Meet Me @ The Altar shakes Raleigh: A high-voltage night of queer pop-punk anthems and mosh pits as the Worried Sick Tour hits Kings.
After a two-month delay due to winter storms, the Worried Sick Tour finally arrived at Kings on an unseasonably warm evening. The tour brought a high-energy lineup of pop-punk and alt-rock to an excited Raleigh LGBTQIA+ crowd.
North Carolina’s own Weymouth, who formed in 2020 during the pandemic, opened the show. The band opted for a casual “geek-chic” aesthetic rather than traditional rock attire, temporarily hiding from the audience the noise that was about to happen. The moment the band members plugged in and kicked off the first song, it became clear they came to play, and play hard. Vocalist Zane Walsh stole most of the attention as he thrashed about the stage, toggling between singing, screaming, and dancing furiously. The performance was tight, the music was very well performed, and the first mosh pit of the evening was a success.
New Jersey-based queer pop-punk band Pollyanna supported the evening’s headliner with a rambunctious, up-tempo set. A true power-trio, the three-piece band produced a wall of sound that drew a loud vocal response from the crowd. Opening with the LGBTQIA+ anthem “Boygirl,” it became instantly apparent that Pollyanna had more than just a few fans in the audience. Lead vocalist and guitarist Jill Beckett commented later in the set on the number of fans, stating it wasn’t typical to see so many Pollyanna tee-shirts in the audience and experience such a warm and loud reception. Pivotal to the band’s sound was drummer Daniel McCool, whose masterful drumming drove every song forward with urgency and provided an undeniable dance rhythm.Performing songs primarily from their 2025 release, Weirdo, the setlist included “Superpower,” “Die Slow,” and “Petty.” “Mars” and “Relationship Anxiety” from their 2022 release Slime also made the setlist. The band delivered a high-intensity performance throughout the set, showing no signs of slowing down ahead of the tour’s final dates.
By the time Meet Me @ The Altar was due on stage, the excitement in the room far exceeded what the approximately 100 people in the venue should have been able to create. When drummer Ada Juarez appeared on stage, loud shrieks of excitement filled Kings, only to be matched when vocalist Edith Victoria exploded into the spotlight. Opening with “Dead to Me,” the lead track to the band’s newly released EP Worried Sick, every corner of Kings was filled with dancing and jumping from the very first notes. The minimalist stage setup, void of traditional amplifiers and speakers, altered the room’s acoustics, providing a clearer balance for attendees at the rear of the venue.The Worried Sick Tour ends on March 13 in Chicago, IL.
MEET ME @ THE ALTARWebsite Facebook X
