The Bouncing Souls Played Starland with Andrew Jackson Jihad, Screaming Females, and Seaside Caves, 7/17/15

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Whether you're a dyed in the wool true believer or just a casual Bouncing Souls' fan, one thing you can't deny is that this band brings people together inside a giant cloud of positivity every time they play in New Jersey. On Friday night, The Bouncing Souls played Starland Ballroom in Sayreville with labelmates Seaside Caves, new guard New Brunswick punks Screaming Females, and Arizona anti-folkers Andrew Jackson Jihad. There were lots of familiar faces in attendance, and -- with the exception of a very few run-ins with security -- the crowd was the usual rowdy but exuberant bunch that packs out the Stone Pony every December.

Seaside Caves continued their two-night celebration for the release of their self-titled EP by opening up the evening. Fresh off a great night at Asbury Lanes, the band picked right up where they left off and won over many of the early arrivals with their dark and gothic pop.

The sweetest and hardest rocking live band in New Jersey, Screaming Females, were up next. I was speaking to some friends before the show, and we talked about how much we love it when people who may not necessarily know what to expect see the New Brunswick trio for the first time. Friday was no different. Between the time the screen that obscured the stage between sets went up and the end of Screaming Females' short set, I saw looks of amazement wash over more than a few faces (like Screamales first-timer Scotch LaRock).

Andrew Jackson Jihad had a large contingent of fans in the audience. The band have been at it for over 10 years now and have built up a devout following. Fans stormed the barricade throughout the band's set of folk punk. Lead singer Sean Bonnette spent the latter portion of the band's set cartwheeling and somersaulting on stage as crowd surfers launched a major offensive on the security guards along the rail.

That onslaught just increased as The Bouncing Souls began playing How I Spent My Summer Vacation in its entirety. That record contains some of the band's sing along favorites like "Private Radio," "True Believer," "Manthem," and "Gone;" and the crowd sang along with abandon. Frontman Greg Attonito made his way down to the barricade for "True Believer" and got swamped by the fans in the front. Bodies flew, connecting with me multiple times in the photo pit.

The band took a short break after album-closer "Gone" and came back out for a second half that included favorites like "Lean on Sheena," "Sing Along Forever," "East Coast, Fuck You," "K8 Is Great," and "Hopeless Romantic." They even previewed two new songs that Bouncing Souls expert and historian, Scotch LaRock, pronounced as sounding like throwbacks to the band's early catalog.

It was another night of community, friendship, and positivity as The Bouncing Souls put together a high-quality and diverse bill; and lots of our Asbury friends made the trip to Sayreville. I'm already looking forward to the end of the year, but we've got a summer vacation to finish up first.

Here are some highlights from all of the sets. The rest of the pics are up at Flickr.