Show Review: Ten Years of Citizen’s Youth.
written + photographed by hunter astrid
more photos + the rest of the gallery can be seen here
Pop-punk, hardcore and shoegaze are genres that I will always hold close to my heart, so concerts with bands like waveform*, Fiddlehead and Citizen is a dream come true. On Thursday night I went through about every emotion you could name due to the music and vibes that these bands portrayed. Live music brings people closer and this night was not any different.
waveform* -
waveform* is a duo consisting of Jarett Denner and Dan Poppa from Monroe, Connecticut. They're currently signed to Run For Cover Records, an independent record label located in Boston. Their music is a combination of shoegaze, dream pop and bedroom/indie rock. Thee band’s sound focuses and sounds like tranquility and calm, which gives me the feeling of relaxation every time I listen to them. They have released five studio albums since their formation; library in 2018, Sckrpnch in 2018, Shooting Star in 2019, Last Room in 2020 and finally Antarctica in 2023.
Their set was a very chill and captivating way to start the night. Although the original singer and guitarist had to sit the tour out due to a sickness, the trio performing did a great job. Their music let the audience relax before a night of chaos soon to follow.
MY FAVORITE SONG: “Firework” off of Antarctica (2023) or "Loveless" off of Shooting Star (2019)
Fiddlehead -
Fiddlehead is a post hardcore supergroup based in Boston. Their members are from a handful of different bands; Have Heart, Basement, Big Contest, Stand Off and Nuclear Age. Fiddlehead's sound is a combination of post hardcore, me, and indie rock. The group is also signed to Run For Cover Records. Their lineup consists of Patrick Flynn (vocals), Shawn Costa (drums), Alex Henery (guitar), Alex Dow (guitar), and Nick Hinsch (bass). After Have Heart broke up, Patrick Flynn and roommate Alex Dow started to write music together. It wasn't long after that that Alex Henery and Shawn Costa joined the two of them.
Their early music was very reminiscent of ‘80s emo and hardcore sounds. They released their first EP Out of the Bloom in 2015 but waited four years after formation to release their first studio album in 2018 titled Springtime and Blind. They've released two albums since; Between the Richness in 2021 and Sullenboy in 2023.
Their set was a sudden but upbeat shift from the first set of the night. Starting their set with “Grief Motif” off of Between the Richness, built up the tension and excitement for their show. Their audience was instantly ignited, invoking crowd surfing and mosh pits almost instantly.it was very apparent that Fiddlehead are hometown heroes and the hardcore scene in Boston hold this band close to their hearts.
MY FAVORITE SONG: “Life Notice” or “Grief Motif” off of Between the Richness (2021)
Citizen -
Citizen is an American band with members from southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio and based in Toledo, Ohio. Citizen, like the other two bands, are also signed to Run for Cover Records. Their sound is a combination of many elements; emo, alternative rock, post-hardcore, grunge and shoegaze. Although their albums all have different styles, and many people argue over what genre they truly are, their guitarist calls them simply a rock band. The band consists of Mat Kerekes (vocals) and brothers Eric Hamm (bass) and Nick Hamm (guitar). Currently on tour, the trio is joined by Ben Russin (drums) and Mason Mercer (guitar).
The band formed in 2009, but didn't release their first album for a few years. Their first album/ep was released in 2011 and titled Young States. Since then, the group has released four other albums; Youth in 2013, Everybody is Going To Heaven in 2015, As You Please in 2017, and finally Life In Your Glass World in 2021. This tour celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the Youth album, which is described as emo and grunge and a little bit of indie rock, punk rock and pop punk. This album is very iconic in its own right and helped shape Citizen as a band.
I've been to a countless amount of concerts in my life, and never have I been trampled by crowd surfers as much as I had during their set. I don't know what was in the air, but the second the band stepped on stage the crowd went wild. Although this album was released 10-years ago this month, pretty much the whole crowd was screaming every lyric like the songs had just come out. Every time I see Citizen live, it's always on amazing show. I still walk around with a guitar pick from them in my wallet that I got from the tour with Movements, Turnover, and The Story So Far from the winter of 2018. I will always eagerly await their return.
MY FAVORITE SONG: "Jet" off of As You Please (2017) or "Big Mouth" (2019)
