Concert Review: Pup & Jeff Rosenstock w/ Ekko Astral at Brooklyn Paramount

Making your way through the world can sometimes be a Herculean task. Between the animosity growing from every crevice of our fracturing political landscape to the increasing costs of living to the fears of a future that may or may not even exist, it can be quite difficult to face the rocky terrain of the modern day. However, a part that can make the journey much lighter is the force of friendship acting as the wind in your sails. A community that fosters hope, acceptance, and empathy is one that can propel everyone instead of tearing people down, and I found a wonderful community of open minded music lovers at the “CATACLYSMIC RAPTURE OF FRIENDSHIPNESS!!!” tour, hosted by Pup and Jeff Rosenstock. 

Kicking off the night was the D.C. based punk trio Ekko Astral. The group made it incredibly clear where they stood on the basis of trans rights right from the beginning of their set, launching into a series of tracks from their latest record Pink Balloons including “head empty blues” and “baethoven.” Instead of the traditional wall of death, frontwoman Jael Holzman called for a beautiful wall of friendship, showcasing their commitment towards the overarching positivity of friendship as a unifying connection. The trio ended their set with three unreleased songs, all stemming from a forthcoming record that makes its way into the world soon. You can check out their awesome record Pink Balloons here.

EKKO ASTRAL

Making his way onto the stage next was the Long Island born punk rocker Jeff Rosenstock. Rosenstock is no stranger to the New York crowd, as his 11-day long residency at Warsaw last year proved he’s got a devoted fanbase who are more than willing to catch him live. After an extended, slow-paced intro, Rosenstock ran straight into his “We Cool?” anthem, “You, In Weird Cities” which got the crowd amped up almost instantly. Part of Rosenstock’s appeal is his ability to seamlessly pull off a constantly shifting setlist, pulling out deep cuts just as often as he breaks out his popular tracks. You could go to all 11 of those Warsaw shows and still be breaking out new songs considering how massive his discography is. Towards the end of the set, Rosenstock brought out fellow Long Islander and friend Laura Stevenson to sing “9/10,” and he concluded the set with the tour debut of HELLMODE closer “3 Summers.” You can check out Jeff Rosenstock’s music here.

JEFF ROSENSTOCK

Closing the evening in tremendous fashion was the almighty Pup. The Toronto-based punk quartet have been touring in support of their recent musical endeavor Who Will Look After the Dogs, kicking off their set with the rapturous opener “No Hope.” The group sped through multiple tracks from the record including “Hallways” and “Concrete,” and their older tracks such as “DVP” and “Kids” garnered a great deal of excitement from the crowd with crowdsurfers and singalongs all the way through. Vocalist Stefan Babcock did not mince his words with regards to how upset he was with the world, but his emphasis on the impact of empathy resonated heavily with the massive crowd in front of him. 

PUP

In place of an encore, Pup joined forces with Jeff Rosenstock to create a Double Band. They performed to a short medley of songs from both the musical projects including their collab from Who Will Look After The Dogs, “Get Dumber,” with the audience chanting “Double Band” every chance they could. Finally, the show ended with my first ever TRIPLE band encounter, as Ekko Astral came onto the stage to assist with the lineup’s rendition of Alanis Morisette’s classic, “You Oughta Know.” It was a truly special way to end the evening and a wonderful reminder that the punk spirit of change and social awareness can come with a little fun as well. You can check out Who Will Look After the Dogs? here.

 PUP W/ JEFF ROSENSTOCK DOUBLE BAND