‘Local Heroes:’ Special Forces 805 keeps the punk spirit alive while making real change

At a Special Forces 805 show, the band passes the microphone into the crowd and someone is asked to scream into it. If a person near the edge looks nervous, they’re getting invited to crowdsurf. 

Between songs, there is banter, moshing and whatever spur-of-the-moment idea the room gives the four-piece band. Their shows are not a place to stand still and admire the band from a distance.

“We’re gonna make you a part of it,” drummer Micah Betros said.

Made up of vocalist Jose Luis Lange, bassist Tyler Sheldon, guitarist Reily Lowry and Betros on drums, Special Forces 805 pairs ’80s-inspired punk with lyrics about living with a disability, identity and political issues. The band also supports those values by playing benefit shows and raising money for local causes.

Their first record, “I’m R——-, You’re F—— Stupid” arrived earlier this year, with a Live Studio Sessions album following it.

For those who have not attended one of their shows before, Lowry has a warning.

“If people come up to me, or my family, or anyone is like, ‘Oh, I’ve never been to your concert. I can’t wait. Can I go?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, just know it’s crazy,’” he said.

Special Forces 805 formed their band in winter 2025 after meeting through the Cal Poly music scene. Sheldon and Lange connected within Music Production Union, a campus club where students can find musical collaborators, realizing they were both looking to make punk music. Sheldon was already friends with Lowry, and after a punk show at The Libertine, the project started to form. Betros eventually joined and rounded out their lineup. 

The band quickly gained attention for their high-energy shows and powerful message. They said their crowds include people of different ages, genders and abilities — drawing in lifetime punk fans and first-time showgoers alike. When Lange sees someone hesitating to participate, the band asks the crowd to bring them in.

“It’s to make people believe in themselves more,” Lange said.

Lange came up with the name “Special Forces” while on a surfing trip in Hawaii with his dad. He was wearing an army surplus jacket while changing out of his wetsuit, and the name came organically.

“He would always mess with me about taking too long to change,” Lange said. “He was like, ‘Come on now, Special Forces, get your s**t together. We gotta go.’”

Lange, who has had a disability since having a stroke as an infant, thought the name was funny. He made a DIY shirt featuring a wheelchair symbol wearing a helmet, with a Special Forces patch above it. The name quickly stuck.

“We knew we wanted to have some humor in it, and Special Forces embodied that well,” Sheldon said.

Lange said the name gets a reaction out of people. Whether they laugh, cringe, hate it or want to ask questions, it opens up a conversation that is usually avoided.

“It was a way to make a sarcastic joke while also spreading a really true message, an important message that wasn’t being said before,” Lange said. “That’s kind of the whole ethos of the band as a whole.”

Their lyrics use the same method of confrontation to address issues head-on in their songs. Lange said he grew up being called names, including “zombie boy,” and now he uses lyricism to open conversations surrounding disability.

“I’m different,” he said. “I feel like a lot of punks deal with that. Something in my life has made me different. But that is actually what ends up making me cool.”

Lange said disabled audience members have approached him after shows to show their appreciation for the band.

“At shows, people who have disabilities come up to me and are like, ‘There’s not a lot of this out there, so I feel really seen right now,’” Lange said. “And that feels really good too.”

Not everyone is supportive of the band’s mission. Special Forces 805 has received backlash, mostly online through comments and Instagram messages. Rather than taking the messages personally, the members said they usually laugh at them. To them, this reaction means that what they’re doing is working.

The band is also willing to step away from shows when other bands involved do not match its values. In recent Instagram posts, Special Forces 805 announced cancellations over concerns about inappropriate behavior from people in the local scene. They have a zero-tolerance approach towards “creeps” and anyone who makes the scene feel unsafe. 

“If you have a reputation or we’ve heard stories about you, it’s not worth the risk,” Betros said. 

The group is especially focused on making the pit safer and more fun for women. They said too often, “bigger guys take up all the space,” which can make people feel pushed out of a scene that claims to welcome everyone. 

Sheldon said that requires more than posting online. 

“My message is to stand up for your people,” he said.

Special Forces 805 supports its values with action, often partnering with local organizations and playing benefit shows. Sheldon said the band has supported a range of causes, including 805 UndocuFund, Colectivo Mariposa and Disabled American Veterans. 

“We donated like a thousand to Disabled American Veterans,” Sheldon said. “And we do a lot of local ones.”

Their most recent benefit show supported Flow Surf Academy, a nonprofit that provides adaptive surf opportunities and community for neurodiverse athletes. 

“We knew we wanted to have fun together and support causes that we care about. Being able to do that through these benefit shows, it’s been incredible, really,” Sheldon said.

They hope to eventually put on a benefit for Direct Relief, a humanitarian organization that provides medical aid during disasters and emergencies.

Their hard work has not gone unnoticed. A few weeks ago, Lowry and Lange attended a Growlers concert, a band they had been fans of since they were kids. After the band returned to the stage for an encore, the members gave Special Forces 805 a shoutout.

“This one goes out to the local heroes! Special Forces!” they said, according to Lowry.

Even with school, jobs and shows competing for their time, Special Forces 805 continues to work on new songs and hopes to record again in November, with an EP or new release on the horizon.

“It’s a ton of stuff that we’re balancing,” Betros said. “Planning tours, planning shows, planning practices.”

“Planning our futures,” Lange jumped in.

When asked about the band’s long-term goals, they agreed it’s simply to keep making music, supporting what they care about and having fun. 

“There aren’t many times in your life when you get an opportunity to have this much fun with your friends and get all these crazy opportunities,” Sheldon said. “You gotta ride it.”

Lowry agreed. “It’s just fun,” he said. “We have a lot of fun doing it.”

Sheldon had one last suggestion: “If you haven’t seen us, come be weird with us. Support your local scene. Start a DIY band. Start it with your friends and have fun. It’s awesome.”

This story originally appeared in the October printed edition of Mustang News. Check out more stories from the issue here.