Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium was packed Thursday night as Movements rolled through Denver on their spring tour with Citizen, Scowl, and Downward. What followed was one of the most well-balanced, high-energy lineups we’ve seen in a while—each band bringing something different to the table without slowing the pace. Downward opened early with a set of hazy […]
Denver’s Fillmore Auditorium was packed Thursday night as Movements rolled through Denver on their spring tour with Citizen, Scowl, and Downward. What followed was one of the most well-balanced, high-energy lineups we’ve seen in a while—each band bringing something different to the table without slowing the pace.
Downward opened early with a set of hazy shoegaze and slow-burn tension. Scowl followed with a performance that was impossible to ignore—Kat Moss ripped the stage like she owned it, and by the time their set ended, it was clear the crowd wanted more. With their new album Are We All Angels dropping Friday, that buzz will only grow.
Citizen delivered a career-spanning set with crowd vocals nearly swallowing Mat Kerekes whole at times. And Movements? They gave Denver what it came for—opening with “Afraid to Die” and closing with “Daylily,” pulling the night to an emotional high without ever letting up.
Orange County’s Movements is currently on a hefty North American spring tour with special guests Citizen, Scowl, and Downward; of course Dying Scene would not miss this (and neither should you!) Tulsa, Oklahoma’s dreamy shoegaze band Downward opened the night with a set of beautifully light and ethereal songs. They recently released Downward (LP2) on […]
Orange County’s Movements is currently on a hefty North American spring tour with special guests Citizen, Scowl, and Downward; of course Dying Scene would not miss this (and neither should you!)
Tulsa, Oklahoma’s dreamy shoegaze band Downward opened the night with a set of beautifully light and ethereal songs. They recently released Downward (LP2) on March 5th and are slated to play Furnace Fest this year in October.
Scowl took the stage next with furious and infectious energy as the crowd grew larger. Lead singer Kat Moss’s iconic lime green hair illuminated the stage along with her fierce prowess that bellowed through every note she sang.
Scowl is releasing their newest album Are We All Angels on April 4th via Dead Oceans and I cannot tell you how psyched I am for it. You can pre-save the album here! Bonus: watch the video for “Not Hell, Not Heaven” here!
According to their Bandcamp, “Much of Are We All Angels grapples with Scowl’s newfound place in the hardcore scene, a community which has both embraced the band and made them something of a lightning rod over the past few years… At every turn on Are We All Angels, the band explores ambitious new directions and bends genre norms. Moss makes the most immediately noticeable evolution, dropping some of the gnarling bite of the band’s previous work in favor of a more textured and sometimes delicate approach. She flexes harmonies and melodic sensibilities that might surprise even the most dedicated Scowl fans.”
Post-hardcore emo band Citizen played to an eager audience that sang along to every song, which comes as no surprise from my fellow elder emos. After the release of their debut full-length album Youth in 2013, they became a featured act on the Vans Warped Tour. Ten years later Citizen released their fifth studio album Calling the Dogs on October 6th, 2023 via Run for Cover Records.
Bringing the night to a close, Movements brought even more melancholic post-hardcore emo to Chicago to a now packed house. Their newest single “Where I Lay” was released on February 19th through Fearless Records.
Tacoma is a special place. Often overlooked as a sister city to the dominant metropolis of Seattle, the town has long had a history of nurturing it’s own unique music scene apart from that sprawling cultural behemoth of the Pacific Northwest with whom it is historically and intrinsically entwined. It’s the birthplace of such greats […]
Tacoma is a special place. Often overlooked as a sister city to the dominant metropolis of Seattle, the town has long had a history of nurturing it’s own unique music scene apart from that sprawling cultural behemoth of the Pacific Northwest with whom it is historically and intrinsically entwined. It’s the birthplace of such greats as garage originators The Sonics, surf veterans The Ventures, mathcore legends Botch and current street punk heroes NOi!se, among countless others. One of the many venues keeping that tradition alive in this bustling nest of creative incubation is the historical Jazzbones, and it’s here that I found myself on a rainy Friday night to bear witness to the return of the mighty Koffin Kats and their touring partners The Last Gang!
After stopping by nearby hidden gem The Red Hot for a pre-show bite and a brief sojourn to local arcade The Triple Knock for a few rounds of pinball, I made my way over to Jazzbones just as the opening act Distorted Times were taking the stage.
Although a fairly new band, this collection of Portland punk scene veterans have been kicking around and honing their skills for over a decade in various bands such as Ground Score, PROBLEMS and Dirty Kid Discount. Despite only having played a handful of shows at this point in time, it is clear that these folks take their craft seriously and put their all into their well-crafted tunes. Keep an eye out for these upstarts, and check out their recently released singles via Crash Assailant Records, including the most recent offering “Hella Highwater“ featuring Jay Navarro of Suicide Machines fame. Blasting through a set that ranged from skate punk speed, street punk fury, and ska-tinged melodic punk, aided by the horn section of fellow Portland scene stalwarts Los Mal Hablados, they drew the growing crowd in and kept them enraptured from start to finish. As their time neared its end, they closed their set with their final number, “Another Wasted Night”, and its sweet refrain “remember somehow, somewhere, somebody still loves you.” A simple, but an effective message, and one that resonated in these trying times.
Next to take the stage were Orange County road warriors The Last Gang. From the first note, these Fat Wreck alum set out to prove to the crowd that they have what it takes to grab the room by the throat and hold them enthralled and entranced for the duration of their allotted 40 or so minutes on stage. Bashing and grooving through a collection of tunes from across their discography, Brenna and the boys gave the audience far more bang for their buck than I’m sure new listeners were expecting from the California collective. They clearly had their fair share of fans in attendance as well, as evidenced by the enthusiastic crowd seen pumping their fists at the front of the stage, and singing along from the opening verse of “The Others” all the way through to crowd favorite closing tune “Blood Drunk”.
Despite their punk leanings, The Last Gang proved to be more than just one trick ponies as they seamlessly transitioned from fist pumping punk barn burners like “Dogmatic Capitalizer” from recent album Obscene Daydreams, and classic pop centric reggae tinged single “Gimme Action”, to the mellow dark groove of personal favorite “Noise Noise Noise” from their 2021 release of the same name. Not a second was wasted, as the incredible all-star team of Sean, Sam and Ken blasted through the set with precision and impeccable energy, keeping the crowd screaming with glee as Brenna mugged and postured with effortless control and infinite cool.
Finally, with the crowd buzzing, The Koffin Kats took to the stage. Foregoing their usual walk on music, they immediately plowed into their intro, leading the crowd in a pulsing chorus of whoas bleeding deftly into their opening number, “Riding High” from their classic album Our Way & The Highway, straight into crowd favorite “Graveyard Tree” without a moment to breathe. The hits just kept coming, as the denim cutoff-clad charmers grinned and galavanted around the stage with plenty of humor and a remarkable amount of grace. One thing can be said for these Detroit greasers, if nothing else, and that is that nobody could ever accuse them of taking themselves too seriously. Though the content of their lyrics may be dark and brooding, their delivery is friendly, comedic and welcoming. As Vic lifts his beautifully decorated upright bass into the air, the crowd is given a glimpse of what may as well be the mantra of this ragtag group etched on the back of the instrument: Party Time. That it was.
As they steam rolled through numbers covering witches (“Witch In The Woods”), muscle cars (“V8 Nightmare”), love lost (“Graveyard Tree III”), and even a spirited punkabilly rendition of the Hall and Oates classic “Maneater”, the audience is treated to a well rehearsed act complete with instrument swapping solo sections, rowdy singalongs, and the creative use of Vic Victor’s double bass as a jungle gym mid song. Not to be outdone, Tommy Koffin adeptly strangles his beautiful sparkle black signature Reverend guitar with deftness and finesse, pulling grit and aggression out of it one moment, and seasick clean reverberations the next, never disrupting the well-oiled showmanship this trio are known for. It’s truly a sight to behold.
Holding things down in the back, Eric “E Ball” Walls vacillates between rousing four-on-the-floor stomps and hypnotic tribal beats, blending his steady kick and snare with the slap of Vic’s bass to perfect effect. These three have clearly put a lot of time and elbow grease into their show, and the efforts are well-received by the crowd here at Jazzbones. Though not the typical leather jacket and motorcycle boot-clad crew one might expect for a psycho or punkabilly headliner, the diverse crowd seemed to be made up of a wide swath of subculture enthusiasts, all thrilled to watch the Michiganders set the stage ablaze for their entertainment.
As the night drew to a close, the band ripped into a block of crowd pleasers including “The Bottle Called”, “The Way of the Road”, and “Koffin Kat Rock” before bidding the audience a fond farewell with their closing ditty, “For Hire”. This however was not the end, as they jumped straight into a reprise of their intro, joined on stage by Brenna and Ken of The Last Gang, as well as their tour manager Andrew, daringly clad only in a pink thong and a Burger King crown. A fittingly ridiculous end to a raucous and thoroughly enjoyable evening.
If you love good music, good company, and good times, I highly recommend looking out for these bands the next time they roll through your area. I guarantee you will be glad you did!
It is March, which means it is time for Flatfoot 56’s annual St. Patrick’s Day bash in Chicago! Held at Reggie’s Rock Club, this year’s sold-out show included Catch 22, The Copyrights and MANIA. MANIA is one of Chicago’s newest punk bands featuring members of Bad Sons. They are surely here to stay as they left […]
It is March, which means it is time for Flatfoot 56’s annual St. Patrick’s Day bash in Chicago! Held at Reggie’s Rock Club, this year’s sold-out show included Catch 22, The Copyrights and MANIA.
MANIA is one of Chicago’s newest punk bands featuring members of Bad Sons. They are surely here to stay as they left an impressive mark with their high-energy and aggressive scowls, hyping up an increasingly packed house.
Pop punk band The Copyrights have been around since 2002 and are currently signed with the infamous Fat Wreck Chords. The Carbondale, Illinois band certainly has their own following, especially being around for as long as they have been. The Copyrights are a midwestern pop punk staple.
Bringing the late night to a close, Flatfoot 56 brought the aggressive Celtic punk to the St. Patrick’s Day bash, making everyone a little Chi-rish. You can catch them in April for a couple of shows with The Koffin Kats and the absolutely stacked line up that is Punk in the Park Denver this summer.
Check out all the pictures below! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
On Sunday, 16 March 2025, legendary German electronic band Kraftwerk brought their Multimedia Tour 2025, celebrating 50 Years of their groundbreaking fourth album, Autobahn, to a packed crowd at The Anthem located on The Wharf in Washington, DC. The party started early with fans lining up well before doors opened at 6:30 pm, with the […]
On Sunday, 16 March 2025, legendary German electronic band Kraftwerk brought their Multimedia Tour 2025, celebrating 50 Years of their groundbreaking fourth album, Autobahn, to a packed crowd at The Anthem located on The Wharf in Washington, DC.
The party started early with fans lining up well before doors opened at 6:30 pm, with the queue wrapping around the block. Fans piled in, and bought merchandise, and took their seats. The show started at 8:00 pm sharp, with synths, drum machines, and laser lights taking this small community on an otherworldly adventure to the synth-dimension. The band wrapped up their two-hour set at 10:00 pm.
The band was celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of their fourth album, Autobahn, which released in November 1974, and Autobahn made it onto the set-list with Kraftwerk’s recognizable scenic visual. This album is important as it marks the group’s shift from experimental krautrock to an electronic pop sound that is dominated by synthesizers and drum machines. Kraftwerk’s distinct minimalist electronic sound, lyrics about technology and the human condition, and their distinct visual aesthetic laid the foundation for many synthpunk, post-punk, new wave, and industrial artists that followed them down their cultural Autobahn.
The audience went wild to these songs as they escaped the grind of life in the nation’s capital. The band left the stage one by one and as they each received a heartfelt standing ovation at the of the night.
Here are the songs featured in this night’s setlist:
“Numbers / Computerworld”
“Home Computer”
“Spacelab”
“Airwaves”
“Tango”
“The Man Machine”
“Electric Cafe”
“Autobahn”
“Computer Love”
“The Model ”
“Neon Lights”
“Radioactivity”
“Tour De France”
“La Forme”
“Vitamin”
“Trans-Europe Express”
Encore:
“The Robots”
“Planet of Visions”
“Boing Boom Tschak”
This was a night to remember. Don’t miss your chance to take a trip on the Autobahn with Kraftwerk!!!
On Friday March 14th, Movements delivered a stacked show to New York City. The band headlined the Brooklyn Paramount, with incredible openers such as Scowl and Citizen. It was a wonderful night that reminded us how wonderful it is to be alive. Every band delivered their best performance. The scene is very much alive and […]
On Friday March 14th, Movements delivered a stacked show to New York City. The band headlined the Brooklyn Paramount, with incredible openers such as Scowl and Citizen. It was a wonderful night that reminded us how wonderful it is to be alive. Every band delivered their best performance. The scene is very much alive and thriving.
The first band to go on was Scowl. Through Taco Bell commercials, opening for huge tours, being billed on worldwide festivals, this band is really blowing up. They were easily the heaviest and most punk band on the bill. Kat Moss (vocalist) was screaming their heart out on every track. The band was jumping around and thrashing their guitars while they shredded. They showed the crowd why hardcore and emo have always gone well together.
Citizen was in a much more similar vein (musically) to Movements. Their songs are energetic for sure but also more emotional and somber. The band has written some of the best punk tracks to come out of the 2010’s with the darkest lyrics imaginable. They played a healthy mix from all their albums. I do wish we heard more songs from 2017’s As You Please record, but since they were opening I understand there are time limitations. Something interesting to note is how well the songs off their new record Calling All The Dogs translated live. Life In Your Glass world was in my top 5 albums of 2021. It was going to be very difficult to top. However, the newer tracks seemed to fit perfectly into their setlist. The band opened with the gut wrenching “The Night I Drove Alone”, it was a powerful way to open their set. A fantastic highlight of the night for sure.
Movements stole the show, as they typically do. Pat’s stage presence was strong and commanding. He didn’t need to jump around or go crazy to be the most interesting person in the room. His charisma and simple vocal tones were enthralling to listen to. Something that Movements does that makes them so special, is add energy to even the slower tracks. When they played “Tightrope” off the new album, an admittedly slower piece, the crowd was belting the words back to them. The band had complete control of their sound and the crowd. It was incredible to watch.
Last year, the band played their debut album Feel Something in full at When We Were Young festival. Seeing Movements headline Brooklyn Paramount really made me want to hear RUCKUS in full too. It’s truly a rare thing when a band’s newest album elicits the same emotions and longing as their first one. Tracks like “I Hope You Choke” got the entire venue off their feet dancing. The band even used 2 songs off RUCKUS in their first 3 played from the night. It shows how confident the band is in their new material. With how good it is too, they have every right to be!
Furthermore, something interesting to note was the stage design. The band had colorful lights of course, as every concert does. However, there weren’t any huge set pieces of screens typically seen in most rock shows. All the band had was an LED sign that hung above them that said, “MOVEMENTS” in all caps. This really showcased how important the musicianship was. It was a very punk rock ethos to their very sad music.
The band even ended their set by stating after this final tour for RUCKUS, they were going to go back in the studio and write a 4th album. This was arguably one of the most exciting moments of the whole night. It’s clear Movements are still in their prime and have no intention of slowing down.
I feel like every time I do a Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s Day Boston show, I tell myself it might be the last year I do it, because it’s a lot. It’s always near Fenway so parking is a bit of a nightmare and it’s always just A) so many people in general and B) […]
I feel like every time I do a Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s Day Boston show, I tell myself it might be the last year I do it, because it’s a lot. It’s always near Fenway so parking is a bit of a nightmare and it’s always just A) so many people in general and B) so many people ossified on green beer and Jameson and the older I get, the less that’s my thing. I mean, I come from a Boston Irish family…but I’m not THAT Boston Irish if you catch my drift. But then, something happens that inevitably pulls me back in and reminds me A) why I still love going to shows and B) why Boston can be the best place in the world for a few days. You see, Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s Day runs feel like – well, they feel like a homecoming weekend of sorts. This weekend, I saw people I hadn’t seen since last St. Paddy’s Day, or the St. Paddy’s before that even. And I saw people from around the country (and Canada, which I guess will be part of this country before long if a certain orange puppet gets his way) and introduced old friends to other old friends and watched them become new friends, united by the common language that is punk rock.
Wait, sorry, this is supposed to be a show review and photo gallery, not a cultural thinkpiece or whatever that was. Mea culpa. ANYWAY, part of the reason that I jumped at the chance to make my way to Lansdowne Street for another year’s festivities was that the lineup for this particular weekend was insane. I’ve told people before that the last year that I went to a Mighty Mighty Bosstones (RIP) HomeTown Throwdown was for a lineup that featured opening sets from Flogging Molly and Avail and these very Dropkick Murphys and that the lineup couldn’t get better so I had to go out on top. If I never go back to a Dropkick St. Patrick’s show, I’ll have gone out on top there too, as the Sunday lineup included local favorites Rebuilder and the legendary Hot Water Music and Bouncing Souls performing opening duties. That lineup is bananas (not that the other nights weren’t also amazing lineups, with The Kilograms and The Menzingers and Cody Nilsen also helping to burn the neighborhood down over the course of four nights).
Rebuilder in the leadoff position was a particularly special moment. The band have been one of the finest punk rock bands in the city’s underground for over a decade at this point – and co-frontman Sal Ellington and bassist Daniel Carswell have been familiar faces to anyone who’s been in the MGM merch lines since the venue opened – so to have them occupy the bright lights at center stage was an awesome moment. The band – which also features co-frontman Craig Stanton on guitar and vocals and Brandon Phillips on drums and, in a return appearance for the big day, Patrick Hanlin on keys – kicked their set off with “Mile or an Inch” from 2017’s Sounds From The Massachusetts Turnpike, and blazed through a half-hour set that primed the surprisingly early-arriving crowd for the festivities to followed. I’ve seen close to two-dozen Rebuilder shows in venues of all shapes and sizes at this point, and while many of those venues have been of the sweaty, dive-bar variety, they more than showed that they belong on stage with a bunch of career heavyweights in a 5000-cap room.
Hot Water Music were in the two spot, and boy it says something about the quality of your lineup if Hot Water Music gets a half-hour set as second of four on a bill. The foursome ripped through “Remedy” to start the set in high-energy fashion and never really took their foot off the collective gas pedals. The iconic cheat code of a rhythm section that is Jason Black and George Rebelo pushed the tempo from their spot at stage center creating space for Chuck Ragan and Chris Cresswell to soar and wail through the set’s nine songs. I wasn’t quite sure how they’d be able to make a thirty-minute set seem representative of their thirty-year career, but it turns out that following “Remedy” with “Menace,” “Flight and a Crash,” “After The Impossible,” “Turn The Dial,” “Wayfarer,” “Burn Forever,” “Drag My Body” and, of course, “Trusty Chords” does a pretty good job of that. The latter song especially, turned into the first of what would be many full-venue singalongs, with most of the band even cutting out of the last chorus, letting the audience lead the charge before kicking back in in full force. Ragan seemed particularly amped up, at multiple points looking like he was trying to stomp a hole in the floor.
Accompanied by their longtime walk-up song “Don’t You Forget About Me,” the almighty Souls batted third and set themselves a high bar by jumping right into crowd favorite “Hopeless Romantic.” Much like Hot Water Music, the Souls have been headlining stages around the world for decades at this point, so they seem to be of a similar opinion that when occupying a comparatively abbreviated opening spot, there’s no time for messing around or exchanging pleasantries, and it is better to just get down to business. Probably doesn’t hurt that they also have George Rebelo behind the drum kit to keep the needle pinned. I know I’ve mentioned it a few times on these pages in recent years, but I genuinely think that the Souls sound as good or better now than they ever have. Greg Attonito’s voice is probably stronger now than it was three decades ago, and now that he’s recovered from the broken ankle that had him booted-up last time we caught them, he’s a ball of constant motion at center stage. And Pete and Bryan are – well – Pete and Bryan. They’re a package deal, left and right brain at this point, effortlessly creating high-energy melody after high-energy melody in a way that fills out the sound on a live stage more than you’d expect from merely a single guitar and bass. Highlight’s from the band’s fifteen-song, forty-five minute set included “That Song,” The Ballad of Johnny X,” “Gone,” and of course given the location, “East Coast! Fuck You!” The links between the HWM and Souls camps go back decades – long before Rebelo started doing double-duty – and in honor of that, Ragan made a return to the stage to join the Souls on gang vocals during set-closer “True Believers.”
And of course, that means Dropkick Murphys batted clean-up in this Murderer’s Row of a lineup. Wait, sorry, that’s a Yankees reference. Whatever, the Red Sox don’t have a similarly-named team. I mean yeah, the Morgan Magic lineup was fun, but Boggs and Barrett and Evans and Greenwell wasn’t exactly Ruth and Gehrig and Meusel and Lazzeri. I’m gonna regret this section text time I walk through Quincy Center, aren’t I… ANYWAY, accompanied by somber tones of the Chieftains/Sinead O’Connor classic “The Foggy Dew,” Ken Casey led his squad onto the stage and stormed into high-octane singalong renditions of “The Lonesome Boatman,” “The Boys Are Back” and “Middle Finger” before so much as taking a breath. Oh, who am I kidding…it’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend in Boston – every song the Dropkicks play is a singalong.
Casey spent the bulk of the ninety-minute set in a state of constant motion, pacing the length of the stage and making endless trips atop the barricade to whip the devoted into a full-throated frenzy. Tim Brennan and James Lynch hold down stage right and stage left respectively, the latter baring likeness to a punk rock Keith Richards (the one from the Stones, not the one from the Bruisers – he’s already punk rock!). It seemed like every time I looked up from the spot I was wedged in in the photo pit, Jeff DeRosa (guitar/mandolin) and Kevin Rheault (bass) had switched places, which actually came in handy given the limited elbow room in the scaled-down pit. As per usual, Matt Kelly maintained as steady a backbeat as you’ll find in the business from his perch at the rear of the stage, flanked by the band’s most recent piper, Campbell Webster. The setlist on this night drew predominantly from the earlier portions of the Dropkicks’ career, with songs from Do Or Die, Blackout and The Warrior’s Code making up close to half the set. It feels like it was during the Red Sox “Tessie” inspired run during the 2004 playoffs that there started to become a multigenerational feel at local Dropkicks shows, but it never really gets old seeing people across a forty or fifty-year age spectrum belt out the lyrics to songs like “The Fields Of Athenry” or “The State Of Massachusetts” in unison, arm-in-arm.
The Dropkicks found themselves at the center of media attention for what seems like the dozenth time in their near-thirty-year career for making pro-Union, anti-fascist commentary at a recent show. It baffles the mind that there are people who were somehow clueless as to where the band stood politically and who somehow find themselves bewildered that their for democracy and for the American worker and against things like Nazis and dictators, but then again, it’s 2025, so there are a lot of things that baffle me. This weekend found yet another on-stage confrontation with a MAGA-hatted showgoer. You do have to wonder if people make such style choices at a show like this hoping they’ll be singled out from the stage, which seems weird, but we know that proverbial shoe certainly fits.
The four bands on this bill – and really all of the other bands on the bills across the four-night, two-venue run – made for an epic event, and I don’t say that lightly. If it was my last Dropkick’s St. Patrick’s Day show – and I’m not assuming it will be – then I definitely went out on top with a lineup that was second to none and an evening full of performances that were poignant, cathartic, and representative of why this little corner of the music scene (and probably this little corner of the country) is just the best. It was like Homecoming Week for punks from across the land to come together amidst the growing chaos in the outside world to reinforce that we’re all in it together and that there are some people out there – like Rebuilder and Hot Water Music and the Souls and the Dropkick Murphys – fighting the good fight. Check out more pics in the galleries below – and probably stay tuned for more Dropkicks coverage in the coming months!
He was my brother’s favorite player growing up. I remember telling one of my fall ball coaches that and he said “great player to have as your favorite if you don’t care about the fundamentals of playing outfield.”
Comeback Kid’s Wake The Dead 20th Anniversary Tour stop at Denver’s Summit was everything a hardcore show should be—absolutely relentless. With support from Koyo and Desmadre, the night was a testament to hardcore’s staying power and the passion of its fans. Check out the full concert review on Soundboard. Check out some shots from the […]
Comeback Kid’sWake The Dead 20th Anniversary Tour stop at Denver’s Summit was everything a hardcore show should be—absolutely relentless. With support from Koyo and Desmadre, the night was a testament to hardcore’s staying power and the passion of its fans.
It was a warm March afternoon when the doors opened at Modern Love, last Saturday in Calgary, Alberta. California’s Ignite were in town on their Western Canada tour; bringing with them fellow Californians, Death by Stereo. For local support, Edmonton’s Vargouille and Calgary’s Citizen Rage were on-hand. And because this was an early show, the […]
It was a warm March afternoon when the doors opened at Modern Love, last Saturday in Calgary, Alberta. California’s Ignite were in town on their Western Canada tour; bringing with them fellow Californians, Death by Stereo. For local support, Edmonton’s Vargouille and Calgary’s Citizen Rage were on-hand. And because this was an early show, the first band took the stage just before six.
Citizen Rage was an ideal opener for this show. They are legends in the local music scene, having delivered hardcore to Albertans for over a decade. So they understood how to get the crowd riled up and ready for the evening. With a swarm of supporters waiting for them to take the stage, they did not disappoint (as always). Although the set looked short, it delivered the punch everyone needed for the rest of the night.
Edmonton’s Vargouille was next. Recently famed for their anti-fascist actions, the crowd embraced them with open arms. Vargouille returned the favour with an unmatched campaign; winning over the audience with their music and not merely acts. Oh, and did I mention they also took us into space? Their unique style was just what the crowd needed.
The audience surged as Death By Stereo took the stage. Diving right into it with “No Shirts, No Shoes, No Salvation”, the band didn’t slow down throughout the entire set. The crowd was in a frenzy the whole time as they played tracks spanning their career. Finishing with songs, “Wasted Words” and “Looking Out for #1”. It was loud, chaotic, and just what you expected from a Death by Stereo show.
By the time our headliners, Ignite, took the stage, it was hard to believe it wasn’t a sold-out show. Modern Love was a packed house. This was the fourth stop on tour, but the first in Alberta. Opening with a classic track, “Ash Return”, Ignite’s set featured a mix of old and new; including “Veteran” and “Bleeding”, as well as a few songs from 2022’s self-titled album. They ripped through this powerful set, only dialling it back for their cover of “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, which converted the entire bar into a sing-a-long. Our only regret is that the show had to finish so quickly; but we cannot wait for them to come back.
For more pictures from the show, check the link below.
The live concert industry is always changing and evolving. With constant and exciting tours or festival announcements, we figured it best to countdown some of the best live artists we’ve seen in our lifetime. To qualify for this, I’m looking strictly at performance. I am removing all lights and technical aspects of a live show. […]
The live concert industry is always changing and evolving. With constant and exciting tours or festival announcements, we figured it best to countdown some of the best live artists we’ve seen in our lifetime.
To qualify for this, I’m looking strictly at performance. I am removing all lights and technical aspects of a live show. These artists are just as good at Madison Square Garden as they would be at the Meatlocker in Montclair NJ. As someone who has been to over 800 concerts, this was no easy stretch. A top 50 list could easily have been made. If you’re in search of a great show that may even change your life, look no further.
The first band on this list is by far the newest. They had their debut album Merci in 2018, but they didn’t explode onto the scene until 2021 with their record Another Kill For The Highlight Reel. Instantly they became loved by emo, punk, and rock fans alike. It’s easy to see why. When seeing this band live, you’re witnessing an event. The energy they give back to the crowd with every performance is unbelievable. You are not witnessing this band from the bar casually. When you see Save Face live, you will be in the pit or headbanging, guaranteed.
The craziest part of a Boston Manor show is the synergy. Every single member is perfectly in tune with each other and the crowd. It doesn’t feel like you’re watching a band. Instead, you are a part of something greater than yourself. The entire room feels like one community, all rocking out in the same rhythms. I personally have seen this band 5 times now, and it holds up every single time. I have no idea how they do it, but they are one of the best bands you can see live. Their new album Sundiver was just released last September.
3.) Senses Fail
Senses Fail has, and will always continue to be, a prime example of a live act done right. Seeing them for the first time is something you will never forget. The band is mesmerizing with their enthusiasm, technique, and sound. Imaging hearing their already high energy music but super charged and bigger than life. Buddy Nielsen, their frontman, throws the microphone as high as he can, and catches it mid-song. The band does spin kicks and sucks the audience into the performance with every note. It is physically impossible to be bored and watch their stunning set. Senses Fail may have been a band for almost 20 years, but we will never turn down an opportunity to see them live.
The metalcore legends from Boston MA take the second spot on our list. Ice Nine Kills take horror movies and brings them to life. It feels like you’re watching a concert, a play, a musical, and a movie all at once. They utilize every form of the entertainment industry to make their shows as enthralling as possible. Imagine witnessing the shower scene from Alfred Hitchock’s Psycho acted out in front of you, while inside a mosh pit and crowd surfers flying overhead. It’s genuinely insane. Ice Nine Kills does live performances better than any band in their scene, and it is why they have exponentially grown their fanbase with every tour. You do not want to miss this band.
When you see Fever 333 live for the first time, prepare to have your life changed. You remember the event like it was yesterday. You will recall what foods you were eating before the show, the smell of the venue, or the shirt you were wearing. That is how memorable a Fever 333 concert is. It stays with you forever. This band doesn’t put on a show, so much as they unleash controlled mayhem. There is not an area Jason Aalon Butler won’t climb. The guitarists and drummer get inside the crowd frequently. Fever 333 makes every show an interactive experience that you personally are engaging with. They give it their all, to the point you wonder how a human being can have that much energy in their body. You do not want to miss this band live.
Warren Cohen
A Mike Greenwell reference in a punk rock show review! I’m glad to be alive to read it.
jaystone
He was my brother’s favorite player growing up. I remember telling one of my fall ball coaches that and he said “great player to have as your favorite if you don’t care about the fundamentals of playing outfield.”