greg wheeler & the poly mall cops display their rabid live show with “reception”
A video that makes a strong case to go see these livewire Des Moines rockers.
Last year, Des Moines punks Greg Wheeler & the Poly Mall Cops released their new album Slimephone Surveillance. Did you catch that record? If you like scream and fuzz-driven garage punk, it’s the kind of record you should make time for. Perhaps more importantly, you should set aside some time to see this band.
In early March, Greg and Jill McLain-Meister and Hutch drove up from Des Moines to play the first see/saw show of 2026 at Leona’s in Eau Claire. (A great night! Panel and Two Castles also ruled.) Having never experienced their live show, it was amazing to see this band in a room—their wild eyes, unhinged screams, uncomfortable uniforms, and Greg’s impressive Randy Savage impression loom large in my memory.
Kristian Day (The Last American Gay Bar) got Greg and the Mall Cops in a room for a live performance of the stellar Slimephone opener “Reception.” It’s a video without narrative or gimmick—just a demonstration of what you’re in for when you see this power trio buzzsaw Angry Angles style through a small room.
“It is about where we are right now as a planet and a species,” Greg said. “Everyday you turn on the news and it is just getting worse and worse. We’ve lost touch with our humanity. Its hard to have hope.” It’s also a track that captures this band’s spontaneity: “I actually wrote the lyrics for this the day I recorded the vocals.”
Go see this band.
see/saw tv is a tag I use to blog about videos I’d curate for my blog’s hypothetical music video broadcast. Here’s a YouTube playlist with more.
