Earlier this month, New York pop-punk outfit State Champs released their new, self-titled album, with single “Silver Cloud” asking the question: “So can we get back to basics, somehow?” In a pop-punk context – with standout support from Daisy Grenade, Meet Me at the Altar, and Knuckle Puck – the answer was a resounding “yes,” with their latest record and tour harkening back to the best of pop-punk’s forerunners from the ’90s and ’00s for today’s generation. Here are five moments that stood out from the bands’ stop at Detroit’s Majestic Theatre on November 22nd:
Daisy Grenade’s Riotous Start
When the show started, Daisy Grenade had already drawn in a crowd covering most of the room, opening with heavy rocker “Sick in the City.” Led by the electric stage presence of co-vocalists Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittaker, the duo commanded the audience, whether jumping in unison on “How To Hide a Body,” getting fans to clap along to “Riot,” or leading a call-and-response for the chorus on closer “Hypocrite.” But it was “King for a Day” that showcased the power of the singers’ complementary styles, with Whittaker’s guttural growl trading off with Nigro’s clean vocals.
Meet Me at the Altar Open Up the Pit
Meet Me at the Altar kept the pop-punk vibes high with their set that nodded to the genre’s classics while also opening up the pit with their own tracks. A mid-set medley of covers proved to be a crowd pleaser, intertwining Jimmy Eat World’s “Sweetness,” New Found Glory’s “My Friends Over You,” and Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy,” earning a hearty singalong from the crowd throughout. Charismatic vocalist Edith Victoria encouraged formidable mosh pits to open up to the crash of cymbals on the breakdowns of “Hit Like a Girl” and “May the Odds Be in Your Favor.”
Knuckle Puck Fire “On All Cylinders”
Skewing a bit more to the punk/emo side, Knuckle Puck ripped through their set fast and loud to set the stage for State Champs. Singer Joe Taylor continued the night’s run of dynamic vocalists as he pogoed throughout the set with boundless energy. The band’s two guitarists, Kevin Maida and Nick Casasanto unleashed an onslaught of riffs that stood out on cuts like “A New Beginning” and recent single “On All Cylinders.” The band sounded their strongest on tracks that included vocals from Taylor, Casasanto, and bassist Ryan Rumchaks melding together, like on “Gone” and “But Why Should You Care?”.
State Champs’ New Hits
Finally, State Champs took the stage to a crowd that had packed into the Majestic Theatre. The band leaned heavily on their new record, with fresh songs bookending the main set. The driving guitar riff of opener “Silver Cloud” got the crowd headbanging along from the start. Fans eagerly sang along to the punchy “Light Blue” and bounced to lead singer Derek DiScanio’s powerful vocals on “Clueless.” And “Save Face Story” proved to be a worthy main set closer, with the track’s hard-edged guest vocals and heavy breakdown keeping the crowd moving till the end.
Fan Favorites
Introducing “Elevated,” DiScanio also noted the band recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of their debut studio album, The Finer Things. (And next year, it’ll be 10 years since the release of Around the World and Back.) The band’s beloved older cuts also resonated throughout the set, leading to some of the biggest singalongs of the evening. A circle pit opened to the driving guitar riff and furious drum beat of “Criminal,” and the crowd eagerly sang along with DiScanio’s call-and-response on “Remedy.”
In another memorable moment, State Champs pared back their lineup and slowed things down with an acoustic rendition of “Around the World and Back.” The track started with just DiScanio and guitarist Tyler Szalkowski (on acoustic guitar this time) on stage. But soon, Daisy Grenade’s two singers joined in, providing strong complementary vocals as they harmonized.
After “Save Face Story,” State Champs returned to the stage for their encore, with the formidable one-two punch of “Everybody But You” and “Secrets.” On the former, the crowd roared along to the words from the jump, and on the latter DiScanio got fans bobbing their hands in unison to the anthemic track’s striking guitar riff, closing out the night on a high note.
