Turnstile ‘Wants To Celebrate’ With Sold-Out Crowd At Milwaukee’s Eagles Ballroom

“Is everyone doing alright?” asked Turnstile frontman Brendan Yates. “I want to celebrate.” Fans at Milwaukee’s sold out Eagles Ballroom Thursday night responded with a united enthusiasm and assurance before the band launched into “Holiday” off of their massively acclaimed 2021 release, Glow On. Despite handouts from the venue that read in bold black letters “No Moshing", the pit again took on a life of its own.

This is a Turnstile show. An almost impossible blend of community and chaos. The connection between the band and the crowd begins before Yates utters a single word. After the first crackle of Pat McCrory’s and Greg Cerwonka’s guitars, fans launch into a fevered two and a half minutes of pure adrenaline and sweat. Throughout the set, Yates continues to check-in with the crowd while bassist “Freaky” Franz Lyons hands out water to reaching fans. Then they do it all over again.

One would think such disorder would ruin the experience for some fans, but there’s a certain level of respect they have for each other that comes across as unique to Turnstile shows. It’s common to hear fans checking in on one another and pulling each other to their feet.

The hardcore punk band from Baltimore is touring to promote their 3rd studio album, Glow On, which was named album of the year by Spin. The band played 11 of the LP’s 15 tracks Thursday night, including favorites such as “Mystery”, “Blackout”, “Underwater Boi” and “T.L.C.”, which closed out the night’s show.

The new tracks seem to pack an even bigger punch live without losing the band’s signature crunch listener’s enjoy on the LP. Turnstile’s style of punk might lean more hardcore, but their sound and Yates’ vocals still come through crisp and melodic - even in a sold out Eagles Ballroom.

It’s no wonder these Baltimore punks have found a way to appeal to all types of listeners. They know how to infuse catchy hooks alongside heavy guitar riffs. And while Yates’ vocals can come close to screaming, he knows how to break the tension with catchy choruses where fans can sing along.

Before their last song of the night, Yates asks fans to “find someone you love” and get on their shoulders. “I want to see you,” he yells. And that’s what a Turnstile show is all about. No gimmicks and elaborate light shows. Hell, most of their shows are in near pitch black. A Turnstile show is a listening party for both the fans and the band. It’s all about community and just having a good time.

While you might get an elbow to the nose in the process, you’ll also get a hand to pull you right back up.

Turnstile has 11 shows left in their current 27-date tour. For a list of remaining tour dates and tickets, click here. See more photos from Thursday’s sold-out show at The Rave below: