QUILCENE — Bomb Cyclone Shred Fest is expected to bring sonic ruptures to Quilcene this weekend.
The one-day fest will take place at The Quilcene Lantern, 7360 Center Road, for the second year in a row.
“Bomb Cyclone is our annual showcase of incredible up-and-coming bands from the world of heavy rock right here on the Olympic Peninsula,” wrote Lantern co-owner Willem de Koch. “We pair our favorite local youngbloods with more established bands from the Peninsula, Seattle, and beyond — it’s always a good time!”
Opening the event will be Port Townsend-based Chloroform Rags, followed by Sequim-based Self Diagnosed and Seattle-based Benzo. Key Party, based in Poulsbo, will close the event. Erik Kingfisher, AKA DJ E-Rok, will spin records between the sets.
Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at the door. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and music will begin at 6 p.m.
The lineup is high-energy, noisy and loud. Rock, punk and metal sounds promise to bring a spark to the hushed mid-winter.
A three-piece, Key Party is made up of Bennett Mork on vocals and guitar, Caleb Chidester on drums and Cody Detweiler on bass.
The band’s songs are lean and agile. They progress with propulsive force, as catchy as they are harsh.
Mork said the main thing he listens for in music is catchy-ness, whether he’s listening to rap music or to The Beatles.
The band has been together for about three years, Mork said.
While they have already put out several recordings, which can be found at keyparty1.bandcamp.com, they leave much of their music on the cutting-room floor, Mork said.
“The amount (of songs) that we scrap is unbelievable,” Mork said. “We’ll just have an entire song and then play it a few times and then be like, ‘No, not that.’ And then kind of move on.”
Mork said he prefers to generate new music and focus on recording. His focus in recording is trying to bring all of the raw energy that comes with the band’s live performances into the controlled atmosphere of studio recording.
Still, the band loves playing live.
“The whole idea is to just kind of like, go bananas and have it be as free and wild as possible,” Mork said.
Benzo is a grungy alternative-rock band with elements of art rock, drummer Mike Stubz said.
Robin Peringer is the band’s composer. He’ll record parts for everything and is downright prolific, Stubz said.
“(The songs) come in kind of with the whole package,” Stubz said.
At some point, singer Kennedy Carda will write vocals for the tracks, Stubbs said.
Not always a lyric-focused listener, Stubz said Carda’s lyrics can be heady. He’s a heady guy, pursuing a Ph.D., Stubz said.
The band members are all mature working adults. Stubz works at the University of Washington School of Medicine while bassist David Shaw works as an analytics professional. Peringer is part owner of Cha Cha Lounge in Seattle.
While the musicians are all serious about the craft, the band itself isn’t serious, nor are their performances, Stubz said.
On stage, they strive to have as much fun as possible. Their auxiliary fifth member, Jenny St. Cyr, plays a hype role.
“We have bubble machines and we have these confetti cannons,” Stubz said.
The band released its first record, a self-titled a collection of five songs, in 2025. Listeners can find it at benzo3.bandcamp.com/album/benzo.
Benzo is planning on recording its next batch of songs soon.
With song names like “Devil’s Playhouse” and “I Would Kill A Nun,” listeners would be mistaken to categorize the band as angry or unhinged; they are lovers of rock music, eager to play together and grateful for the people who make live shows possible, like venue runners.
Stubz connected with Kingfisher through playing shows in Port Townsend, and that brought him out to the Lantern the first time.
“It’s super unique,” Stubz said. “The family (business) that they have is just absolutely fantastic. It’s just hard to imagine something that cool.”
De Koch described Self Diagnosed as a heavy grunge band.
Chloroform Rags, a four-piece, formed around songwriter and rhythm-guitarist Ben Shafer for a show he was booked to play at a Port Townsend Pride event last year. After having such a good time playing the event, some of the members decided to keep the band going, with lead guitarist CJ Fisher staying on and bassist Sol Kennedy and drummer Zeke Banks joining.
The band has played four live shows and a live radio set on KPTZ. They know a guy who knows a guy who they may record with, Shafer said.
Their music has elements of punk, grunge and rock.
“We don’t feel the need to stay loyal to or be defined by any genre,” Shafer said.
Following their first concert, which was all cover songs, the band is now playing mostly original material.
Shafer considers himself an activist and writes many of his lyrics about his anti-war stance and other social issues.
“I’m very passionate about the rights of the working class and the rights of women,” he said.
The band’s upcoming concert dates can be found on its Instagram page, @chloroform_rags. Shafer said concertgoers also can check the Quilcene Lantern’s event page, as the band has recurrently played there, it being their favorite venue.
The band also will play Soundcheck Fest in Port Townsend in late February.
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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@peninsuladailynews.com.
