Flashback Friday : Spooktacular Night with Knuckle Puck

One of Chicago’s rising pop punk bands, Knuckle Puck, are out on their first ever U.S. headlining tour. I had the delight of seeing them play on October 31st at the Nile Theatre in Phoenix. To add to the excitement of the night, we were all encouraged to dress up for Halloween.

Once we arrived I made sure to check out the merchandise because they have a shirt in collaboration with the suicide prevention non-profit Hope For The Day, where all the sales go toward the cause. Their merch guy, Patrick, was dressed as a minion which was great. There weren’t a lot of people in the venue yet since the show didn't start for another hour.

The supporting bands on this tour were exceptionally great and deserve every bit of recognition. The first band, Head North, put on a passionate performance and even though not a lot of people knew the lyrics to their songs, they had a genuine connection to the crowd. Next up was Sorority Noise. I knew a couple songs but went in not knowing what to expect. They all came out in green morph suits and started playing their emotionally driven music. They’re performance caught me off guard because it was so intense; every single member gave 110% with lyrics as equally heart wrenching. After that I knew I had to pick up their new record Joy, Departed.

The last supporting band, Seaway, mentioned that they toured with Knuckle Puck on their first U.S. tour three years ago which brought nostalgia and humbling thoughts. They were all dressed up as police officers and ironically started mosh pits to get the energy flowing. With their bass player, Adam, doing flips and kick jumps and their heavy pop punk sound, the crowd was getting wild.

Finally Knuckle Puck took the stage as power rangers, quail man, and a sad ghost. They were always trying to keep the crowd as involved in the performance as they were, opening with “Untitled,” singing the classic line “Everything is Copacetic” and setting the scene for the rest of the night. Their set was energetic and there was not a moment that I didn't have sweat dripping from me. All the fans, singing every word with lead singer Joe Taylor, built a commodity. It was a moment sealed in time.

All of the bands on this tour embodied everything that a band should be: humble, kind, and having talent. They all have worked hard to get to the place that they are now and deserve so much more. If you get the opportunity to see a show on this tour, I highly recommend it! You will be amazed!