On March 10, Meet Me @ The Altar released their debut studio album, Past // Present // Future. Of the record, the band wrote: “‘Past’ pays respect to the iconic early 00’s artists who’ve influenced us & who will forever be ingrained in us. ‘Present’ finds us redefining what a modern-day rock band looks and sounds like, while ‘Future’ looks ahead at where we will go from our newfound sound & attitude.”
Later that evening, the band fittingly put a bright spotlight on a new generation of pop-punk, with support from Daisy Grenade and Young Culture. The crowd packed into Ferndale’s The Loving Touch, moshing, pogoing, and pumping their fists from start to finish. Here are five moments that stood out from the show:
Daisy Grenade Open Up the Pit
First up, Daisy Grenade took the stage, seizing the attention of the crowd with the brash vocal powers of vocalists Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittaker. The band got the crowd involved from the jump, teaching the audience the chorus to “Cult Classic,” pausing for dramatic effect on the punchy “Guts,” and imploring the crowd to open up the pit on the crunching, heavy “Sick in the City.”
Young Culture Keep the Energy High
After Daisy Grenade, Young Culture took the stage. The band leaned into the poppier side of the pop-punk spectrum, with lead vocalist Alex Magnan’s electric stage presence keying the set. The crowd bounced right along from the opener “Not in Love,” and the band got a huge clap along to “Silver Lining (Put It on Me).” But the NY rockers showed they could deliver a harder edge with the rollicking guitar riffs that helped the mosh pit open back up on the chorus of “Holiday in Vegas,” as well as on the squiggly guitar riff that helped close out “Serendipity.”
Meet Me @ The Altar Start Fast
Meet Me @ The Altar seized control of the crowd from the get-go, starting their set with the defiant “Say It (To My Face),” and opening up the pit with guitarist Téa Campbell’s pummeling riffs and the big drum hits from Ada Juarez on “Hit Like a Girl.” Vocalist Edith Victoria’s work stood out through the set as well, whether it was powering the intro of “May the Odds Be in Your Favor,” letting her voice shine over the rapt room during an acoustic take on “Feel a Thing,” or holding robust sustained notes on “Try.”
Round Robin of Covers
Midway through the set, the band members each took a turn to pay homage to the “Past” artists who inspired them, through a series of quick covers. Victoria started things off with a rollicking take on Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know”; Juarez kick-started a soaring cover of Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated”; and Campbell brought things home with the anthemic “Take Me Away” (from the Freaky Friday soundtrack).
Closing With the New and the Old
The latter half of the set featured some of the most memorable guitar work from Campbell. “Now or Never” delivered a crushing opening and a thrashing breakdown. And their recent Past // Present // Future single “Kool” featured a staccato guitar riff evocative of Green Day’s “Brain Stew.” On the latter track, Victoria taught the crowd the chorus, which the fans eagerly screamed back. The band opted out of the encore game, instead pushing through the end of their set with an older single, the bright “Garden.” For one more moment, the crowd moshed and bounced to the track’s punchy riff and speedy drums.
