Knuckle Puck is a five-piece pop punk band from Chicago. They have been making music and touring together for almost twelve years. With a wide discography from slow, emo classics, to fast-paced, in-your-face screamo anthems, they always put on a great show. Sad Summer Festival is lucky to have all five original band members in attendance, since over the years some have come and gone pursuing their own solo projects.

They began their set with “Untitled,” which produced a gasp from the crowd, because “Untitled” is the most notoriously sad, slow, emo Knuckle Puck Song, so why would they open a festival set with that? Well, it being Clearwater, Florida in July, it was almost 100 degrees and humid, and The BayCare Sound is an outdoor venue. Needless to say, we were in for a more relaxed than normal Knuckle Puck show.

The confusion was followed by familiarity: their upbeat hits “Gone” and “No Good.” Lead singer Joe Taylor eventually started moving around, encouraging a circle pit to form, which quickly led to him getting soaked in sweat. But I’m sure he is used to it as a veteran of the summer touring festival, Warped Tour, which was the inspiration for Sad Summer.

Knuckle Puck carried on with more and more energy, playing newer tracks off of their 2023 album, Losing What We Love: “The Tower” and “Groundhog Day,” which are much heavier than anything the crowd had seen thus far, so the reactions were varied. The hardcore fans started a circle pit and got to crowd surfing, while the people who love the serenity of Untitled shifted towards the back.

They closed their set with “Pretense,” which is a very nostalgic song to Knuckle Puck listeners. “Pretense” is on Knuckle Puck’s 2015 album, Copacetic. This album is turning ten years old in January and it was and still is their most popular record. This song and album brought Knuckle Puck out of the underground scene and gave them great success.

“Pretense” is also the song Knuckle Puck used to close with during their Warped Tour sets and back then, the guitarist and vocalist Nick Casasanto, would always join the crowd during his solo. Overall, a great choice for a closing track. Next January, Knuckle Puck is hosting a one night only anniversary celebration of Copacetic in their hometown.

Knuckle Puck is a band that takes time with their music, but is still consistent with touring. Over the years, their dedication has led them to headline their own tours and play at festivals like When We Were Young and Slam Dunk Fest. They will continue their journey on Sad Summer until August 9.

Review & Photos by: Emily Tonnessen

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Knuckle Puck Braved The Heat During Their Sad Summer Set