Turnstile Love Connection Tour Pt II - Review
Turnstile is a phenomenon. An unwavering force that ignite the same energy in huge venues that they have been revered for bringing to small rooms full of solely diehard hardcore fans. At the turn of the new year Turnstile announced their first full US tour in support of their 2021 album, Glow On. Shows sold out rapidly, tickets moving so fast that second shows were added in select cities. Selling out mid-sized venues is a huge feat for any band in the hardcore scene, but for Turnstile it was only a tease of what was to come.
April and May’s sold out shows were a small drop in the bucket of Turnstiles growth from a staple in the hardcore scene to a full fledged heavy hitter in mainstream music. All leading to a summer full of large festival dates, this fall’s Turnstile Love Connection tour Pt 2, and the massive announcement of the band providing direct support for the North American run of Blink 182’s 2023 Reunion tour.
6 months after the back to back sold out shows at Denver’s Gothic Theater, Turnstile capped off the first half of their fall tour back in Denver at The Mission Ballroom on Thursday 10/27. Aside from playing a larger venue (Almost 3 times larger than the Gothic) the biggest stand out this time around is the tour line up. Snail Mail and JPEGMAFIA were a surprise to see as openers for a band that last tour’s line up was comprised of solely bands within the realm of hardcore. But honestly Snail Mail and JPEGMAFIA have both been a great fit for this tour. The line up’s genre diversity mirrors well with the influences and experimentation that fills Turnstiles discography. Not one moment of either openers sets felt out of place, the crowd just as engaged throughout.
The Mission Ballroom is a new venue with a similar capacity to Denver’s historic Fillmore Auditorium, around 4000. In the venue’s short life span of only a few years it has built a reputation of hosting EDM artists, country singers, and pop rock acts. Turnstile brought the high energy rock the venue has been needing. The floor noticeable shaking as the band hit the stage and dove right into their first song. The crowd right in singer Brendan Yates hands from the shows start as he launched himself in the air between belting out lyrics. Multiple mosh pits opened up and stayed open through the bands entire set. The crowds energy didn’t falter from start to finish, and neither did the bands.
While the band has been playing large rooms with big stages this time around, their stage set up is still bare bones allowing for movement and flow. No glitz, no glam just pure energy radiating from the 5 piece. Letting the music speak for itself. Turnstile will continue to grow and be exposed to a wider variety of music fans. In similar fashion to the bands performance, the music and energy will be what continues to propel them to larger heights. Let’s see just how high they go.
