Show Lineup: Ekko Astral, Jeff Rosenstock, PUP
Genre(s): Pop Punk, Punk, Indie Rock, Post-Hardcore, Folk Punk
Venue: The Van Buren
Date: Oct 1st, 2025
Description:
I think my life has permanently changed for the better following Jeff Rosenstock + Pup with Ekko Astral at The Van Buren. Just this morning, I woke up feeling healthier, more well rested, energized, ready to take on the day with some joie de vivre. You’re saying to yourself “Micah, I’m sorry, there’s simply no way that a concert can do that for you”. As you mutter to yourself about my personal feelings (wow, weird, don’t judge me like that, etc.) I am putting on my shirt that says “Death Rosenstock Party Party Party!!!!! Wait! World Ughhhhhh Bad? HHHHHHHH CryCryCry BuhBooHooooooooooo OK Deeeeep Breath party party PARTY PARTY PARTY PARTY!” and getting into my car, now nicer smelling thanks to my Death Rosenstock Air Freshener™. But that’s today, which is not yesterday. Yesterday, I had the absolute pleasure of covering two of my favorite bands, Jeff Rosenstock and PUP at the Van Buren in Phoenix, along with Ekko Astral as the opener. I want to first give a huge thank you to both bands and their teams, for trusting a student media organization to cover their show. None of what KAMP does would work without this bond of trust, and this commitment to DIY is absolutely essential. This radio station and maybe the earth as a whole would implode on itself if that trust/commitment didn’t exist. As always, I was running late to a Phoenix show. My Physiology + Anatomy Lab gets out at 5:30, so I had to book it in order to make it in time. I picked up my good friend Colton (who I put out my split screamo project with). I offered to pay for his ticket if he held my camera bag while I crowdsurfed. Phoenix parking was a nightmare (as always) and we arrived at the venue (despite a minor snafu where I confused where the box office at the Van Buren was) right as Ekko Astral was playing their last 2 songs. I really want to apologize for that, I’ve liked Ekko Astral for a while and their 2024 release Pink Balloons was one of my favorites of the year. It was a huge bummer to not be able to see them play in full. The last two songs sounded amazing, and I highly recommend you see them whenever they come back. I know I definitely will. (This unfortunate timing meant I arrived after the 3 songs limit for photos for Ekko Astral, so I don’t have any non-blurry photos of the set. I apologize. There will be some photos of their members later however, so stay tuned). Next up was Jeff Rosenstock (performing as Death Rosenstock? I get this confused from time to time).
I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’ve been this excited for a set in a long time. Jeff’s music has meant a lot to me since high school (You can ask me about my WORRY. story in person if you’d like, from when I worked at a record store). I really think his music is incredible, especially the themes and topics it broaches. I was across the venue getting water and sprinted to the photo pit when I heard the audience cheer. I really want to give a big shoutout to the Van Buren staff, who were really helpful and understanding throughout the whole photo-taking process, and did an amazing job catching crowdsurfers all night. One even pointed out when my adhesive photo pass had fallen off of my shirt onto the ground due to all the sweat on the fabric (gross, I know). I was a total mess taking photos; This was my first time really doing something like this! I took some far-away photos in May for Ichiko Aoba, but to really be in front of the band like this… and trusted with such special access… it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I appreciate all the people around me (venue staff/other photographers) for bearing with me, but I’m so happy with how the photos turned out.
I also feel inclined to mention how queer the set was, and how much that ruled. I honestly don’t see queer representation in shows enough, so to drape a massive trans pride flag over the amps is just such a great choice. You can also spot the guitarist’s bisexual pride flag guitar strap in some of the photos. It’s hard to put into words how reassuring it felt to see that on stage, it made me feel so represented and Jeff was acknowledging how messed up it is to be a trans person in this country at the moment, and how the show was a safe place for trans/queer people of all ages. Enough about my clumsiness and queerness: Jeff’s set was incredible. From the opening ripper Hall of Fame, not one moment lingered for too long for the rest of the set. I love the lyrics on Hall of Fame, they feel very poignant to my life sometimes. Don’t read them though, it’ll make you think I’m some sad sack all the time or something. Polar Bear or Africa, from We Cool? followed and I was floored by how good this one sounded. The band must have been practicing a lot of We Cool? material for their playthrough show in New York, and it definitely paid off. The third song before I had to skedaddle from the photo pit was Scram!, a fan favorite. It was so hard not to stop taking photos and dance and sing along during this one. I had the sudden urge to leave the photo pit via crowdsurfing, but cooler heads prevailed. As I packed up my camera on the floor of the venue, I heard the opening notes of LIKED U BETTER, my personal favorite from HELLMODE, Jeff’s 2023 release. Again, I danced and sang, this time with my fellow audience members. I got a water bottle at the bar because I had been sweating bullets throughout the whole photo experience and perfectly timed my “Thank you so much!” to the Bartender with the ending of the song. DOUBT, another from HELLMODE followed, and I finally made good on my promise to get in the pit. I was shoved every which way, and 2-stepped like my life depended on it. The build-up on that song is just simply second-to-none. What followed was 5 songs, HELLLLHOOOOLE through Perfect Sound Whatever, a suite of songs from the B-side of WORRY. I got in the pit again for Perfect Sound Whatever, and lost my mind screaming “It doesn’t exist!”. Not to say I had some sort of religious experience or something, but I think I finally understand the final lines of the song: Nothing really exists besides the people and music around you, and that’s a really beautiful thing. (Also: stop beating yourself up for mistakes so much. Perfect as a concept doesn’t really exist). What followed was a much needed break, as they played some early, slower material as well as stuff off of NO DREAM and POST-. The energy was dampened slightly (both metaphorically and literally) when the bass player (John?) began to lose power on their rig. As the band vamped with audience chants of “Will someone who works here… Please help us with the power!”, the guitar vamping led into Pash Rash, which got the biggest audience reaction of the set. The song comes in so fast and ferociously I saw two separate beers get spilled on unsuspecting members of the crowd. We formed a circle trying to keep people away from the beer spill to no avail. Nausea, another crowd favorite followed. I swayed in time with my friend (“Ordered!! An Egg White Sandwitch!!!” might be my favorite line to yell at any show). Other Jeff classics followed including Festival Song, 9/10, and You, In Weird Cities. These were so special, songs I’ve held near and dear to my heart for years. And also the Craig of the Creek theme song. He played the Craig of the Creek theme song. I was so fucking excited.
As a crowd surfing person holding a disco ball illuminated the entire venue to the final chords of You, In Weird Cities, Jeff walked off stage. The set was over. I left to go get merch. At any show, this would have been enough. I could have gone home, feeling justified at my driving all the way to Phoenix, and gotten Taco Bell jamming out to all the great songs left unplayed (I would feel like an asshole being like “the band should have played this!!!11!!” when we got a great setlist… I would have absolutely died for I’m Serious I’m Sorry though). But I didn’t go home. PUP was up next. I have been in love with PUP for years (I heard Morbid Stuff in my Freshman year of High School and never looked back). I think PUP is the perfect band to grow up to. You relate to different lyrics and songs every time you listen to one of their albums, and see all of the past versions of yourself in some special lines (“She said, “I feel like I’ve come untethered / In a room without walls / I’m driftin’ on a dark and empty sea of nothin’ / It doesn’t feel bad, it feels like nothin’ at all” from Kids). Pup took the stage and launched into No Hope from their new record, Who Will Look After The Dogs? I was so giddy taking pictures of the band I barely remember what they played for the first few songs.
After exiting the photo pit again, I stood a few steps back as the crowd launched into a new pit with every song change. The energy in the room was electric. I don’t think I’ve seen a crowd move that much all year. Every song bled into the next until it was simply an ecstatic haze of loud, LOUD, punk. The band was so tight, firing on all cylinders. I was especially happy to hear Morbid Stuff and Kids, those two songs in particular meant a lot to me. I listened to them a lot in high school when I needed some energy, or a pick me up (even though they are… a little depressing). The band closed out the main set with an incredible rendition of If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will from The Dream is Over, their 2016 record. The ending to this song live is just something you don’t forget, or at least I won’t forget for the rest of my life. I got to stand back a little and watch PUP’s lighting and sound team act out parts of the set (in particular, the lighting person was controlling all the lights live and it was like watching a wizard cast spells how they would choreograph the lights for every song). I watched them pantomime yelling at each other for If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will, and watched the sound person drop to the floor and start doing push ups during Shut Up (which Stefan started performing solo, in what they termed a “Lead Singer Power Trip”). Finally, both bands (Death Rosenstock and PUP) appeared on stage, and Also sprach Zarathustra started playing over the speakers as a giant banner was raised that proclaimed “DOUBLE BAND”. A roar of cheers washed over the crowd as both bands started playing Hey Alison!, another Jeff track from We Cool?. I want to give a huge shout out to the sound crew who had to deal with two different bands on one stage at the same time, it looked like no simple feat from my glancing at the production booth. It sounded incredibly full and real, like every instrument was represented. The double band went on to play Get Dumber!, a PUP track featuring Jeff, which was so fun to hear live. My buddy Colton was waiting for We Begged 2 Explode the whole night, I think that’s his favorite Jeff song. He nearly did a backflip when they started playing the opening chords. Getting to sing “All these magic moments are forgotten!” with a crowd full of strangers (which is in some meta way a magic moment itself that will one day be forgotten) was… so special. Reservoir by PUP followed, sounding so energetic and frantic with both bands. This was by far the biggest pit of the night. It felt like there was no safe corner in the venue. Finally, Ekko Astral entered the stage to the tune of Sandstorm by Darude as TRIPLE BAND was announced. Again, the audience went wild. All three bands joined up for a cover of You Oughta Know by Alanis Morisette, which brought the house down.
Crowdsurfing, an insane circle pit… it looked like a madhouse. All three bands sang the chorus one last time, left the stage and the house lights came on. Everyone looked around at each other like some sort of mass ritual had just taken place. In a certain way, one did.
I had such an incredible time seeing Ekko Astral, Jeff Rosenstock, and PUP. If this tour comes anywhere near you (or any of the artists individually!), all three are worth driving to see. What a show. Thanks so much to each of the bands and their teams for giving KAMP a shot at covering this astounding show. Get out and see a show! (But really, you should see this one).
Reviewer: Micah Dalton