Thirty-five years after forming, Pinhead Gunpowder announced its first-ever tour in May. The “Bum Rush” tour featured 12 dates across the United States. On Tuesday, October 14th, they performed at Irving Plaza for a show fueled by punk rock and community.
The band formed in California in 1991 with Billie Joe Armstrong, Aaron Cometbus, and Bill Schneider, and later added Jason White in 1993. In 2024, the band released its first album in 21 years, ‘Unt.’ Drawing attention from longtime listeners and Green Day fans, due to Armstrong’s connection to both bands.
Fans began lining up hours before doors opened, with the line stretching down the street, wrapping around the corner, and continuing down the block. In the line, fans carried signs, and some even brought speakers to play the bands’ hits to pass the time.
The excitement only heightened as doors opened and fans ran to secure their spot on the barricade for the night. Not long after, Jesse Malin opened the night, capturing the attendees’ attention instantly with his rock style.
Playing hits like ‘Black Haired Girl’ and ‘Turn Up the Mains,’ Malin had the crowd singing back every lyric. Before closing out his set, he told fans to “keep fighting the system; there’s a lot of bullshit, and you know guys know it.”
Next up was Night Shop, the indie-rock and singer-songwriter project of Los Angeles-based musician Justin Sullivan. He kept Malin’s energy and amped it up, playing ‘Down the Line’ and ‘Let Me Let It Go.’ They set the stage for Pinhead Gunpowder’s highly anticipated performance.
As soon as the lights changed and the preset music stopped, Irving Plaza erupted in cheers, waiting for the band to walk across the stage. The members all came out smiling as the crowd made it clear they were ready for an unforgettable night.
They went right into ‘Asheville,’ grabbing the entire venue’s attention. Armstrong encouraged fans to move forward and put away their phones to be present for the night. The crowd followed suit, with fans along the barricade jumping and screaming as the energy continued to build.
Cheers grew even louder when Armstrong acknowledged that this was the band’s first-ever tour, welcoming the audience and saying they were “giving everyone 35 years of our memories of being a band together.” Pinhead Gunpowder did exactly that with a packed setlist of 29 songs covering six EPs/albums and two covers.
They played ‘West Side Highway,’ a fan favorite after 16 years, last played in 2010 during a 924 Gilman St. show in Berkeley, California. That wasn’t the only surprise for the NYC crowd. Lauren Presley, who was on the recording of ‘On the Ave.,’ came on stage to sing alongside Aaron Cometbus. Billie Joe Armstrong even played the melodica part, adding to the excitement of the performance.
Pinhead Gunpowder brought 35 years of punk history to Irving Plaza, delivering a high-energy set that celebrated the band’s extensive catalog and the community built around its music.
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