Sunday, October 4, may have been the second rainiest day in Salt Lake City’s history, but that didn’t stop fans from piling into The Depot to celebrate two decades of Cartel’s beloved album Chroma. The 20 year anniversary tour marks Cartel’s first headlining tour in over a decade and features support from HUNNY, as well as Landon Conrath and Macseal on various dates. 

New York indie rock band Macseal kicked off the night, bringing good energy and vibes to an already packed room who turned up early in support. The crowd grooved along to tunes like “Nothing’s a Sure Thing, Shelly,” “Easily Undone,” and “Beach Vacation.” A portrait of Harry Styles sat center stage, no doubt a nod to their song “Harry,” a track which drummer Francesca Impastato planned to write for Harry Styles, but ended up as a broad character who deals with the concept of fading relationships. The 8-song setlist featured tracks from their most recent album, Permanent Repeat, released in 2024, as well as tracks from their earlier album and EPs. Macseal is on tour with Cartel through October 15, and just announced that they will headline Counter Intuitive Records’ 10 Year Tour, which features other artists like Prince Daddy & The Hyena and Bay Faction, and kicks off November 29th at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago. Tickets can be purchased here. 

Follow MACSEAL | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC

Up next, HUNNY, the now solo project of frontman Jason Yarger, took the stage, delivering a high energy set of their ‘80s inspired blend of indie/alt/pop rock tracks. Opening their set with “Xing Guard,” the crowd was instantly won over by the band’s catchy melodies and Yarger’s charisma. Yarger and his touring bandmates commanded the stage and had the audience dancing and clapping along with tracks like “Televised,” “kick ur teeth in,” and “Vowels (And the Importance of Being Me).” HUNNY is fresh off of an album release, with SPIRIT! having dropped on September 26th. The setlist featured tracks from the new album, as well as favorites from their earlier catalog. This band really put on an impressive performance. Give them a listen and check them out next time they roll through your city! HUNNY is on tour with Cartel through October 25 and is set to play three headlining shows in Greenville, Raleigh, and Birmingham just before that tour wraps. For tickets, visit https://hunnytheband.co/tour .

Follow HUNNY | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC

The vibes were high as fans eagerly awaited Cartel’s performance, singing along to the band’s perfectly curated playlist which included all the nostalgic pop-punk favorites from the Chroma era. The crowd’s excitement and energy shot through the roof as soon as Cartel burst onto the stage and it never let up from there. They kicked off their set with “Let’s Go,” “Faster Ride,” and “The Fortunate” before moving into the album everyone came out to celebrate. 

In honor of the record’s 20-year anniversary, Cartel released a re-recorded and reimagined take on the beloved album, which frontman Will Pugh said aimed to “bring Chroma into a modern place sonically,” elevating the tracks with the polish of today’s production. While remaking such an iconic album is a risky move, it really paid off. The modern polish and the growth that has come with years of experience took these tracks to the next level — which is impressive, considering most already regarded the album as a perfect, no-skip record. The re-record featured a slightly shuffled track listing to reflect how the band originally intended the songs to flow, and the flow worked very well live. Following “The Fortunate,” the band would go on to play Chroma front to back, with songs featuring the new production and track listing. Fans passionately sang along to every last word, swept up in a wave of teenage angst and nostalgia that made the room feel like 2005 all over again. Will Pugh strutted across the stage, vocals never faltering, while guitarist Nic Hudson bounced around, shredding with a contagious energy that was genuinely fun to watch. The fantastic visual light display added a whole new layer to the performance — a fitting choice, considering the word Chroma itself refers to color and intensity, bringing the album’s emotion and energy to life in a really striking way.

Following their nearly 15 minute performance of “Q & A” to close the set, the band returned for a 4-song encore. Early in the evening, fans had the opportunity to scan a QR code to vote on a song for the encore. The band revealed the winning song as “I Will Hide Myself Away,” noting that they don’t know why they are even taking a vote at this point, as the same song has been the overwhelming winner every single night. Just before their final song, Will Pugh gave a glimpse of what is to come for the band, announcing that their new record is complete and will be released next year. If these re-records, and the singles that were released in 2022 are any indication of what is to come, the future is looking bright for the Georgia pop-punk/alt-rockers. The band closed out the night with my personal favorite Cartel track, “Deep South,” which I was thrilled made the setlist — and it seemed like everyone else was just as excited, singing their hearts out and giving it everything they had for one final, unforgettable moment.

This performance was one for the books and one you surely won’t want to miss. The 20 year anniversary tour continues through October 25 where the band will close out their tour with a hometown show in Atlanta. Purchase tickets here.

Remaining Tour Dates

10/9 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall #^

10/10 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory #^

10/11 – San Diego, CA @ HOB #^

10/12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren #^

10/14 – Dallas, TX @ Echo #^

10/15 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk #^

10/17 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham #

10/18 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz #

10/19 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution #

10/25 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Heaven) #

# – Hunny

^ – Macseal

Follow CARTEL | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | X | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY | YOUTUBE