Since this is the “That’s What I Call Pop Punk Tour” with Free Friends, I definitely thought they were the headliner. However, for the Milwaukee date, they were not the closing act. That said, in my mind, they were the headliner. Either way, you know me and pop punk go together like a PB&J. I did get the opportunity to interview the band before the show, so be on the lookout for that exclusive content when it drops in our e-zine on September 25. Stay tuned! 

Free Friends is a trio based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Unfortunately, for this tour run, they’re down their cellist. So this does mean I probably need to see them and maybe interview them again for the full sound. Fingers crossed they make their way back to the good ol’ Midwest and the land of cheese that is Wisconsin. Considering how much trouble they’re getting for not visiting the Mars Cheese Castle, it’s safe to say they also have a loss to make up from the trip up here. 

Anyways, it’s a Tuesday night and we’ve got so much happening in the city. It was not a big turnout, but everyone who bought a ticket to fill in a spot made sure the bands on the stage felt all the love. Almost every band on the lineup played a pop punk cover — which, bless, I love covers — and everyone in the room (obviously) knew the songs. The first opener went by the name Othertones, and it was a solo project by local artist Iman Nadeem. She had such a beautiful, gentle, and powerful voice that I felt to the core. Her cover of “In Bloom” by Neck Deep was phenomenal. After her was Mighty Vices, who is on direct support with Free Friends for the tour and hail from Fort Wayne, Indiana. They were a bigger group and definitely made their presence known, especially when it came to making sure the crowd was enjoying their time. They also played a cover, and I’m very bad with song names, so I do not remember what they played— sorry! It was pop punk, which is the only important thing you need to know. 

Free Friends took the stage not too long after them, as the set changes throughout the night were short and sweet. Lead vocalist Ben DeHan made sure to give a shout-out to his wife and missing third member, Lauren DeHan, as she could not make it out for the tour. I enjoyed their set, but their sound definitely felt like it was missing a third voice, another sound, so I definitely need to know what they sound like with Lauren on stage with her cello. So come back to Milwaukee and let’s get that room filled with more people! Pop punk is growing literally as I find new bands all over social media every day. 

HaydenThePoser was the last artist to play. He definitely was the reason some people came out to the show that night because, by the time he took the stage, the audience count had doubled. There was some brief moshing and dancing happening during their set. They too played a cover and Will Dommers (Free Friends tour manager) ended up on stage to join in singing “Dammit” by Blink-182. It was such a fun sight to see. After the impromptu duet, Hayden laughed and said that was not planned, but he was glad it happened. I love seeing moments like this between the room and artist, because then that whole “wall” that gets put up comes down, and we get more authentic bits with each other. Remember to support those smaller artists – you never know when they’ll blow up!