Igniting the night like a full-court blitz, Speed were a nonstop, relentless burst of energy where, for a tight 25 minutes, they had a sold-out Huntington Bank Pavilion in the palm of their hands. Leaning into the momentum of an already building storm, Speed revved it up a few notches, inciting massive circle pits and mosh pits as if they were the headlining artist. Filled with raw intensity, Speed unleashed their own form of controlled chaos that also doubles as a sort of catharsis, allowing everyone involved to participate and engage with the music and community around them.
From the moment Mannequin Pussy launched into their intro, soft, haunting tones and slightly restrained energy, the room took notice, even as they walked out to an NLE Choppa sound sample. The shift from gentler, melodic passages to full-bore punk eruption came swiftly. Vocalist Marisa “Missy” Dabice navigated her dynamic range with grace. One moment murmuring confessionally, the next unleashing a raw, cathartic scream, all done with complete ease and swiftness. As the set progressed, the transitions between heavier and softer songs felt seamless as the crowd’s energy steadily rose. Weaving in and out of old and new songs, you could tell Mannequin Pussy specifically curated this entire set with precision, demonstrating how they’re masters at their craft beyond just the live performance. Each song and line was delivered with a sense of ferocity and defiance that continually built on top of one another. Not only letting the music do the talking, Missy took it a step further to engage in dialogue that was as incredibly articulate as it was informed and layered. Taking that time to create conversation and dialogue on systems of power, how dominant narratives try to split and divide communities, gender, the weight of “traditional values” and criticisms on hegemonic institutions. Mannequin Pussy proved that they weren’t there to just warm up the crowd, they were there to fully inform them too. By the time Turnstile came on, the air was thick with emotion, resistance, and expectation. The room was ready, not just to consume sound, but to feel it as a collective.
When Turnstile hit the stage, the crowd was primed and ready. With the “Never Enough Tour” kicking into full gear, the band were riding high as they embarked on their biggest tour yet. They opened strong to a roaring sold-out Huntington Bank Pavilion, immediately diving into newer cuts, while the building tension hit its peak, exploding as they all walked out on stage. By the third song, the crowd was in a full frenzy with multiple massive circle pits forming, nonstop crowd surfers, and dance parties across the venue. At one point, I personally counted about 10 different pits across the venue. Even crazier, what originally started as just the crowd moving and pushing would eventually turn into them ripping up the bike rack “barricades” separating the GA crowd from the “pit” crowd, resulting in a massive surge of people to enter the limited pit area.
Among all this, Turnstile interestingly didn’t shy away from creating peaks and valleys within their setlist. After playing heavier or faster-paced songs, they would back off into more atmospheric moments, letting synth or groove-leaning elements breathe, giving the crowd time to catch its breath. But whenever the guitars dropped in, the tenderness gave way to friction again to explode once more, creating a feeling of waves hitting the rocks.
Breaking down the fourth wall between band and crowd, Turnstile made a point to invite the crowd to be a part of the performance. It wasn’t about performing at the crowd, but with them. Turnstile don’t just allow crowd movement; they invite it. The crowd swelled, split, and reformed, constantly shifting like a living entity. There was constant movement, crowd surfers launching themselves upward, dancers moving on the dance floor, people screaming lyrics into each other’s faces like best friends, even if they’d never met. And yet, despite the intensity, there was a clear sense of camaraderie and togetherness the entire time. That’s the kind of hardcore-rooted ethos Turnstile have cultivated over the years, chaos without cruelty.
The magic of Turnstile’s presence isn’t just in how loud they are, it’s in how emotionally available they are. There’s no detachment, no pretending they’re above it all. They show up with the same openness they ask of the audience. That vulnerability, married to the physicality of the performance, is what makes their shows feel like something more, almost something transformative. It felt like a statement that music can all be sacred, physical, and unifying at the same time. Whether you came for the groove, the aggression, the atmosphere, or the affirmation, Turnstile delivered. And as the night ended, one thing was clear—This was not just a show you saw’; it was a night you felt, with thousands of strangers who, for one evening, moved as one.
Turnstile
Mannequin Pussy
SPEED
