By Brandon Bocanegra, March 24, 2026
Punks from Los Angeles and the Inland Empire gathered in downtown Pomona March 14 to celebrate one year since the release of ZOMBIELOAF’s first album, Pelican Bay.
LOAF Productions presented March Madness at the Haven as a benefit and celebration show with a lineup of Southern Californian punk and indie bands featuring Thinking, Road Trip, The Hell Bombs, ZOMBIELOAF and Something Somewhere.
ZOMBIELOAF is a band comprised of lead singer and music industries studies alumnus Damian Torres, lead guitarist Xander Vasquez, bass guitarist and MIS student Anthony Vargas, and drummer and MIS student Jack Blake. Torres and Vasquez met over a decade ago writing songs together and asked a friend what the name of their first album should be, leading to ZOMBIELOAF’s Pelican Bay.
Originally from the San Fernando Valley, Road Trip traveled to Pomona after Torres booked the band to play five months earlier. Caden Cantwell, the lead singer of Road Trip, has been friends with Torres for years and trying to come out to the area as much as he can.
“It’s such a community, and to be able to share my passion for music, it’s just such a special thing that I feel like everyone should experience,” said Road Trip lead guitarist Ralston Turcotte. “It’s so positive, and there’s just so much creativity and collaboration. It’s so cool to see all of these cool people and bands come together and play these shows for all the kids.”
Half of the show’s ticket sales went directly to Saving Innocence, a nonprofit that helps fight sex trafficking and supports children and adults who are survivors. Torres said he finds organizations he feels are forgotten about or aren’t emphasized enough, and Saving Innocence stood out to him the most.
“I’ve just been really fricking angry these last few months with the whole Jeffery Epstein thing happening and the lack of accountability that the people should be doing something about it aren’t actually doing,” Torres said.
Show attendees like computer science student Scott Baroni attend ZOMBIELOAF shows frequently in support of Los Angeles artists, but he was also happy to find out the show’s proceeds would be donated to this cause.
“It’s already a small venue, and I like supporting small businesses,” Baroni said. “But the fact that they are donating profits to something that is actually important, I really respect that, especially since it goes with the punk values of it all.”
The band has played the Haven at least 15 times since 2022, even playing their album release show Mar. 14, 2025, according to Vasquez. The Haven has allowed the band to authentically be themselves and speak out against what they view is wrong with the world according to Torres.
ZOMBIELOAF took the stage at around 9:30 p.m. and spoke out against the current war in Iran, ongoing ICE raids and garnered support from the packed venue with loud applause and chants. They performed new songs, the entire album and a Limp Bizkit cover in an hour, while the crowd never lost energy and moshed the night away.
“My favorite part was ‘Breathe,’ seeing everybody singing along and singing back at the people that was really awesome,” Blake said. “The energy in the room was very beautiful.”
ZOMBIELOAF is currently working on their second album, according to the band who hope to get into the studio soon for a possible release sometime next year. In the meantime, the band intends to keep performing live shows and spreading positivity to each community they step into.
“Stay aware, stay being you, never stop learning,” Torres and Vargas said. “Be yourself and just have basic kindness for human beings, it’s not that hard and care about people.”