Electric Ballroom, Camden
“Redemption time."
Whilst his band’s last outing here merely two years ago was dampened by bouts of Covid-19, Rosenstock valiantly returns tonight with a full line-up, new material and righteous redemption to ignite Camden's sold-out crowd.
Through the years, Jeff Rosenstock has situated himself as a surrogate leader of the people. From condemning gentrification, to enlisting greater transparency across the music industry, as well as clamouring together a slew of genres both old and new; the ‘person of the people’ has garnered support far and wide.
“What the fuck is up?!”, a rallying cry imminently alights the crowd as System of a Down’s rousing ‘Chop Suey’ dissipates from the soundsystem - a surefire omen of tonight’s inbound raucous. An indefinite number of power-pop, punk-inflected singalongs from Rosenstock's latest, Hellmode, soon follow: ‘Will U Still U’ breeds yearning (“Will you still love me after I’ve fucked up?”); chaotic destructiveness beseeches ‘Head’ (“There’s a bomb inside my head, And I wish that I could disconnect the threads”); acoustic-driven chanting uplifts ‘Liked U Better’ (“I liked you better when you weren’t on my mind”). Never one for half measures, Rosenstock provides all or nothing amongst the converging sounds, emanating a head-spinning euphoria bolstered by the collectivised crowd who remain relentlessly hell-bent on chanting until lungs expire.
Whilst such euphoria garners an undoubted reminiscence to the recent punk-inspired likes of Turnstile or Frank Turner, tonight’s leader also showcases an additional, endearing set of strings to his eclectic bow - turning to slower, acoustic-driven jams at the set’s midway mark. Both ‘Healmode’ and ‘Graveyard Song’ sheen with greater introspection from Rosenstock’s inner psyche, carving himself open for an adored set of fans who seek lineage, resonance and likeness to their championed, albeit afflicted, victor. For this victor remains adamant against stagnancy, even jostling through the crowd in one moment, appearing amongst the furthermost supporters for a surprise solo on saxophone.
Beyond the revelry amongst Rosenstock’s latest material, it’s his beloved 2016 breakout LP, Worry, which garners the greatest response tonight. Surging with a forthright take on straightforward power-punk tropes with sentimental cadences, tracks such as ‘Hell Hole’, ‘Perfect Sound Whatever’ and ‘We Begged 2 Explode’ vehemently rapture the audience one final time in a lung-busting arousal of chanting and rallying cries for tonight's set of sutured souls.
Whilst many punk iterations have withered and faded away (most tellingly Green Day), Jeff Rosenstock has continued to strive forward - crusading forth an act of redemption. The surrogate leader may not have reinvented the bespoke wheel for punk admirers, yet an exuberance, a sympathetic ear, and a righteous conviction harness this evening’s procession filled with incessant beer, sweat and chanting. As one of the current archetypes for punk’s modern revival, Rosenstock has solidified his status, extending an invitational blend of power pop and ska amidst a resounding critique of modern society. Damned by a destructive whirlpool of energy, Rosenstock and his band continue their surefire trajectory to modern greatness, unhindered at this moment in time.
8/10
Jeff Rosenstock's latest LP, Hellmode, is out now via Polyvinyl and can be found below.
Photo is courtesy of Joe Steven Hart whose work can be found here.
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