Heart Attack Man have embarked on a headlining Freak of Na-Tour across the United States to mark the release of their third full-length record, Freak of Nature, released on May 26, 2023. On May 31, with support from up-and-coming Ontario-based emo band Arm’s Length, Heart Attack Man brought the Freak of Na-Tour to New York City’s Racket.
Arm’s Length play New York City amidst their rapid rise to the forefront of modern emo and on the heels of their debut record, Never Before Seen, Never Again Found, released on October 28, 2022 via Wax Bodega. The band’s raw emotion, combined with quintessential twinkly guitar melodies and thick chords, made for a moody but energetic set that had concertgoers moshing, crowd surfing, and singing along to every song. The band’s eight-song setlist was well crafted, featuring their most popular songs from their 2019 EP What’s Mine is Yours, their 2021 EP Everything Nice, and their debut full-length record. The set included fan-favorite “Watercolour”, the track that propelled the band forward after going viral on the popular social media platform Tik-Tok back in 2021. Since then, the band has continued to grow in popularity and it shouldn’t be long before Arm’s Length are headlining tours and taking on larger stages.
Setlist: Overture, Object Permanence, Formative Age, In Loving Memory, Aries (Moth Song), Tough Love, Watercolour, Garamond
Heart Attack Man returned to New York City to celebrate the release of Freak of Nature, their third full-length record. Heart Attack Man’s 14-song setlist was filled with tracks new and old, including standout tracks “Like A Kennedy”, “Stick Up”, and “C-4” from Freak of Nature. The band opened their set with the title track, “Freak of Nature”, an anthemic track glaringly reminiscent of early 2000’s pop-punk, featuring classic pop-punk power chords, whiney and monotone vocal delivery, and an infectious chorus: I’m a freak of nature / Broke out of my cage / I’m on my worst behavior / Freak of nature. As the first verse began, vocalist Eric Egan appeared from side stage wearing a ghillie suit, befitting of the track’s opening lyric: What the fuck are you looking at? Heart Attack Man ripped through their set, and there was no shortage of stage invaders two-stepping and crowd-surfing to nearly every song.
Amidst the pop-punk chaos, the band took a few moments to banter with the crowd. Egan teased about concertgoers’ personal hygiene at pop-punk shows to boast the band’s cheeky, exclusive Freak of Na-Tour deodorant available at their merch table and bragged about his hydration and the consequent clarity of his urine while on tour. These elements, Heart Attack Man’s carefree, “I don’t give a fuck” attitude and their catalogue of pop-punk bangers, is what fans have come to know and love about the band and their shows. I saw Heart Attack Man for the first time this past Fall at the Warsaw in Brooklyn when they were opening for beloved pop-punkers Tiger’s Jaw, and I immediately took notice of the thrilling synergy created by the band and the crowd. Despite there being a barricade between the stage and the crowd at the Warsaw, fans were nearly pouring over the barricade. At the Racket, this dynamic was in full-force once again, with Heart Attack Man giving fans their all and concertgoers giving it right back with mosh pits, stage-invading two-steps, and crowd surfing throughout the night.
Setlist:
Freak Of Nature, Pitch Black, Low Hanging Fruit, Sugar Coated, Out for Blood, Old Enough 2 Die, C4, Late to The Orgy, Stick Up, Like A Kennedy, Fake Blood, Cut My Losses, Cool 2 Me, Leap Year
Don’t miss Heart Attack Man on the Freak of Na-Tour!
