How Fortunes Fall

How Fortunes Fall was a short-lived hardcore punk band from California, active from about 1997 to 1999. The band's core members, all in their mid-to-late teens, were Phil Benson on vocals, Max Doyle on guitar, Alex Pasternak on bass, and Noah Brodsky on drums. In their brief career, they also had several live bass players, including Andrew Kerwin (All Bets Off), John Paul Labno (Staircase), and Jack Shirley (Comadre), and originally featured Ryan Lynch on guitar.

The band played only three official shows: one at B Street Music's backyard in San Mateo and two at Alex Pasternak's parents' house on Martin's Beach. The latter venue was also known for hosting touring bands like Saetia and Usurp Synapse. After initially breaking up, How Fortunes Fall later played a series of "reunion" shows, which became a running joke among the members.

The band's demo CD, originally released on June 1, 1998, was made available on Bandcamp by vocalist Phil Benson in 2019. In 2024, Alex Pasternak uploaded a recording of their final 1999 show at Martin's Beach to YouTube, along with recordings of the Saetia/Usurp Synapse show at the same location.