By Noe Gutierrez
The Zeros never gained the recognition we now know they deserved. Bands like X, Black Flag and Circle Jerks were making waves on the Los Angeles Punk scene as The Zeros were establishing their own place in Punk Rock lore. Fast forward to 2026 and The Zeros are headlining a show at The Dune Room in Indio on Saturday, March 28th along with Spaghetti Cumbia and The Blessings. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15. You can purchase them now at duneroomindio.com.
The Zeros comparison to The Ramones is either an honor or tiring. I don’t think any band purposely goes out to sound like another band and The Zeros have seemed to navigate their sound fairly well despite the constant correlation. Guitarist and vocalist Javier Escovedo shared, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed when that was picked up by so many writers. The bands I was most influenced by were the New York Dolls and Velvet Underground. It’s like something we had no control over. We just had to live with it.” And live with it they did. Keeping the music first while breaking barriers.
It’s common knowledge that there’s a large Latino population in the Coachella Valley. Along with this awareness, The Zeros are here for one thing and one thing only…to perform to the crowd in front of them. “Every night is different I look at it as another night to spread our message. Introduce people to our style of music. All are welcome!”
The Zeros have been a significant influence on the Punk scene since the late 70’s. The Dune Room is only a couple of months old with a handful of successful Punk shows under its belt already. With younger fans getting turned on to older Punk artists through their parents, musical tastes in adolescents is expanding. In true Punk fashion, Escovedo is indifferent, “I really don’t have an answer for that, I kinda do my own thing. If people dig it, great! If not, that’s fine too.”
I was under the impression Escovedo was from Lodi, NJ. Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only are also from Lodi. What a strange coincidence right? Escovedo discloses, “Truth be told I’m not from Lodi but I relate to that song (CCR) so much. I’ve felt like I was stuck in Lodi many times. My upbringing was wild I never listened to anybody I’ve always done what I wanted.”
There’s so much pride in being Punk. Much like Metal Heads. Not many genres that can present themselves as a lifestyle. What’s the most punk thing about Escovedo? “Everything is the same I’m not in as much trouble as I was when I wrote the Zeros songs. I don’t have parents anymore; I don’t have teachers anymore. The most Punk thing about me might be the way I approach the guitar.”
The Zeros have been Punk Rock trailblazers for over 50 years now. Screw nostalgia. They still bring their attitude and passion to the stage in 2026. Escovedo is not grievously stuck on legacy. “If you dig 1977 style Punk Rock, you should come out to our show. We won’t be around forever and once it’s gone it’s gone.”
