REVIEW: PUP + Jeff Rosenstock with Ekko Astral - A CATACLYSMIC RAPTURE OF FRIENDSHIPNESS!!! Tour: Live at The Eastern - ATL

Co-headlining their newest tour, the punk-rock superstars turned fans into fellow friends with a fun-filled concert of chaos

PUP and Jeff Rosenstock together on stage at The Eastern (Photo by Mikey Smith)

After Atlanta’s busiest rock weekend, modern-day punk legends PUP and Jeff Rosenstock threw our city an unofficial festival afterparty at The Eastern. With moments both silly and tender, the co-headliners made this night one for the ages.

PUP frontman Stefan Babcock and Jeff Rosenstock showing off their friendship (Photo by Mikey Smith)

The evening began with a set from up-and-coming D.C. punk band, Ekko Astral. The trio laid out a set of rules that would continue through the night: no bigotry, no harassment, and mosh with love. While this should go without saying for most concerts, this sector of the punk scene goes above and beyond to extract any sort of negativity at shows.

Lead singer of Ekko Astral, Jael Holzman, starting the evening off on a high (Photo by Mikey Smith)

Once the opener kicked into cuts off their latest album, pink balloons, the crowd began to headbang, sing along, and form their own variation of moshing nicknamed the “Wall of Coming Togetherness” (a positive spin on the classic “Wall of Death”). The audience was also treated to powerful unreleased tracks like “Capitol Riot.” Even in their brief set, Ekko Astral started the night off right with fast riffs, rebellious energy, and abrasively happy sounds.

The aforementioned "Wall of Coming Togetherness" (Photo by Mikey Smith)

Shortly after the opener wrapped up, Jeff Rosenstock and his band of rockstars, Death Rosenstock, made their way to the stage. Playing a different setlist of fan-favorites each night, ATL was blessed with a mix of classic hits such as “LIKED U BETTER” and “You, in Weird Cities” and deep cuts like “OLD COLD.” 

Jeff Rosenstock jamming out to songs off albums such as We Cool? and HELLMODE (Photo by Mikey Smith)

The band’s raucous and chaotic aura was matched well with their cautiously optimistic outlook on the union of humanity. Rosenstock and Co. don’t shy away from the mess in their message, highlighting the problems with modern society and the effects it has on ourselves and those around us. However, the pop-punk auteur advocates for friendship, acceptance, and uplifting those who may be overlooked. 

Jeff & Death Rosenstock performing live at The Eastern (Photo by Mikey Smith)

Stefan Babcock of PUP (Photo by Mikey Smith)

Once Death Rosenstock had wrapped, PUP carried the torch and began digging through their back catalog of tracks both old and new. Moments in the set like “Hunger for Death” built up slowly, while songs such as “Morbid Stuff” hit the ground running, giving fans something to belt out as they crowdsurfed. No matter what the vibe was, PUP always made sure the crowd was entertained, bouncing around stage playing loud and proud.

PUP continued repeating the rules of looking out for each other and spreading love. Frontman Stefan Babcock often bantered with fans, helping them as they would find lost hats, glasses, and phones in the moshpit. Even as the crowd got rowdy, people never seemed to be scared nor in danger. Both headliners created a safe and fun atmosphere for fans old and young to enjoy.

Fans crowdsurfing during the night's most high-energy songs (Photo by Mikey Smith)

On a side note, I would love to acknowledge the accessibility for members of the audience from all backgrounds. Each set of the night was ASL interpreted for fans who may be deaf or hard of hearing. I appreciated that this was not only offered in general, but that they made sure that it was included for all three performances of the evening. The merch table also featured limited edition signed posters which benefited the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

PUP playing to a packed crowd from all different backgrounds (Photo by Mikey Smith)

Finally, what’s a co-headlining tour without a moment of collaboration? Well, PUP started their encore alongside Jeff & Death Rosenstock. The headliners fused together to form...DOUBLE BAND. With their own 2001: A Space Odyssey-style intro, DOUBLE BAND rocked out to Rosenstock tracks like “We Begged 2 Explode” and PUP songs including “Reservoir.” With so many band members on stage, both artists created immersive versions of these classics that sounded arguably as good, if not better than their studio counterparts.

DOUBLE BAND making their ATL debut (Photo by Mikey Smith)

With a double encore, DOUBLE BAND was joined by opener Ekko Astral to form…TRIPLE BAND. Closing with a cover of “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette, the three artists turned the evening into the most fun jam session with your best friends. By the time the lights came back on, the advertised “CATACLYSMIC RAPTURE OF FRIENDSHIPNESS!!!” felt achieved as the audience danced their way out of the venue.

DOUBLE BAND becoming...TRIPLE BAND!!! (Photo by Mikey Smith)

Calling the pairing of PUP and Jeff Rosenstock “perfect” would be an understatement. Each artist plays to each other’s strengths and emphasize the crossover in their fanbases on a new level. This tour has set a standard for co-headlining shows in the future. The humility of all three artists and their genuine care for seeing improvement in the world will leave any fan wondering how they can help out in their community.

PUP, Death Rosenstock, and Ekko Astral leaving fans with countless new memories (Photo by Mikey Smith)

A big thank you to PUP, Jeff Rosenstock, and Ekko Astral's teams for making this possible! We would also like to thank The Eastern, The Masquerade, and Zero Mile for planning this incredible event! Please enjoy a gallery of highlights from the evening below.

Article and photos by Mikey Smith. Please credit @mts2.photo or @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.