The Queers in Riverside

About The Queers

The Queers are a New Jersey pop punk band that formed in the late 80s and basically never stopped. They've built a weird, loyal following by doing what they do best: writing catchy, dumb, occasionally offensive songs about girls, drinking, and being broke. Their songs are deliberately simple and repetitive in a way that gets stuck in your head for days. They've released dozens of albums with almost no variance in their formula, which is either their greatest strength or a running inside joke depending on who you ask. Live, they move fast and sound tight despite deliberately playing stupid. They've never been cool or tried to be, which is maybe why they've outlasted a lot of their peers.

Tight, loud, and quick. The crowd moshing isn't aggressive—it's more chaotic and goofy. Lots of singing along to simple choruses. They play fast, finish songs in two minutes, and keep moving. It feels less like attending a concert and more like hanging out with people who happen to be playing instruments.

Known for Homework, Punk Rock Girl, Everything Goes, The Ramones, Killer Queers

Live Music in Riverside

Riverside's punk and indie rock scene has quietly built itself around venues willing to take chances on touring acts. The city's audience tends toward genuine appreciation over spectacle, which suits The Queers fine—they're a band that works because they're good at what they do, not because of any mystique. Pop punk finds solid ground here.

Riverside road trip to see The Queers?

Stay in the Magnolia Center area near downtown Riverside, where restored historic buildings sit alongside new boutique hotels and wine bars—it's the only neighborhood that actually feels like somewhere worth spending an evening. Before the show, dinner at Duane's, a reliable California steakhouse with real cocktails and actual craft to the food. Spend your afternoon at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum or walking through the Mission Inn's sprawling Mission Revival campus—it's genuinely stunning architecture, the kind of thing that reminds you why people actually settled this part of California.