Knuckle Puck came through Hamilton Ontario, Canada on March 15th, 2018 along with Boston Manor, Free Throw, Hot Mulligan and Jetty Bones:
Jetty Bones are the perfect opener for this tour. The solo project of Ohio native Kelc Galuzzo who is supported by touring musicians during live shows, Jetty Bones started the show off with a solid set.
It is clear that Galuzzo hopes to have a positive impact on as many people as possible through her music: “As long as we are in a position to continue reaching and encouraging people, I’m happy. The more people we can possibly make feel less alone, the better.”
The Alexisonfire t-shirt worn by touring guitarist Joe Micucci during Jetty Bones’ set in homage to the scene legends who come from St. Catharines, Ontario which is just a short drive from Hamilton was a nice touch.
Now based in Lansing, Michigan, Hot Mulligan were warmly welcomed in Hamilton. Mixing old favourites with new material, including the lead single from their latest record Pilot called “All You Wanted By Michelle Branch”, it is clear that Hot Mulligan are high energy.
“We just did a bunch of DIY tours until people started caring” shares guitar player and vocalist Chris Freeman. If their performance in Hamilton is any indication, people do indeed care, and Hot Mulligan is on a positive upward trajectory.
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, Free Throw have been making waves since 2012 and have a persistently growing fanbase that has them at almost 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Free Throw were well-received by the Hamilton crowd, as evidenced by the active pit and the copious amount of finger pointing that came from it, not to mention that at least one dude played air guitar throughout Free Throw’s set.
Following their time on the road with Knuckle Puck and a short run headlined by Boston Manor, Free Throw will represent the new generation at “Breakfest” in Franklin, Tennessee on June 24th, 2018 alongside such scene elders as New Found Glory, Bayside, Will Pugh of Cartel, Hot Rod Circuit, Ryan Key of Yellowcard and The Movielife.
The magnitude by which Boston Manor has grown in the last eighteen months is astounding. They’ve gone from playing to a small number of people during their first Canadian show in November 2016 to commanding the attention of the sold-out Club Absinthe in Hamilton from the beginning straight through to the end of their set.
“Every show has been a lot of fun” shares lead vocalist Henry Cox. “We are just really happy to be back in North America”.
This tour, and the short one that Boston Manor will headline following it, are likely the last ones on which tracks from Boston Manor’s debut full-length Be Nothing will comprise the majority of their set. Fans can look for a new release from Boston Manor in the not-so-distant future.
Knuckle Puck is setting the standard for well-polished live sets within the genre. Taking the stage in Hamilton to an enthusiastic welcome from the crowd, Knuckle Puck proceeded to mix both older material such as “Untitled” (on which Adam Shoji of Seaway sang back-up vocals) with new material from their latest record Shapeshifter such as set opener “Double Helix” and “Gone”, as well as mixing some of their tracks that have a slower vibe well with tracks that have resulted in them becoming mainstays of the pop-punk community.
The Chicago natives are very proud of their local scene. “I love it…we feel a lot of pride in where we’re from” shares vocalist Joe Taylor. Observant members of the crowd would have also noted fellow Chicagoan Dave Knox of Real Friends serving as Tour Manager for Knuckle Puck on this run.
After a short break from touring, Knuckle Puck is glad to be back on the road. “We had been going non-stop for two-and-a-half years…we just needed to take a breath…everything is all good” says Taylor. The rest has served Knuckle Puck well, as their show in Hamilton couldn’t have been better.
What are your thoughts on this stacked lineup? Have you seen Knuckle Puck & friends on tour? Leave it in the comments down below or hit us up on Twitter: @SpinThoughts.
TAGS: Jetty Bones | Hot Mulligan | Free Throw | Boston Manor | Knuckle Puck
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