Show Review: Kauz of Affliction
On March 6th, 2026, I got the chance to see a band called Kauz of Affliction play at a venue in Honolulu, HI. They’re from the Big Island of Hawaii and have been around since 2015. The band is composed of three people: Erik (vocals/guitar), Justine (vocals/bass), and Wes (drums). I first heard about K.O.A. through Instagram and word of mouth from other bands I’ve met, but it wasn’t until that day that I finally got to see them live. This is how that went down.
Me (far left with the green wrist band), with, K.O.A. members, Wes (second to the left in the black shirt), Erik (third from the left in the red shirt), some friends of theirs (who’s names I never got), and the lovely miss Justine (far right in the polka dot dress)
The Venue: Nice But Not Right for a Punk Show
The Slack Key Lounge is where this show took place. The building it’s in is a three-story parking garage with businesses accessible from the inside. It took me a while to find it because to get to Slack Key, you need to go through the doors of a different business, and the entrance isn’t labeled as Slack Key Lounge. If I hadn’t asked someone if I was in the right place, I probably wouldn’t have found it anytime soon, which was a little annoying.
Nevertheless, once I found it, the staff greeted me kindly, and after I paid, I went in and took in the vibe. I was taken aback by the many tables and chairs in front of the stage. The room was pretty small—roughly the size of a large conference room—and it felt cramped with the bar, the merch tables lined up along the right wall, the stage, and the various tables scattered throughout.
It was hard to imagine a mosh pit happening in such a space, but overall it wasn’t bad. The lights were dimmed, and it was pretty dark in some areas that weren’t lit up, but it was tasteful. The vibe fit more of a restaurant or dive bar than it did a punk rock venue. It was a nice venue, just not the right one for what was happening, in my opinion.
The Slack Key Lounge. Good place to chill at, terrible place to mosh at (respectfully)
First Contact: Face to Face With K.O.A.
Soon after I arrived, I met Wes, the drummer for Kauz of Affliction. He took me back to this speakeasy near the venue that was only accessible through a door that looked like a vending machine. Immediately, I was like, “What the fuck?” as he pushed open the door, and my eyes darted around the bar, scanning and taking everything in.
I followed Wes to a table where I got to meet the rest of the band. They invited me to sit, and we all got to know each other. I’ve got to say, these guys were pretty fucking chill. They were older than me, had way more followers than me, and way more life experience than me, but not once did they make me feel belittled or insecure—just welcomed.
It felt like hanging out with uncles or aunts you don’t see often, but who, when you do see them, treat you with warmth and kindness. I especially hit it off with Wes. He sat closest to me and told me a lot about his life, his motivations for making music, and how he met Erik and Justine.
What I liked about Wes is that throughout the night, as he introduced me to other people from his social circle and people he knew from other bands, he always went out of his way to include me in the conversation. I tend to be pretty quiet when a lot of people are talking, a mix of anxiety, shyness, and a general desire to listen more than contribute. Many times throughout that night, and later when we hung out again, he would regularly engage me in group discussions when I’d been especially quiet for a while.
To me, that came off as: “You don’t have to speak, but your thoughts do matter to us.”
My one regret from that night is that I wish I had spent more time talking with Justine and Erik, but they had their hands full running the merch table and preparing for the show. (K.O.A. interview coming soon??)
A signed copy of their latest album, LIFE TIPS ON DUMPSTER DIVING (note to self: Get a record player)
The Openers: The Next Generation of Hawaiʻian Punk Rock
Before K.O.A. went on stage, a couple of other bands played. I’ll admit I didn’t stay to watch every single set since Wes and I spent a lot of the night hanging out in other parts of the venue. I did catch glimpses of several of the opening acts, though, and let me tell you—when I saw who was on stage, my jaw dropped to the floor like it was weighed down with a ton of bricks.
These bands weren’t well established musicians… they were children. Literally.
I swear, nobody playing looked older than maybe 16, except for one guy who was a bassist for the last band before K.O.A. I say that because he was bald and about as muscular as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
THESE KIDS COULD PLAY TOO.
I can’t remember the names of every band, but this one band, Siddhartha (which I know because someone shouted it from the audience), completely rocked the house. The lead singer had so much stage presence, and his voice sounded surprisingly like Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day. Even Wes said the same thing.
The bassist was especially aura-farming like a motherfucker. This dude was on stage wearing slippahs (flip-flops), dressed all in black, with long hair, and he was just going nuts on the bass. His fingers flew over the strings with such coordination that it was like they had a mind of their own.
Later, I found out that most of these bands came from a music school in Kailua called Kailua Music School. I remember when I was a kid fantasizing about being a rock star, and here these guys were actually living it.
I felt proud, and honestly a bit jealous, because I would have so loved the chance to take music lessons when I was their age. It was dope as fuck seeing young people, many of whom had their parents in the audience, spending their time doing something productive and creative that gives back to the community.
This really is the next generation of Hawai’ian punk rock.
Siddhartha’s logo (@siddharthaband2028)
Kauz of Affliction: If The Wiggles Had a Punk Phase
After hours of waiting… it was time for the headliners.
Something most people who aren’t musicians never think about until they see it is just how much of a pain in the ass a sound check can be. There’s a lot of intricate equipment involved—machines, speakers, mixers, and an insane amount of wires that all need to be set up in a very particular way so none of the instruments drown each other out during the performance.
From what I witnessed while K.O.A. was doing their sound check, it takes a lot of trial and error and can easily become frustrating—especially when you add the pressure of wanting to put on a good show and knowing that if even one thing goes wrong with the equipment, it can affect the entire performance.
Their music style had a pop-punk feel. It was very drum-heavy, combined with screeching vocals and fun, bouncy guitar riffs that kept the energy high with short bursts of upbeat tempo.
They were also very performative on stage. There was a lot of movement and use of the negative space by the two guitarists. By the third song, Erik’s skin was as bright red as the shirt he was wearing. He ran around and jumped off the stage multiple times during the set while singing and playing—and not once missed a beat.
Their songs were funny as hell too. They played one song called Gas Station Burrito, and before they started they tossed around an inflatable burrito. Yeah… seriously.
They also played another song called The Fuck Song, which literally starts with “one two fuck you.”
You could feel the passion they had for what they were doing, and they looked like they were genuinely having fun. If I had to describe them in one sentence, it would be: If that old school children’s band The Wiggles went punk.
The lyrics and vocal flow also reminded me a bit of Avril Lavigne.
What sucks, though, is that by this point, most of the crowd had left, since many people had only come to watch their kids’ bands play earlier that night. Their loss. I can only imagine how much more a bigger crowd would’ve appreciated this kind of playful, in-your-face energy.
Overall Review: A Great Band in the Wrong Place
Kauz of Affliction, Siddartha, and the other bands that played were all amazing that night, but I still think the venue just wasn’t right for it.
Don’t get me wrong, The Slack Key Lounge is a cool spot if you want to grab a beer in a quiet, intimate setting. But it’s far from ideal if you want a crowd of punks moshing and headbanging. If you tried that there, you’d quickly run into a table or a chair.
That’s my only real complaint, though, and it didn’t stop anyone from having a good time. It definitely didn’t stop me.
I feel honored that K.O.A. was willing to bring me into their world by talking with me and letting me meet the real people behind the music, the instruments, and the stage dives. You don’t get that same level of connection with mainstream artists nowadays, and that’s exactly why I love the underground scene so much. You should definitely check out Kaus of Affliction. They told me that they’re going on tour this summer, and I’ll link their website and socials at the bottom. Keep an eye on Siddhartha too! They may be young kids, but I have no doubt that they’ll be a big name in the punk scene one day. I am just glad to be one of the few people who can honestly say, “I was at Siddhartha’s first ever live show.”
Kauz of Affliction’s summer tour schedule
Siddhartha’s show schedule
