Low Fidelity: “Move Thru Me” Tour

Chula Vista venue, The Industry, was graced with the presence of Turnstile’s “Move Thru Me” tour on Thursday, featuring locals Take Offense as well as the masters of melodic, groovy hardcore known as Angel Du$t.

After brief sets of in-your-face hardcore by Lock, and reverb-heavy post punk from Big Bite, excitement mounted as soon as Angel Du$t took the stage. Their set was brief and to-the-point, cuing up fan favorites from their debut record “A.D.” and their most recent effort, “Rock The F**k On Forever.” Never one to take himself too seriously, singer Justice Tripp moved his hips not unlike Elvis Presley as he crooned and screamed his heart out. The set closed out with a posse of girls passionately rushing the stage and taking the microphone, firmly sending the message that hardcore isn’t just boys’ fun.

Next was something entirely not-punk: a speech from a volunteer who introduced himself as a pastor. He greeted the audience and gave some background about the space, which also happened to be a church, and continued by reminding patrons to clean up after themselves, to be safe, and to respect each other. He defied convention again by telling the crowd that they had to mosh, otherwise God would be angry at them and would fall asleep. The crowd responded with furious enthusiasm, and on that note Take Offense took the stage.

Even though on their recordings Take Offense are wholly unlike the other bands on this bill (in the same way Suicidal Tendencies differ from Dag Nasty), the energy they exuded fit the show perfectly. Fans were windmilling, circle-pitting, two-stepping, and stage-diving, and it seemed that the band was having just as much fun. Coupled with the rousing speech from the pastor, they left the audience feeling unified in their love of the music, as well as in their frustration with the election and other current affairs.

The final band of the night was Turnstile. Known for their insane and fun live shows, the crowd was completely energized and hyper as soon as they played the first notes, and the seemingly peaceful church turned into a place for unrestrained moshing and slamming. The set was fraught with mic-grabs and stage-dives from both band and audience members, and even though things seemed sometimes chaotic or scary, the vibe was nothing but positivity and fun.

Personally, I was hit in the face, hit in the chest, kicked in the head, and unceremoniously used as a landing platform for many a stage diver. However, I left the Industry with a bounce in my step, already awaiting the moment I would get to see these bands again.