At last year’s Coachella, a duo appeared by the name of Galantis. Tonight they returned to NYC for their second night in a row at one of Manhattan’s biggest venues, Hammerstein Ballroom, with Hook n Sling as support.

Hook n Sling opened up the night, and even though I only caught the last 20 min of his set, he had the crowd bumping and jumping. The Atmosphere was electric. Even after Hook n Sling’s set ended the crowd’s energy carried over in the preparation of Galantis.

Finally to the stage Galantis; a super duo from Sweden that made up of three coming to the stage with their large led boards and light show illuminating the venue like the sky had awaken. They played all the hits from their Pharmacy album to their newer singles “Pillow Fight” and “Rich Boy”. I had learned on that Thursday that at the AOL Build event most of their vocals were done by young kids to get that sound of “Rich Boy”. Let us not forget about the special guest making her way from Sweden was the lovely SEAFOX.  The crowd could not get enough of her dazzling the crowd with her beauty and elegance. It is always a fun experience with these guys and the Seafox nation; I would see them live again and I think you should too. Now it’s time to get that new album because I could always use more Galantis in my life. The message these guys speak is amazing going back to the AOL build they said; “we was different we did not wanna be the same cause if you’re just like everyone else what’s the point it been done already so always do things your way even if you get hate for it.” Galantis thank you for coming to NYC and giving us some sweet love.

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If you enjoy pop-punk, chances are you’ve heard of New Found Glory. If you’re an avid fan of pop-punk, chances are you’ve experienced New Found Glory. And if you haven’t, where the hell have you been for the last 20 years? Hitting a major milestone in their musical career, the guys of NFG knew they needed to do something huge; 20 years, 6 full length albums, [a minimum of] 2 dates per city & countless memories. They brought out pop-punk newbies, Trash Boat, along for this monumental tour. I hit up the New York dates at the famous Irving Plaza to make for an unforgettable weekend.

When it comes to opening for a tour as anticipated as this one, there’s quite a bit of pressure from starting artists to ensure they get the crowd ready for the headliner. Hailing out of the U.K., Trash Boat came ready for the challenge. Night one the guys came out ready to throw down, complete with all the leaps, jumps & foot stomps. With a sound similar to that of The Story So Far & Neck Deep, the crowd was quick to get with it.

When it comes to tours like this, the ones who really benefit (besides the fans), are new and unknown openers. When you only have one night to appeal to a crowd of fresh faces, it’s [usually] not until the end of your set where people start to get into it. However, Trash Boat was gifted with 2 nights, back to back, to not only gain new fans but heighten the experience as a whole. Night 1 was like a practice run (that went amazing by the way), but when it was time for night 2 you could see and feel their confidence had jumped astronomically. The mass majority of the crowd had been there for night 1 which meant they now had time to go home, learn the songs, and tell their friends who couldn’t make it for the first night about this new pop-punk hit. Trash Boat rocked it the first night but killed it the second night, for that they should be more than happy with their performance.

When you think of Pop-Punk legends, New Found Glory better pop into your head real quick. For 20 years these guys have put out hits like, “My Friends Over You”, “Head On Collision”, “Such a Mess”, “All Downhill From Here”, “Hit or Miss” and so many more that if I list them all I’d just be pasting the track lists.

Night one consisted of all the tracks from both Sticks & Stones and Coming Home. One of the best things the guys did was mix up the order in which the tracks were preformed. Doing that heightened the excitement throughout the night, keeping fans guessing as to which song was coming next. The night came to a pause with the last song ending in confetti; after the hall was cleared out, fans were checked back in to enjoy a sold out Emo Night featuring New Found Glory. The guys got wild and crazy on stage while they bumped their favorite tracks into the late hours of the night.

Night 2 brought us Catalyst and Self Titled, keeping with the same rhythm as the first night with mixing up the tracks from the two albums. Having both nights filled with gratitude from both fans and NFG. New Found Glory is made up of the most down to earth, humble guys who know that at any moment anything can happen that could end their career. They never stop thinking about their fans and what they could do to show how grateful they are for all the support over the last 20 years. So for this tour the guys decided to do something special in anticipation of their upcoming album that comes out April 26; they are currently selling a shirt that says “NFG makes me sick” and with the purchase of that tee you get a limited edition laminate that gives you access to the new album the moment it drops. So if you can, make sure to pick up the special edition tee.

After having another unforgettable night end in confetti, I ran into Cyrus outside the venue (who is always so awesome to talk to) so of course I had to pick his brain a bit about the tour. I was curious to know how exactly the guys decided what albums to play each night.

Cyrus– “We made sure to always have Sticks & Stones, Catalyst or Self Titled [on each of the 2 nights]. You gotta make sure each night had the “big ones”. Yea, we could have done a night with Coming Home & Nothing Gold Can Stay, but they don’t have My Friends Over You or All Down Hill From Here. So if you look at like the Boston dates, there wasn’t originally supposed to be 3 shows. So you’ll notice some of the albums over lap. We did that because the first two nights sold out so fast, we wanted to make sure people would get a chance to see their favorite songs.”

At that point a local fan chimed in with the wondering of what his [Cryus’s] favorite album was.

Cyrus– “Asking me to pick [a favorite album] is like asking me to pick a favorite kid. I mean I only have one [kid] so that’s easy haha. But if I had to choose it would be Catalyst. [Catalyst] was the first record we had record label money [backing us] and we could do what we wanted that we couldn’t try before. For the other [albums] we saved up the money ourselves and went to local recording studios, usually late at night cause it was cheaper. Actually, no one really knows this, for Catalyst I was in the big room recording all my drum parts but when we started recording Failure’s Not Flattering, it had a very Linda Carlyle vibe, so we moved my drum kit into a small side room because that’s what they did in the 80s. We had a guy that makes it all pretty much sound the same but there are some parts where you can hear the slight riffs in tempo and, at least to me, it makes that [track] very special.”

2 nights, 4 albums, so much screaming, countless memories; I’m not gonna bullshit you, it was dope af. New Found Glory are legends in their own right within the pop-punk scene and with their promises of not leaving us anytime soon, we’re holding them too it. I for one am beyond excited to see what they come up with for their 25 and 30 years of Pop-Punk, until that time though catch them on their annual NYC stop of their tours.

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Mirko Gläser, the creator of Uncle M, helped manage SideOneDummy Records in Germany for over ten years when he decided to start his company in January 2012. His business is referred to as being a label as well as a publicist, booking agent and management for Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. I just want giving a big, well-deserved shout-out and thank-you to Mirko and the rest of the Uncle M team for organizing such a great evening. This year’s fest celebrated five years of Uncle M, definitely a birthday party for the books. With a stacked lineup consisting of an American, Canadian, and British band, along with two local German bands; the team treated the crowd to talent from all parts of the world. For a punk show like this, there was no venue that could top Skater Palace with its punkish charm thanks to graffiti and half pipes. Besides the band’s merch stands, other great causes were being promoted throughout the night. Sea Shepherds helps promote marine conservation. Storm Before The Calm sells fair and eco-friendly clothing. PETA ZWEI is PETA’s youth campaign in Germany. Kein Bock Auf Nazis help education people on the modern day Nazi movement within Germany and worldwide as well as resisting the AFD, which is Germany’s right-wing political party. Lastly, Skate-aid, whose goal is to bring skateboarding to disadvantaged communities across the world. Before the doors opened, Chris Cresswell of The Flatliners gave an acoustic performance, which was quite a highlight, but also just the start. So again, a big props to the Uncle M team, they did everything right, and their effort did not go unnoticed.

A band whose sound that is just as impressive as their as their name, Abramowicz started off the show, and it would be a lie to say that I was not highly impressed by them. Bluesy vocals cut through the foggy lighting setting the stage for a beautiful and fast set. The punk rock music infused with a keyboard created a fun sound that makes you want to get off your feet. They dedicated a fitting song called “Celebration Day” to Uncle M as their set came to an end. Another show, another band added to my growing list of fantastic German bands.

Considering that The Dirt Nil walked on stage to Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back,” my expectations were pretty high. But as their set continued with the same swagger that they came on with, it was hard not to like them. They kept the fast paced music theme going, and bought a lot of fun to the table. They did their thing on stage, and let loose. Half of the fun was just watching them enjoy themselves, while the other was getting lost in their rhythmic music.

Tell me what you want, but it is impossible to host a punk music festival in a skating venue, without inviting the skateboarding kings, Gnarwolves; who even brought their board on stage. Whether they play a slow jam such as “Community, Stability, Identity,” or something fast tune like “Smoking Kills,” the venue ate up every last bit of their set, getting super into it. Gnarwolves played some tracks off their newest release Outsiders, obtain a lot of love from the crowd.

What is a punk show without an activism band? Loud and proud KMPFSRT took the stage next. Once they got the ball rolling, there was no stopping; playing one banger with another. But, they did take a break from their set to remind everyone in the venue, that there is absolutely no room for racism, homophobia, fascism, xenophobia, etc. within the punk community. Then going on to emphasize the importance of how many people came out and protested against the AFD, Germany’s right wing party, in the last few weeks; especially because elections are coming up soon. Not only did they bring the noise, but also fans as well. Many in the crowd wore their merch, and some even pushed their way to the front so that they could sing the lyrics right back to the band; lots of passion came from their fans. I have a lot of respect for KMPFSRT’s music and message.

After four bands, the crowd was already pretty hyped up, pretty surprised that they could still muster so much energy, but they went nuts for The Flatliners. I mean who could blame them? It was hard to believe that the night could even better. The crowd got rowdier,  and the lyrics “count your bruises one by one and laugh it off and stick around down here with us,” was meant for every single person in the crowd to sing along. And of course, everyone stayed with The Flatliners through another great set of the night which included classics like “Monumental” and newbies like “Hang Your Head.”

After such an eventful evening, it was questionable if the crowd could handle any more. But still, they seemed to have the hunger that only the headliners could satisfy.  The Menzingers honestly are such a feel good band. It is impossible to stand still through their set, and of course, the crowd knew that, because as soon as their set started, it seemed as if the entire venue put on their dancing shoes. There is something indescribable about their sound that makes them such a fun band to listen to, and I could never get tired of them. They played through hit after hit as crowd surfers greeted them on stage, and people had arms around each other singing the lyrics. After starting off with some fan favorites like “I Don’t Wanna Be an Asshole Anymore” and “Mexican Guitars,” then they threw some of their newest into the mix like my personal favorite “After the Party,” and then “Bad Catholics.” But that doesn’t mean that they left out the classics off of On the Impossible Past. 

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Words & Images By: Samantha Odice

At the end of 2016 Frank Iero and the Patience had been involved in a very serious bus accident, which meant the rest of their 2016 tour dates were cancelled. While fans were disappointed they wouldn’t be seeing Frank and the guys live in 2016, we were more concerned with making sure everyone made a full recovery. We knew they would go back on tour when they were ready but making sure everyone was physically and emotionally recovered was priority #1. As promised, though, Frank Iero and The Patience made quite a speedy come back. The stopped by Hamden, CT at the Outer Space with Dave Hause and The Mermaid and Babetalk’s got the coverage.

Opening for such a well-known musician, such as Frank, to say there is pressure and a certain amount of expectation is an understatement. Yet, Dave Hause and The Mermaid were up for the challenge. A 5-piece, Alternative Rock group with a sound hailing from the early 2000s, it was amazing to see the crowd’s reaction to them. What was most interesting is the fact that a band that would easily appeal to a crowd made up of 35+ year olds was able to capture the attention of a room filled with tweens & teens (because only 1 in 10 MCR fans actually age). While, yes, Dave and guys (and gal) all had years of experience, both equally, in music and life; what they sang and said on stage rang true for everyone in that room, regardless if you were a child or parent; “Music is the thing that can save your life. It can save you from all the dark things. It doesn’t let you down.” When you’re in your adolescent years we forget that our parents often turned to music, much like we do, whenever they were upset. When Dave said that you really felt the whole room connect on a different level. In that moment it wasn’t a room full of people ranging in age from 11 to over 60. It was a room of music lovers who could never forget what music has done for each of them. For an opener who may not be as well known as Frank Iero to be able to accomplish such a thing it absolutely awe inducing. Dave Hause and The Mermaid should be more than please with the set they played at the Outer Space; they opened young minds to a new wave of music they may had not been familiar with before and they connected parents to their kids on a level that’s quite hard to reach.

And finally, from My Chemical Romance to Frank Iero and The Celebration (with everything in between), it was time for Frank Iero and The Patience. Once everyone had recovered and everyone was ready to tackle the open road again tickets sold fast. In fact, the Hamden date was the first show on the tour to sell out. So with almost 300 fans and parents filling the ballroom, Frank Iero and The Patience graced the stage with both new and old material. You hear such a strong influence from the White Stripes with much of their music. When it comes to people saying Frank’s still putting out the same emo stuff he had this to say, “People always say ‘why do you guys always write such depressing songs?’ And it’s like aw man you just don’t get it.” And he’s right. It’s not just about it being ‘another sad song’, it’s the fact that it comes from such a personal place and his fans can connect to that.

As the years drone on from MCR’s end, Frank’s solo sound is becoming more developed as its own entity verses a sub-band of MCR’s early years. While certain riffs flash back to MCR nostalgia, he is his own musician with his own musical styling. Yes, he will always be one of the original members of one of the more influential emo rock bands in the music industry, but he’s no longer just ‘Frank from MCR’, its finally just, Frank Iero [and The Patience].

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