On November 13th, pop-punk band State Champs played to a rowdy crowd at the House of Blues Anaheim in California. The fourth show of their fall North American tour, they brought along support acts Knuckle Puck, Meet Me @ The Altar, and Daisy Grenade. For the Anaheim date specifically, San Diego pop-punk band New Aesthetic joined the stacked lineup to open the show. Hitting 21 cities across the United States and Canada at reasonable prices and great venues, State Champs continues to up their live show game.
Daisy Grenade rushed onto the stage and the crowd immediately started feeding off of their infectious energy with “Sick In The City” from last year’s EP Cult Classic. Even though it was still early, the 2200 capacity music hall was already getting full, and Daisy Grenade was engaging everyone with their bubblegum pop-punk bops that pack a punch. From New York, the duo is made up of Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittaker, who play off of each other’s theatrics on stage to give the crowd a great show. A highlight of the set was recently released single “How To Hide A Body” and Nirvana cover “Polly.”
Their occasional synchronized dance moves and teaching the crowd their songs really got the audience engaged and excited. They also took a second to announce that at each show on tour, they’re partnering with a different local mutual aid — for this one, Jail Support LA — and encouraged everyone to visit their table to find out more. This was my third time seeing Daisy Grenade, and they prove each time that it’s absolutely worth it to show up early and rock out.
After a short wait, all female pop-punk trio Meet Me @ The Altar took the stage. The band was formed online in 2015 and went viral in 2020, going on to sign with Fueled by Ramen and opening for Green Day. MM@TA consists of vocalist Edith Victoria, Téa Campbell, and Ada Juarez. They continue to play by their own rules, making songs about female empowerment and not being fazed by anyone that says they don’t belong in the scene. During “Hit Like A Girl,” Victoria encouraged a mosh pit that was only for the girls and allies, no gentlemen allowed.
The energy was electric, and there were several crowd surfers throughout the set. They played a mashup of “Sweetness” by Jimmy Eat World, “My Friends Over You” by New Found Glory, and “My Own Worst Enemy” by Lit, which got the whole crowd singing along. For their final song, Victoria taught the crowd how to do the backing vocals for “Kool,” her vocals really shining through.
Chicago pop-punk veterans Knuckle Puck were up next, starting off with “Want Me Around,” the crowd instantly warming to them and screaming the words. Formed in 2010, the band is made up of members Joe Taylor on lead vocals, Nick Casasanto on co-lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Ryan Rumchauks on bass guitar and backing vocals, Kevin Maida on lead guitar, and John Siorek on drums and percussion. Like State Champs, the band is a staple in the scene, consistently putting out heavy-hitting bangers to low-key, meditative tunes. I’ve seen Knuckle Puck multiple times before and have been a fan of them since their iconic album Copacetic in 2015.
That being said, I’ve never seen that many crowd surfers during a supporting band’s set, a testament to the power of Knuckle Puck’s reach after all this time. They played a solid mix of older and newer songs, including some from last year’s album “Losing What We Love”, and recent single “On All Cylinders.” They could have been headlining the way that the fans were moshing, surfing, and scream-singing the words back to them. The explosive set finished with the one-two punch of “Untitled” and “No Good,” a fantastic conclusion with insane energy from everyone in the room.
The moment had finally arrived. State Champs strolled on stage, greeted by loud cheering, launching into new song “Silver Cloud.” State Champs consists of vocalist Derek DiScanio, guitarist Tyler Szalkowski, bassist Ryan Scott Graham, and drummer Evan Ambrosio. The Albany, New York band recently released a self-titled album, their fifth studio album, reintroducing themselves since forming in 2010. This album prompted a State Champs by State Champs tour, brought to you by State Champs. They’ve brought along new friends Meet Me @ The Altar and Daisy Grenade and former tour mates Knuckle Puck to create a can’t-miss show with a stacked lineup, always a guarantee with State Champs.
Getting their setlist staples like “Elevated,” “Remedy,” and “All You Are Is History,” never disappoint, as well as new songs including “Light Blue,” “Hell Of It,” and “Tight Grip,” which were exciting to hear live for the first time. They also included a mashup of snippets of “Perfect Score,” “Frozen,” and “Fake It,” thankfully, otherwise we would’ve missed out on Graham’s iconic dance moves during “Frozen,” and we can’t have that.
We were also lucky enough to get the tour debut of “If I’m Lucky” performed acoustically by DiScanio, the room coming to life with everyone’s voices joining in with him. A memorable part of the show was “Save Face Story,” one of the best songs on State Champs before leaving the stage, featuring Cody, their merch guy (Slope is featured on the original track). After enough chanting for an encore, the band returned for certified party banger “Everybody But You” and evergreen “Secrets,” with confetti exploding into the room and everyone going crazy. I’ve been a fan of State Champs for a decade and haven’t stopped going to their shows since. I’ll always recommend them as one of the best live bands to see that are constantly upping the ante. It’s easy to tell that they truly love what they do, and they are so good at it.
Tickets are still available via the State Champs website, including VIP options.
GALLERY: State Champs, Knuckle Puck, Meet Me At The Altar & Daisy Grenade at House of Blues Anaheim (November 13, 2024)
