Turnstile, Ceremony, & Citizen at The Showbox Sodo on April 30, 2022. By Elena Marti.
In order to write this review in any creatively descriptive fashion I had to consult a thesaurus, otherwise the phrase “high energy” would have been grossly overused. Back in April I caught Turnstile’s Tender Love Connection (T.L.C.) tour at the Showbox Sodo in Seattle, WA. Every facet of the night was imbued with dynamic, animated intensity - shoutout to each and every opener (there were 5!) for amping it up each moment. This was the first concert ever where I got an artist’s sweat on my camera lens!
During Ceremony’s set I had my eye on Anthony Anzaldo (guitarist) gently caressing into the music – completely at ease with the beautiful chaos around them; red and blue light connecting in the air, bodies rolling through a mass of arms and hands, reaching upwards to protect the crowd surfers as they glided above the pit.
While the audience did not need their own microphone, that didn’t stop Mat Kerekes, lead singer of Citizen, from giving them several opportunities. As he held the entire stand aloft, bodies magnetized to where the artist went.
Touring for their 2021 album Glow On, a dynamic blend of hardcore punk and indie rock, Turnstile’s stage arrival was predicated by an unlikely song: Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” blared from the speakers as concertgoers screamed every word and went absolutely bonkers. Songs off the release are surprisingly short, with an average run time of 2.5 minutes, but each one packs a punch. My personal favorite, “Don’t Play,” starts slow and amps up into a samba infused drum jam, which was incredibly fun to witness live. From the beginning of the night there was constant movement, the mosh pit ebbing and flowing like a wave between the openers’ sets, but once Turnstile took the stage it became a hurricane. I have never been to or photographed a show like this;– it was people’s lifeblood – a drumbeat you could feel in your feet and sometimes it felt like your heart was beating to the same rhythm. I can see why people say punk shows can form families; fittingly, Turnstile has a song called “TLC/Turnstile Love Connection” eponymous with their tour name – like the common acronym “Tender Loving Care”.
Wow, I don’t think I am ever going to forget this show. While I’m a huge fan of listening to Turnstile in less chaotic environments, my bedroom or driving on an open road – the power and emotion of the night turned that cramped dark venue into another kind of comfortable. I honestly cannot wait to see them live again and witness lead singer Brendan Yates jumping a full 2 feet off the ground mid-song.
Turnstile are coming back to North America in Fall 2022 touring with JPEG Mafia (select dates) and Snail Mail! Tickets here.
Turnstile
Ceremony
Citizen
