Pennywise brings their East Coast tour to New York City for an epic night of punk, with special guests H2O, along with The Dopamines and DFL.
West coast hardcore veteran’s DFL hit the stage, wasting no time. They blast straight through their set, kicking it off with “YRUDFL.” They immediately set the tone, which is not always an easy task as an opener, but they brought on a full-frontal assault. Frontman Crazy Tom was locked in, delivering his raw vocals and the attitude that defines DFL’s sound all these years later. Tearing into one of their earlier tracks, “Thought Control” had the crowd moving, building the energy for what the night was to bring.
DFL’s music has always lived in that space between hardcore and skate punk. Their performance leaned heavily into their hardcore roots. The songs came fast, and the transitions were sharp, and there was very little wasted motion. The band was super tight, and they kill it every time they step on the stage, so if you don’t know DFL, be sure to find out! Pick up their most recent LP, F*ck It, on SBAM Records produced/mixed by Fletcher Dragge.
The Dopamines from Cincinnati, Ohio, took to the stage and attacked their songs with a sense of urgency that never let the energy drop. Bringing that Midwest punk to New York City made the performance effective, with the ability to balance melody with sheer velocity. The crowd responded accordingly, shifting the floor into some constantly moving punk-rock energy.
Despite the intensity, The Dopamines never felt overly calculated. They seemed comfortable in the chaos, feeding off the audience while giving them plenty of reasons to push that vibe right back at the stage. The band has a sound that is rough around the edges without losing their hooks, while keeping it fun and aggressive all at the same time. Be sure to catch them when they swing through your neck of the woods.
New York Hardcore legends H2O were in the house, and they were more than ready to do what they do. The band wasted no time kicking it off with “Nothing to Prove,” and from the opening riff, the energy was immediate. Morse is one of hardcore’s most recognizable frontmen for the way he commands the stage as well as his participation with the crowd. He sticks true to his roots and remembers where he came from. For H2O, New York is where it all started for them, so being at home brings a whole new meaning.
This year marks the 30th anniversary since the release of their self-titled debut album. They performed a vast majority of their catalog, such as “Family Tree,” “Everready,” and “1995.” For longtime fans, this was the kind of set that made it all satisfying, and their energy showed it as the circle pits commenced. Some of the most impressive aspects of H2O was how well the older material has aged and how they still hit today. The band was super tight through and through, especially with Max Morse on the drums as he’s an absolute beast. Toby showed a moment of respect to his brothers, the late Lou Koller of Sick Of It All, as well as the late Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory, which was well-received by the crowd.
The band delivered a fast, passionate, crowd-driven set that celebrated its history. The songs sounded as powerful as ever, and the audience supplied the energy that makes New York hardcore shows so great.
The band followed this by going straight into “My Own Country,” bringing one of their most recognizable anthems into the middle of the chaos. This was followed with “Straight Ahead” and “Same Old Story,” the combination of which was devastating in a most epic way. Pennywise kept the evening moving with song after song. Every familiar riff produced another eruption from the floor, while every recognizable lyric was shouted back towards the stage.
One of the highlights was when Pennywise performed some cover songs, such as Minor Threat’s “Minor Threat,” as well as NOFX’s “Bob.” Both made perfect sense and were very well received. At this point, frontman Jim Lindberg had the crowd locked in. Then came “F*ck Authority.” There are few songs that are better suited for a New York punk crowd.
Pennywise descended into the final stretch of their set with “Society.” The momentum of the floor wasn’t slowing down, and, at one point during the song, Fletcher stopped and told the crowd to “Open the pit up. This one’s for Lou Koller of Sick Of It All. Let’s get it. I want to see a wall of death.” Fletcher and the band then picked back up where they stopped as the floor erupted into pure madness, and it was glorious. As the night concluded, fans knew what was to come next. The opening notes to “Bro Hymn” were enough to trigger a massive reaction. Members of H2O, The Dopamines, DFL, and friends joined Pennywise on stage, turning the song into an all-in affair. It was the perfect ending to a night that brought generations of punk and hardcore under one roof.
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