CHICAGO- The week before classes always feels strange, not just for DePaul students, but for everyone. It’s a rush to get organized, while also squeezing in those last-minute hangouts before school nights take over. For me, though, that week meant catching a show.
When I heard Jeff Rosenstock and PUP (Pathetic Use Of Potential) were teaming up for a joint tour, it felt like a punk dream I couldn’t pass up. On a late summer night, the Salt Shed was packed wall-to-wall with fans for the “A Cataclysmic Rapture of Friendshipness” tour, a night overflowing with political energy, chaotic fun, and pure punk rock spirit.
Ekko Astral opened the show playing iconic songs as well as some unreleased, such as “The Beltway Is Burning” and “Capitol Riot.” Then Rosenstock took the stage, and his setup instantly caught my eye. It was everything you’d expect from Rosenstock, unapologetically bold and chaotic in the best way. A rainbow flag with cannabis leaves surrounding a “666” backed Rosenstock and his band, creating a backdrop that was as striking as it was symbolic. Equal parts rebellious, beautiful, and powerful.
He started his show with an older song called “The Lows.” Rosenstock claimed that this one was the “first time in 10 years” as it was the first time being performed since Feb. 8 2019. After this, he tore into the classics that everyone knows, “Nausea,” “Pietro, 60 Years Old,” even “I Did Something Weird Last Night.” Fans hopped over each other in crowd surfing battles, and the mosh pits were endless. The energy seemed to crackle through the entire venue. At one point, Rosenstock snatched a doll from an eager fan in the front row, laughing, “Well, that was worth it.”
Amid the chaotic pulse of “HELLLLHOOOOLE,” Rosenstock paused and asked the crowd if “she said yes” insinuating a possible proposal… silence followed. A ripple of awkward laughter swept through the venue before Rosenstock shrugged off the tension and dove right back into the set.
One of the most beautiful moments of the show in my opinion was when Rosenstock broke out in “9/10.” Watching the crowd take a quick intermission from their moshing to band together and swing their arms back and forth reminded me of the power of music and connection. Despite Rosenstock’s usual hardcore music, this song marked a pause, before jumping right back into the chaos with “You, In Weird Cities.”
Post Rosenstock set called for a brief intermission, and then PUP came out screaming (literally.) PUP’s lead singer Stefan Babcock launched into “No Hope” and “My Life Is Over And I Couldn’t Be Happer.” He spent a lot of the show reflecting on how the band wrote five records all based on existential dread. Yet, despite the heaviness in these tracks, the crowd found connection in the raw honesty. Babcock also reminded fans that “the world sucks right now – but the whole point of being here is to make others feel good and practice empathy.”
With that, they jumped back into their tuneful punk set. “Concrete” and “Morbid Stuff” had concertgoers putting their hands up and jumping. However, before “If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will” he mentioned that the Great Lakes is the only place where you’ll see someone apologize to security for pulling them over the barricade.
For the finale, the two acts combined forces and joined together for a few closing songs. The crowd began to chant “double band” repeatedly. They performed “Shut Up,” “Hey Allison!” and many more together, making it a point to jump on each other’s backs and run around the stage repeatedly. The night wrapped with an unexpected but unforgettable cover of the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” the perfect capstone to a show defined by connection, friendship, and the unshakable spirit of the punk community.
Walking out of the Salt Shed, I couldn’t help but feel grateful that my pre–first-week-of-classes stress had pushed me into this night – one I’ll remember long after the quarter begins.
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