Shows are slowly making its way back into the fabric of the local music scene and I couldn’t be happier. There’s something about going to a show on a Thursday night, there to support your friends, and the off chance you find some amazing new bands to support. Which is exactly what happened at the Playing Heroes debut show this past Thursday. The five-piece pop punk officially debuted in 2021, but for most of the band members it was their first show they’ve played since the pandemic. “For many of us, it has been two years since our last show with other projects” Frank Caputo, the rhythm guitar of Playing Heroes wrote to me after the show, “It made playing together live for the first time very special.” But before we get into the main act, read on to hear my recap of the amazing support!
Holly Turner Photography
I walked into Amityville Music Hall with New Saviors kicking off the night with some high-energy hard rock. If Michaela’s velvet vocals didn’t draw you in, the whole band’s energy absolutely turned heads and really created a wonderful teaser and truly set the tone for the rest of the night.
Maple Hill, based in Ithaca, NY, was up next and I’ll be honest they had me at their first song. Something about the first hit of vocals and the beat had me sweating and ready to hear the rest of their set. The energy was always lively and there was never a lull. Maple Hill had a sound that I could very much describe as autumn-emo: while the weather gets colder and the leaves turn to their reds and yellows, it feels like the only way to combat this change is to jump and mosh it out which is exactly what fans old and new did for their set.
Austin Spruill
Bay Street was up next, who warned us at the start of their set that though they did have some pop punk songs that would fit with the theme of the show, “we’re gonna play a heavy set anyway”. And a heavy set they played! When a collective stays true to their roots and their genre, no matter what bill they’re on, I think it just makes their set that much more powerful. Bay Street threw their all into their set, literally. From starting moshpits mid-song to arching back and letting out screams that came from the very core of themselves. As with the other bands, Bay Street spared no expense of keeping the energy going from the first to the last song. The last of their set they urged the crowd to “make this song your bitch” which threw everyone into a frenzy of windmills and skanks and horsing around which conveniently enough is a perfect description of their last song. Needless to say we bought a handful of merch immediately after their set.
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Last but not least, the reason we were all there: Playing Heroes was up next. I was already super excited for this debut. Not only had they released their latest banger “Killroy: A Life Well Lived” the same day, but during the entire night I had seen front man Joel Sofia jump around and mosh for the bands prior so you could tell they were gearing up to give that same energy back into the crowd for their set. And folks, a debut show they put on. They played all of their latest releases and released the grittiest punk rock riffs through the venue. One thing that was the most noticeable was how many dedicated fans there were at the show; despite releasing “Killroy” not even 24 hours ago, you could see a big handful of people already singing them back at the band as they played as if the song had been an old favorite of fans for years. Putting on a debut show while only officially being a band for 10 months isn’t an easy feat, but Playing Heroes showed up, showed out, and proved that you can fill up a space and have a gnarly good time on a Thursday.
Overall this was a fantastic show at Amityville Music Hall and absolutely one for the books. Missed Playing Heroes? Don’t worry, their next show is a house show October 30th, be sure to keep up to date with their social media for more details!