Fresh off an Australian excursion, a spot on this year’s Coachella Festival, and a full slate of dates in the EU, the constantly touring hardcore punk juggernaut SCOWL embarked on a headlining North American tour in Los Angeles in early September. The roughly 6-week tour has them coming almost full circle with a final date in Berkeley, CA October 21. The full tour features Militarie Gun, while MSPAINT and Big Laugh were to split the first and second halves of the tour respectively. At the Philadelphia show, MSPAINT was preceded by hometown hardcore act Vulture Raid at Underground Arts on September 28.
Vulture Raid started out the show with their super fast style and upbeat persona that got the venue jumping. They definitely had a bit more punk in their mix of varied hardcore fusion.
MSPAINT continued with the looming, lumbering figure of vocalist Deedee fronting the band’s speedy hardcore with a synth bend. Their debut album, Post-American, was released earlier this year. It was the first time the burgeoning Mississippi band would grace a stage in Philadelphia together. At no point did either opening band lose the crowd’s attention in preparation for Militarie Gun’s set.
Hailing from Los Angeles, Militarie Gun recently released their first full-length album, Life Under The Gun, on June 23 of this year after several initial EP releases. Already an established act among the well-connected US hardcore fan base, they were received by an overwhelmingly emphatic crowd. As they churned out track after track of high-energy hardcore and engaged in plenty of back-and-forth banter between the crowd and frontman Ian Shelton, the fully packed house continued singing, slamming, and surfing ahead of the night’s headliner.
When SCOWL did make their way on stage for the featured performance of the night, vocalist Kat Moss emerged with her signature lime green locks. What the crowd came to see that night was quickly evident. Her enormous stage presence and the band’s impressive musical chops capped off the night with a surge of physical response from the crowd. Already making a name for themselves in multiple key international touring circuits, this was the band’s first time on a full North American tour since the release of their latest EP, Psychic Dance Routine, earlier this year.
SCOWL’s hard work and constant touring have been paying off with a well-deserved buzz that is rarely seen at such an early point in a band’s career. After several California shows post-tour, the band has already started scheduling European dates for this coming spring.
Scowl
Militarie Gun
MSPAINT
Vulture Raid
