always attracted audiences as a forum to voice their opinions through the lens of art, performance and unity; an idea that was upheld by painted faces shouting for justice and peace in between thrashing sets.
Ceremony Photo: Sophia Fascenelli
Californian heavy hitters Ceremony took the stage prior to the co-headlining set of Snow Strippers. The established Bay Area group made waves in Orange County, celebrating their 20th anniversary while adding more weight to the already eclectic lineup.
Founding guitarist of the group Anthony Anzaldo opened with a message of sympathy and solidarity to the impacted Latin community of California, and outrage directed at the administration sitting in DC. As the group played into the sunset, highlights of their discography washed over the ever-expanding moshpit. Songs like “Sick,” and “Terminal Addiction” emphasized the aforementioned societal issues and built on them through fuzzy vocals while giving the crowd heavy basslines and a throbbing kickdrum to step to as helicopters scoped out the controlled chaos unfolding at the Fairgrounds.
The conclusion of Ceremony’s set left the crowd anxiously awaiting the arrival of Snow Strippers. In a brief period that could only be described as calm before the storm, the crowd grew, stretching more than halfway through the parking lot and to either edge of the makeshift outdoor venue. Smoke and fog mixed, seeping from the stage to the crowd, only to be broken up by Graham Perez and his striking drum machine as he began the two-person act by himself on stage.
Snow Strippers Photo: Sophia Fascenelli
Through strobing lights and man-made clouds, the vocal half of Snow Strippers Tatiana Schwaninger jumped on stage, injecting the crowd with a bump of energy paired with Perez’s hypnotizing synthetic melodies.
The electronic duo didn’t just move the crowd, they shook the venue, and its attendees from the bottom up. The crowd pulsed to the beats of “Aching Like It’s,” “Just Your Doll,” and “So What If I’m A Freak” as the couple raced through their combination of opening songs. The sea of painted faces and ecstatic fans surged together in waves, returning the energy they received from the electropop duo, held back only by the photo pit and front row barrier.
The energy from their set was slow to dissipate as the crowd knew exactly what would be coming next; hometown heroes The Garden.
Though the Shears twins are yet another two-man act, their stage presence carries weight not even crowded ensembles could bring. Fletcher Shears looked down to the crowd from his risen drum set, sending shockwaves to the sky and through the asphalt beneath beaten boots while Wyatt’s voice echoed over the crowd.
The Garden Photo: Sophia Fascenelli
The duo was not without their iconic jester puppet, which loomed and wandered ominously across the stage as the set went on. Unlike the evening’s other acts that played to a crowd, The Garden sang to a sea of mirrors with a myriad of uniquely painted faces belting their lyrics back at them.
The pair expanded on each band’s sounds with their personal “vada vada” twist. Throaty bellows and heavy drums were reminiscent of Hong Kong Fuck You’s afternoon set and FEAR’s subsequent performance. Gritty baselines were broken up with vibrant synths that would have led the unfamiliar to believe that Snow Strippers had taken the stage again. The Garden approached the ending of their set with ferocity, building off of energy from earlier in their setlist with tracks like “Clay” and “Horseshit on Route 66” and then touched on viral hits like “This Could Build Us A Home” and ending with “Thy Mission.”
As the crowd filed out, The Garden returned for a three song encore, pulling from deeper within their discography. The twins left the stage for the final time that night with a message: “Think for yourself,” an idea that has become more prevalent as days pass since the show.
Though the night came and went, the bands continue to further their impact with their own endeavors. The Garden embarks on a tour across Europe with Turnstile in November while Snow Strippers hits domestic venues throughout August and September. Ceremony is staying local with shows across California running deep into September. L7 will be celebrating their 40th anniversary in LA in early October, but not before playing a few August dates in Oregon and Washington. FEAR will continue adding to their legacy as they make their way across the US with shows in major cities like Austin and Atlanta. Hong Kong Fuck You has no announced at dates at the time but continues to pop up at shows all over the place, so keep an eye out to see them locally.