2025 is the year of Turnstile. With the release of their fourth full-length studio album Never Enough in June and the deluge of press and praise that came with it, the Baltimore hardcore outfit successfully managed to cross into the mainstream after several years on the cusp. Give or take a few grizzled and grumbling vets, the embrace of a poppier, more melodic sound that can be heard throughout Never Enough hasn’t cost the band any credibility in the gritty DIY scene where they put in over a decade. Now, Turnstile is on a coast-to-coast tour playing some of their biggest venues yet. On Wednesday, October 8th, that tour made its way to Oregon for a show at the bucolic Edgefield amphitheater just outside of Portland.
Following hard-hitting sets from Jane Remover and Speed, Australia’s Amyl and the Sniffers hit the stage for a set of their high-octane punk. This was the band’s second appearance in Portland this year after kicking off their North American tour here with a sold-out show back in March (REVIEW/PHOTOS). This time around, they seemed to have gotten even tighter after many months of relentless shows. With the charismatic Amy Taylor as their ringleader, the band blasted their way through fiery punk tunes like “Facts,” “Guided by Angels,” “Tiny Bikini,” and “Big Dreams.” Taylor prowled the stage, flexed her biceps, and belted vocals into the mike as she got the crowd sufficiently pumped. In between tunes, bassist Gus Romer led the chant of “Oi Oi Oi” while guitarist Declan Mehrtens unloaded waves of thrashy shredding. By the time the band wrapped up their explosive set with “Jerkin’” and “Hertz,” they had succeeded in setting a raucous tone for Turnstile and further solidified their status as one of modern punk music’s more riveting acts.
During the brief intermission, a palpable, electrifying sense of excitement built before the house lights dropped and a wave of moody synth washed over the crowd. As the opening notes of “Never Enough” hit, the members of Turnstile suddenly rushed the stage and launched into the song’s swelling riffage. “T.L.C.” followed suit in the same melodic vein but with more speedy intensity. Following the anthemic barrage of “ENDLESS,” frontman Brendan Yates took in the scene and remarked to the crowd, “This is beautiful. I feel like I’m at summer camp, out here in the wilderness.” Indeed, the setting felt almost too placid for such a rowdy show, but the audience rose to the occasion, moshing hard enough to keep a perpetual cloud of dust floating above the pit throughout the performance.
The band held little back as they appeased first-timers and long-timers alike on songs like the shoegazey post-punk “I CARE,” fist-pumping rocker “DULL,” and the jolting, sludgy “Drop.” New songs like the dreamy “LIGHT DESIGN” fit in nicely alongside older fare like the relentless “Come Back for More.” On songs like “SUNSHOWER,” “Keep It Moving,” and “Pushing Me Away,” they showcased their ability to infuse their abrasive hardcore music with swing and rhythm, providing people with something to bounce and dance to. With each song, they managed to ratchet up the energy level, and the audience was fully along for the ride. This was even evident to people in the very back who took in the giant live feed of front row ragers projected behind the band, spreading the manic energy across the whole venue.
Any band – let alone a hardcore band – that has reached the level of success of Turnstile has earned the right to rest on its laurels a bit. At Edgefield, they did the opposite as they railed through the kind of set that made you wonder just how high the ceiling is. This type of music has long been relegated to dingy clubs filled with grizzled diehards, but Turnstile’s performance felt primed for an arena crowd. This was evident by the disco ball glory and epic guitar riffage of “SEEIN’ STARS” and straight into the encore that included an appearance from Justice Tripp, vocalist of Trapped Under Ice and Angel Du$t, on “BIRDS.” Whether you’re a curious onlooker or a rabid fan, Turnstile is not to be missed.
All photos by Greg Homolka
