Review and Photos by Delaney Hawley
One of the goals of the Summer School tour was to bring back a lost sense of community. If you were in the crowd during the Denver show, you know it did just that. The line for the show wrapped around the building despite the heat. Whether fans were dressed in hot pink and cowboy hats or all black, it didn’t seem that there was a divide between them. I witnessed multiple fans making new friends. The night started with crowd surfing from the very beginning, and people from ages five to fifty filled the room. A unique aspect of Summer School is that you don’t know how the lineup will look until you get there, so every night of the tour has the potential to look completely different.
Letdown. was the first to take the stage, and while they may be new to the scene, they had the presence of seasoned professionals. They frequently interacted with the crowd and got everyone pumped for the acts to follow. One of my favorite songs of the night was “Go To Hell.” If you had told me that they had only toured a few times before this and mainly had an online presence, I wouldn’t have believed you. Letdown. are absolute naturals on stage.
Honey Revenge is a must-see act. I never tire of hearing Donny Lloyd shred on guitar, and singer Devin Papadol’s energy is so contagious she can energize any crowd. However, one of the most impressive aspects of the band is their ability to make everyone in the audience feel safe. No matter the venue or city, you know you’re welcome to be exactly who you are at a Honey Revenge show. They played an incredible set, ending with their hit song “Airhead” from their album Retrovision. They have recently released an extended edition, reimagining some of their most popular songs.
Stand Atlantic delivered my favorite performance of the night, starting with incredible energy. The room erupted the moment they took the stage. Fans can anticipate their new album WAS HERE, releasing on August 23rd, 2024. They previewed several tracks from the upcoming album, including “WARZ0NE” and “Criminal.” After a guitar strap incident, they engaged the audience with food talk and crowd interactions before resuming their set. They concluded with their hit song “Deathwish,” to an ecstatic crowd response.
Just when you thought the night couldn’t get more exciting, The Home Team took the stage accompanied by a dancing mouse and elephant. They are no strangers to a rowdy crowd. This was my seventh time seeing them, and I have never seen anyone stand still when the Seattle heavy pop band takes the stage. They started their set with the song “Brag,” and the crowd surfers and moshing took off immediately. They recently released their new album, The Crucible of Life, and filled most of the setlist with songs from it. Even though it had been out for less than a month, the crowd still knew all the lyrics. This is a band that gets better every time you see them, and if you haven’t had the chance yet, they’ll be heading back out on tour this fall with Neck Deep.
Magnolia Park has been on my list of must-see bands, and they did not disappoint. Joshua Roberts is an incredible vocalist who can easily put on a great show with his contagious positive energy. The night was full of special moments, including Magnolia Park being presented with a quilt made by a devoted fan, Yvette, known as the pop-punk grandma. The band moved around the stage with such enthusiasm that it felt like a party from the second you heard the first beat.
Scene Queen ended the night in Denver with an extra special set. She not only brought out her boyfriend, Joey Fleming of In Her Own Words, to sing “Barbie & Ken” with her, but two of her friends got engaged midway through. It was a wholesome and unexpected moment, which took place after she asked the crowd to make a “wholesome circle pit.” One of her best songs of the night was “Pink Panther” off her Bimbocore EP released in 2022.
In the end, it was a great night full of camaraderie across all the bands that played. Everyone who performed went to the merch stand in between sets to interact with fans. You could also catch glimpses of band members watching each other's sets from the side stage most of the night. The crowd loved every second of it, and it felt just like old times.
The Home Team
Stand Atlantic
Scene Queen
Magnolia Park
Letdown.
Honey Revenge
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