Show Review: A killer triple headliner sweeps the country.
written and photographed by Hunter Astrid.
more photos + rest of the gallery can be found here.
One Step Closer is always a treat to see live. The first time I saw them they were opening for Knuckle Puck and Real Friends in the winter of 2023, and as someone who had never seen them before, I was blown away. When they announced their triple headlining tour back in the winter I immediately put the date of the show in my calendar. The joy and camaraderie that I see at concerts is always the highest and most genuine at hardcore shows. Stateside was a great way to start the night - their set was short with only 5 songs, but they really set the level for the rest of the night. It was upbeat and lively and quickly succeeded in getting the crowd warmed up in the mosh pit. Koyo was the second set of the night and the crowd was eagerly waiting their set. The amount of crowd surfers and shoes that narrowly missed my camera was massive, but I will always fight for a stage side spot at a hardcore show. I had never really listened to them before, but like the first time I saw One Step Closer, I instantly became a new fan. One Step Closer was the third band to take the stage that night. The band has a hypnotic way of pulling in the crowd and working off their energy. When I saw them last it was a barricade show so I wasn’t able to witness the crowd members getting on the stage and jumping off until this show. This was definitely a different experience but it was 100x better. The last set of the night was Anxious and it was a perfect way to round off the night.The crowd was still buzzing with energy after a long and cardio heavy night. It’s insane to see all of these band members running around on stage the level that they do with the same amount of musical skill that is seen on their studio recordings. If you’ve never been to a hardcore show you absolutely need to put it on your bucket list. I believe it’s something everyone should experience.
One Step Closer -
Forming back in 2016, One Step Closer is a straight edge hardcore band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania signed to Run For Cover Records. The band consists of vocalist Ryan Savilski, guitarists Ross Thompson and Colman O’Brien, drummer Tommy Norton, and bassist Jake (?). Not just purely hardcore sounding, they incorporate themes of indie rock, post hardcore as well as even shoegaze. Influences from bands like Have Heart, Bane, and Turning Point is evident in their sound, as well as the culture influences from the DC emo scene and youth crew from the late 90s. Youth crew is a subculture of hardcore punk that was in New York in the late 80s and early 90s. It differs from other punk categories due to its overwhelming optimism and moralistic outlook on life. Members of the movement are predominantly straight edge, vegetarian or vegan.
Since their inception they have released six eps and one studio length album.Their first two eps that were released in 2017, One Step Closer and Promo, were both independently released. Their album This Place You Know was released in September of 2021 and features songs “I Feel So” and “Pringle Street.” Recently, they released two new singles - “Leap Years” at the end of February of 2024, and “Giant’s Despair” in the middle of March of 2024. They are set to release their next studio album All You Embrace on May 17th of this year.
MY FAVORITE SONG: “Turn to Me” off of Songs For The Willow (2023)
Koyo -
Koyo is an American hardcore supergroup that formed in 2020 and based out of Stony Brook, NY. Their sound has been compared to specific ‘Long Island emo’, pop punk and melodic hardcore bands Taking Back Sunday and The Movieline. Other than those two bands they have named Brand New, Glassjaw, and Crime in Stereo as other big influences for them. Since 2020 they have released three Eps, Short Beach Sessions (2020), Painting Words into Lines (2020), and Drives Out East (2021). Their most recent release was their only studio album Would You Miss It? in September of 2023 which features singles “Anthem” and “You’re On The List (minus one).”
If asked, the band would describe their sound as “Stony Brook hardcore.” Majority of the group’s members played in other hardcore bands (Typecaste, Rain of Salvation, Hangman, SeeYouSpaceCowboy and Adrenaline) before coming together.They all are long time friends and decided that they wanted to record music together. According to vocalist Joey Chiaramonte (originally the bassist for Typecaste), they all wanted to “start more bands with the same core group of friends and see what sticks.” The groups current members are guitarists TJ Rotolico and Harold Griffin, bassist Stephen Spanos, drummer Sal Argento and of course vocalist Joey Chiaramonte.
The original name for the band was The L Word after the song “Taming L Word” by Silent Majority, a Long Island melodic hardcore band. Former member Mike Marazzo (guitar) suggested the name “Koyo” after the Japanese term for the colors of leaves changing in autumn.
MY FAVORITE SONG: “Life’s a Pill” off of Would You Miss It? (2023)
Anxious -
Hailing from Fairfield, Connecticut, Anxious is a melodic hardcore band that formed back in 2016 and is signed to Run For Cover Records. It was founded by vocalist and guitarist Grady Allen (formerly in One Step Closer), vocalist and bassist Sam Walter, and drummer Michelle Siegel. After a handful of member changes and instrument switches the currently line up consists of vocalist Grady Allen, bassist Sam Allen, drummer Jonny Camner and guitarists Dante Melucci and Tommy Harte.
They have released three EPs, Carved (2017), Promo 2019 (2019), Never Better (2019), and one studio album, Little Green House in 2022 through Run For Cover Records. Their most recent releases was an Audiotree Live EP in June of 2023 and single “Down, Down” in September of 2023.
MY FAVORITE SONG: “Down, Down” (2023)
Stateside -
Stateside is an emo/hardcore band that formed in 2022. The group explores what it feels like to face addiction, loss of relationships and the challenges of identity in a way that feels “universal” through their music. Their sound is one of heartfelt and melodic music that’s paired with a hardcore edge. It bridges the gap between the current moment where sound transcends genre and authenticity is key with the time that bands “wore their hearts on their sleeves.” Their sound is known to bring a sense of nostalgia for hardcore fans. The group is apart of New Morality Zine, a zine about hardcore, connections and dialogue. The content ranges from photos, DIY tutorials, interview with bands, articles from people across the world, and more. NMZ has also evolved into a DIY label that periodically puts out music.
Stateside released their first and only Ep It’s What We Do in July of 2023. Their most recent release was in March of this year and title “Since Last Season.” Other releases over the past two years consist of “If You Were Still Here” in 2023), “Bitter Spring”, “Lock It When You Leave”, and “Secret Crush” in 2022.
MYY FAVORITE SONG: “All On Red” off of It’s What We Do (2023)
