Two nights ago I witnessed what may have been the pop punk show of the year for me. The sad part is I almost didn’t go as I had to pack for a trip the next morning. I am really glad I did, as it was one heck of a show.

The night started with Jetty Bones. They were added to the last three dates as a replacement and what a replacement they were. I have seen them a few times this year and every time I am impressed with Kelc Galluzzo and her back up band, which are comprised of members from Everyone Leaves. On this night they were on a different level. They sounded amazing. If you have not seen this group before I would 100% recommend that you do if they ever come near you. Kelc Galluzzo is an amazing performer, her stage presence is outstanding, and the way she moves and interacts with the crowd is second to none.

Next up was Homesafe, another band I have seen a few times this year. On this night they were a different band. They looked as if they were truly loving what they were doing. Sometimes bands look miserable on stage, not Homesafe. They opened with the very energetic “Guts” which got the crowd, myself included moving right away. From that point the energy was nonstop. A highlight was seeing the crowd really vibe with these guys, especially during the song, “Resolve”, which is my favorite by them. I think I may have been the loudest during that song. They closed their set with the crowd favorite, “Hourglass”. Excellent choice. Seven songs from them is not enough. I can’t wait until they do a headlining tour. Until then I will continue to enjoy on every huge tour. Lol.

Movements is a band that is quickly on the rise. The buzz around this 4 piece band from Southern California is growing every day and rightfully so. These guys very well could be the next big thing in post-hardcore. After seeing them live my tone has changed. I just recently starting listening to them. I liked the EP and then a few weeks late their full-length came out. Wasn’t really feeling it. I like a few songs but as a whole not too much. Like I said after seeing them live, my tone has changed. I believe sometimes you have to see a band live to fully appreciate their craft. It also helped that they opened with “Colorblind”, one of the songs I really like off the new album, Feel Something. Much like Homesafe, this song set the tone for their set. They did not let up and neither did the crowd. Seeing the crowd react the way they did also made their set something special. I try not to compare bands but I got the feeling I felt the first time I saw Thursday in 2001. This is a band with very dedicated crowd and man does it show. Another highlight was hearing “Nineteen” live. That song is about the feels, and then been able to witness that live was amazing and emotional at the same time. “Daylily” was another track that was nice to hear off the new album. This was one that I closed my eyes to and just got lost in the music. I’m looking forward to a headliner from these guys after seeing them.

Last but not least, the band most of the crowd came to see, Knuckle Puck. As I mentioned above I really have never been a huge fan but holy cow, after this night, I’m a fan and I want more. This set was everything I like in a pop punk show and a little more. The sing a longs, circle pits, and the stage dives were all on point. I truly don’t think I have seen so many stage dives this year, they were non-stop. I almost joined in but alas I decided against it. Next show. Lol. Their set was full of crowd pleasers. I honestly don’t think the crowd stopped singing or moving the duration of their set. The really cool thing is I knew more songs of theirs than I thought. I own that to my pop punk radio on Spotify. Highlight for me was hearing “Double Helix” off their latest album, “Shapeshifter”. This is a song that really hits home for me and one that I easily relate to. It was also nice to hear “Evergreen” as that is the only song I knew by name before the new album came out, so I was hoping to hear it. In the days leading up to the show I listened to Knuckle Puck a little more and another song caught my ear and that song was “Pretense”, which they also played. That was the song that I thought about stagediving to. They ended the night with “Untitled”, which is a fan favorite.

Overall this was a great show. There was not a dull moment. All four bands gave their all and the crowd was really good as well. It truly was almost as if everyone in the building was on the same page. Its nights like that, that make me love music the way I do. I would 100% do that night all over again if I could. Easily a top 5 show of the year for me.

-Ray Moore