God bless hardcore kids: At once inclusive and alienating, open-minded and specific in their tastes, lovers of both tradition and whatever's next. There's truly no other music scene quite like hardcore.
Only hardcore could birth a band like Turnstile in this day and age. The Baltimore quintet play groove-oriented and ridiculously heavy music packed with breakdowns upon breakdowns. And yet they balance out the hardness with melody, groove and, somewhat absurdly, hints of 311 and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
It's difficult to predict if hardcore kids will continue vibing out to Turnstile in the next half-decade or so, but right now they've struck on some audio gold. Playing in the tiny, cramped corner of the Legion's upstairs area, they inspired an endless swarm of pile-on sing-alongs, perfectly practiced windmills and inspired speeches about positivity and gratitude. Their set was simultaneously a nod to the long lineage of all ages heroes that came before them and a perfect snapshot of what hardcore fanatics are practicing their two-step choreography to at home.
That's why you should always go out of your way to catch the token hardcore band at your indie festival (and, further, why you should make sure to check out your local hardcore scene). Singer-songwriters and synth-fiddling bedroom nerds have proven themselves to be viable options, but you'll never find anything as vital, energetic or downright magical as a heavy, mosh-inducing, positive hardcore show.
Only hardcore could birth a band like Turnstile in this day and age. The Baltimore quintet play groove-oriented and ridiculously heavy music packed with breakdowns upon breakdowns. And yet they balance out the hardness with melody, groove and, somewhat absurdly, hints of 311 and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
It's difficult to predict if hardcore kids will continue vibing out to Turnstile in the next half-decade or so, but right now they've struck on some audio gold. Playing in the tiny, cramped corner of the Legion's upstairs area, they inspired an endless swarm of pile-on sing-alongs, perfectly practiced windmills and inspired speeches about positivity and gratitude. Their set was simultaneously a nod to the long lineage of all ages heroes that came before them and a perfect snapshot of what hardcore fanatics are practicing their two-step choreography to at home.
That's why you should always go out of your way to catch the token hardcore band at your indie festival (and, further, why you should make sure to check out your local hardcore scene). Singer-songwriters and synth-fiddling bedroom nerds have proven themselves to be viable options, but you'll never find anything as vital, energetic or downright magical as a heavy, mosh-inducing, positive hardcore show.
