Savage Mountain Punk Fest Day 2
President Bomber—All photos Evan Swartz
Night two, August 8th, started at 6:30, an earlier start time to accommodate all seven acts compared to the six from the previous night. Night two drew a younger crowd, along with some returning faces eager for the sequel. The first act, Mount Pom & The Storm, a local band, brought a different start to the night compared to the previous day’s rambunctious behavior. A melancholy musical act with moments of frenzy that felt like poison ivy swaying in the wind. Regardless of the tone shift, the band was welcomed with open arms by the crowd.
The second act of the night, Over Our Eyes, began at 7:15. The band offered a tonal shift from the previous act, propelling the audience into a melodic punk attack. The band would play songs like “Bender,” “Beautiful,” and “The Cheese is Always Free,” taking moments to express the importance of mental health and how punk offers a space for kids to feel accepted.
Over Our Eyes—All photos Evan Swartz
President Bomber commandeered the stage at 8:00. Their entrance brought a rollercoaster of a set, one defined by the intense attitudes of the masked members: JFK, Clinton, Bush, and Reagan, as they played their brand of hardcore punk while Reagan, their singer, danced and stage-dived like a jester on stimulants.
The fourth band of the evening, Soji, introduced the crowd to an unrelenting set of Philadelphia hardcore, establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Armed with a musical aura resembling concrete bubble gum in the best of ways, the band’s set concluded with the crowd cheering for an encore.
Hammered Hulls came next, a band who brought a post-punk/alternative rock frame of mind with a live hardcore edge to the venue. A head-turning combination that played jump rope between the two. Then, at 10:30, came the highly anticipated act of the night, The Queers. The band obliged the crowd with a set that reminded them why they fell in love with punk in the first place. The set was populated by their signature Pogo Stick style of punk, featuring songs such as “Noodelbrain,” “Ursula Finally Has Tits,” and “Fuck The World.”
The Queers—All photos Evan Swartz
Ending the night after The Queers came a cool-down set, featuring Skating Polly. A band that concluded the night with their stylishly corrosive and angsty sound, cementing night two as one of diverse inspirations. I would return the next day to participate in the final night of the event.
