Photos and article by Paul Monahas

There has been so many great lineups for Disturbin’ the Peace festival at the Baltimore Soundstage, but in my opinion this years line up was perfect! The Baltimore hardcore scene is made up of an amazing group of people and this festival reminded me of that.

Before the first band even took the stage, we formed a little concert group that lasted the entire day! It wasn’t just the locals that attending—people traveled from other states along the East Coast, and the headliner, SPEED, came all the way from Australia.

Doors opened around two in the afternoon, and within 35 minutes, the first band, Erode, got on stage. It was great seeing members from every band in the crowd, moving around in the pit. This was a completely sold-out, all day festival, so from front to back, wall to wall, the venue was packed, but it never felt overwhelming.

The locals bands on the bill were a great way to showcase the Baltimore hardcore scene, with bands such as Erode, Sinister Feeling, JIVEBOMB, queensway, and Angel Du$t. Throughout the night, with all the moshing and stage diving, it didn’t seem like anyone was slowing down—the energy in the soundstage was contagious!

Jivebomb took the stage with full power, playing their new song “SURIVIVAL AIN’T TAUGHT.” Being a fairly new band, having released their demo on September 14, 2021, they’ve already built a solid fan base in and out of Baltimore. You could tell that they were having a great time enjoying themselves on stage—it felt like one big party with a family.

Every band’s set was only 30 minutes each, but it never felt too short. The sound checks between sets were quick, yet they didn’t affect how great all of the bands sounded.

Angel du$t took the stage right after E-Town Concrete and opened with saying, “every band tonight is Baltimore City hardcore,” before launching into their song “Toxic Boombox.”

The stage and the crowd erupted into absolute chaos as people were climbed up and stage diving off while everyone else sang along and moshed. Members of the band jumped into the crowd and were being held up while continuing to play!

Angel Du$t’s melodic yet hardcore sound makes it impossible to stand still while their music plays—I couldn’t help but also move around with my camera! Justice Tripp, the lead singer, invited anyone who wanted to get on stage to join him, and the crowd did not disappoint! Members from almost every band on the bill got up and sang with them throughout different songs.

Around 9:50 p.m., SPEED got the crowd ready by turning off the lights, leaving only a dark red glow on as lead singer Jem Siow,walked to the mic— with his flute!

Playing the flute intro to “REAL LIFE LOVE” before launching into “DONT NEED” was unreal to witness live. You could feel the band’s love for hardcore through the giant smiles on their faces.

The energy they expelled was unmatched, with nonstop movement—jumping, two stepping, and running from one side of the stage to the other while singing. It was mind-blowing.

The crowd wanted to show their appreciation for SPEED making the trip all the way from Australia, and I’ say we definitely did!

As the night came to an end, some people left, but many groups still hung around the stage and merch tables. We said our goodbyes and headed to our cars.

Honesty, that was one of the best all-day festivals I’ve been to in years. Next year’s Disturbin’ The Peace is already on my list of must-see shows, and if you couldn’t make ti this year, I highly recommend going. 

Links: Flatspot Record: https://flatspotrecords.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopJpnuYqV6xdbSxelj9B8tX5cbhErsjZzGN0LuN6Nd-zZHlSjRl