ALBANY – It had been a really long time coming.
After what seemed an eternity, Chicago based pop-punk/emo bands Knuckle Puck and Real Friends—two of the scene’s most widely beloved acts over the past decade—finally made their return to the 518 last week, amid the two groups’ co-headlining “Chilling and Rocking Across the USA” tour. And in the case of Real Friends, it was area fans’ first chance to see the band with its new vocalist, Cody Muraro, who replaced longtime frontman Dan Lambton in 2021.
In fact it had been six years since Knuckle Puck was last here (opening for Mayday Parade at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, in 2017); Real Friends reportedly hadn’t played the Capital Region since 2012 (J. Watt’s in Scotia), and that was it. Neither band had ever played Albany proper before; both struggled with pronouncing the city’s name onstage. Proud 518 fans quickly set them straight, of course.
As an added bonus, there was a killer opener: Ottawa pop-punk five-piece Bearings, who won over the crowd almost immediately with their abundant onstage energy and well-crafted hooks. Vocalist Doug Cousins showcased his powerful pipes and easy charm throughout the set, often harmonizing smoothly with guitarist/vocalist Ryan Culligan. The band’s eight-song set pulled evenly from both their 2018 full-length Blue in the Dark (“Eyes Closed” and the title track) and 2022’s Hello, It’s You (“Shaking Your Mind,” “Sway”), and also included a just-released single, “Scenery.” Expect a lot more from this young, highly talented outfit in the near future.
Knuckle Puck was first up out of the two headliners, bursting into action with the jolting opening strains of “Disdain,” off 2015’s Copacetic. Even early on, the set had the feeling of a long-awaited return; KP is back from label limbo, after signing with Pure Noise this past fall, and mid-set, singer Joe Taylor was eager to introduce the first song to drop on that label: “Groundhog Day.” Knuckle Puck hasn’t issued a full-length since 2020’s 20/20, but the band is clearly reinvigorated, and a new LP will be released later this year.
For now, though, fans were thrilled to get a “greatest hits” set from the band, especially after the six-year wait. Knuckle Puck’s set drew predominantly from debut LP Copacetic (“Wall to Wall,” “Untitled,” “Pretense,” “Evergreen,” “True Contrite”) and its 2017 follow-up, Shapeshifter (“Double Helix,” “Everyone Lies to Me,” “Want Me Around,” “Gone”), only briefly touching upon 20/20 (“Tune You Out,” “What Took You So Long?”). The quintet—vocalist Taylor, guitarists Kevin Maida and Nick Casasanto, bassist Ryan Rumchaks, and drummer John Siorek—even dipped all the way back to the early EPs, treating the audience to an old-school song block consisting of “But Why Would You Care?,” “Fences,” and “No Good.” The crowd loved every second.
What stood out most, though, was the band’s control of tonal dynamics, and willingness to branch out sonically beyond just their more traditional punk/hardcore vibe. Guitarist Maida tap-danced adroitly across his pedal board all night, bringing a surprising range of textures, while Casasanto served as a nimble counterpoint, also singing a good share of the vocals. Bassist Rumchaks rocked his Fender Jazz Bass and whipped his long-hair around with a fury rarely seen in pop-punk, while Taylor commanded the audience until the final note. It’s been some 13 years since Knuckle Puck formed in the Chicago suburbs, and the band has grown and matured into an exceptional group of musicians in that time. They’re now creating music that’s pretty tough to categorize and all their own, which is a considerable feat for any artist to achieve.
Real Friends, the final headliner of the night, are also a longstanding band from the Chicago suburbs that’s recently entered a new era, replacing original vocalist Dan Lambton in 2021 with Cody Muraro, formerly of Youth Fountain and Parting Ways. When the announcement of Lambton’s amicable departure first broke three years ago, fans were understandably devastated. But after officially introducing Muraro on the 2021 Torn in Two EP, listeners have had considerable time to warm up to the band’s newest member. The hard truth is Muraro is clearly a far better singer than Lambton, with more dynamics and range, even if admittedly, it sometimes sounds like a different band now.
The quintet’s brand-new full-length, There’s Nothing Worse Than Too Late, showcases Muraro’s considerable talents as a singer and lyricist, and is arguably the band’s most mature and coherent sounding release to date. But since the personnel shift happened during the pandemic era, for most in attendance it was their initial chance to see the new frontman in the flesh. If first impressions are any indication, Muraro—who reminded me of Anthony Green as he commanded the crowd with natural poise—is here to stay.
New faces aside, it was a classic Real Friends set, spanning the band’s recorded career, but largely honoring fan faves like the 2013 Put Yourself Back Together EP (“I’ve Given Up On You,” “Late Nights In My Car,” “Skin Deep”), 2014 debut LP Maybe This Place Is the Same and We’re Just Changing (“Summer,” “I Don’t Love You Anymore,” “Loose Ends”), and Lambton’s final full-length with the group, 2018’s Composure (“Get By,” “From The Outside,” “Me First”). Although not his songs, Muraro delivered on these classics with an intensity and professionalism that likely convinced any remaining doubters in attendance.
The “new” Real Friends was on display when the band broke out the material they’ve recorded since Muraro joined. The second song in the set was the undeniably infectious new single “Tell Me You’re Sorry,” and it was an instant hit with the crowd, as well as other new tracks, “Six Feet” and “The Damage Is Done,” and “Nervous Wreck” and “Teeth” from the 2021 EP. (The band chose to perform the latter acoustically, with just Muraro accompanied by guitarist Eric Haines.) The newer material seemingly went over just as well with attendees as the classics, and didn’t sound out of place within the set.
Listeners have described the change from the Lambton to Muraro iterations of Real Friends as a shift from traditional emo to more contemporary pop-punk, a la State Champs, and there’s some truth in that. The quality of the songwriting and vocal delivery on There’s Nothing Worse mark the first time that Real Friends can really be compared to SC, and this reviewer sees it as a good thing. There’s energy and enthusiasm to the new music that may likely endure long after the honeymoon with Muraro is over.
So while this show was certainly well worth the wait, let’s hope both bands return soon to the 518. (Come on, guys: Chicago’s not that far.) By the looks of it, just here in the opening weeks of 2023, both Knuckle Puck and Real Friends have a big year ahead.
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Real Friends – Empire Live, Albany, NY – 3/5/23 (Photos by Kylie Spinelli)
Knuckle Puck – Empire Live, Albany, NY – 3/5/23 (Photos by Kylie Spinelli)
Bearings – Empire Live, Albany, NY – 3/5/23 (Photos by Kylie Spinelli)
