Bullseye with Jesse Thorn Joyce Manor
Mar 3, 2026
Matt Ebert, bassist who books early shows; Chase Knobbe, guitarist and founding member from the South Bay scene; Barry Johnson, singer and songwriter rooted in Torrance. They trade stories about Torrance and SoCal punk culture. They recall DIY shows, bowling bonds, early DIY touring and tiny crowds. They discuss aging in punk and why all-ages chaos still matters.
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Torrance Identity Claim At Shows
- Joyce Manor opens shows by announcing "We're Joyce Manor from Torrance, California" to claim a little-known hometown identity.
- Barry explains Torrance is sleepy, industrial, mall-centered and has its own local weirdness called "torrance weird."
Suburban South Bay Shaped Their Punk Scene
- The band connects their suburban upbringing to punk by pointing to local landmarks and mall culture like the Del Amo Mall and Jackie Brown settings.
- They describe Torrance as culturally conservative, repressed, and more like Orange County than LA proper, shaping their youth scene.
Shows In Unconventional DIY Spaces
- Early touring relied on DIY venues like a Japanese convenience store with a back room and short-lived summer spaces.
- Chase recalls bands being stunned that a market let them play shows until things inevitably got too crazy and it shut down.