Tropical Punk is tearin’ it up across the country. They’re playing a full U.S. tour this summer to promote their upcoming Runaway American Kids.
The Nashville band came to their old stomping grounds in Ithaca, N.Y. to play a show at Pete’s on Cayuga.
Though its graffiti-covered walls might suggest otherwise, Pete’s doesn’t normally host shows. A small lamp with an angled shade barely lit the bands. There was no stage and no in-house sound, and that was OK.
Joe Steinhardt, a co-founder of Don Giovanni Records (home of Screaming Females and Waxahatchee) played first. The New Jersey native, who performs as Modern Hut, showed off his songwriting with a lonely acoustic set. He was modest and gracious to the small group of friends and listeners watching.
Routine Involvements replaced Candy Pants, who were originally billed for the show. The Rochester band had played with Tropical Punk the night before and were invited to fill the spot. The powerhouse garage-punk duo caught the attention of the bar-dwellers in the next room and soon filled the tiny space. Atom Mac played the drums with incredible force, and Ben Corey switched between noise-heavy chords and blues riffs.
Tropical Punk started to play at about midnight. They played some old favorites for the local crowd, opening with “Witch Doctor.” They also flew through summertime rock ‘n’ roll songs like “Try To,” “Why Don’t We Take a Ride?” and “Crackin’ Up.”
Somewhere in the flurry of their set, the lamp was kicked over, smashing the bulb. The band shrugged it off, playing harder than ever. “Take Me to the Party, Baby” got the crowd moving even more, and “Dream Darlin’” turned into a giant sing-a-long to finish the set.
Don’t miss Tropical Punk this summer. Check out the tour dates after the jump.
June 29 – Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar
June 30 – Ithaca, NY – Pete’s
July 1 – Albany, NY – House show
July 2 – Boston, MA – ZuZu
July 4 – New York, NY – The Living Room
July 5 – Brooklyn, NY – The Grand Victory
July 6 – Hamden, CT – The Space
July 7 – Brooklyn, NY – The Tea Factory
July 8 – Philadelphia, PA – M Room
July 9 – Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
July 13 – St. Louis – Nice Age
July 14 – Lawrence, KS – The Overlook
July 15 – Denver, CO – TBA
July 17 – Boise, ID – Neurolux
July 19 – Vancouver, BC – TBA
July 20 – Seattle, WA – Black Lodge
July 21 – Seattle, WA – Capitol Hill Block Party
July 23 – Portland, OR – TBA
July 24 – Bend, OR – The Horned Hand
July 25 – Oakland, CA – TBA
July 26 – Los Angeles, CA – Molly Malone’s
July 27 – Phoenix, AZ – TBA
July 28 – Las Cruces, NM – TrainYard
July 30 – Austin, TX – TBA
July 31 – Memphis, TN – Mosaic House
