The Summer School Tour has become one of the best ways to discover some of the most exciting names in pop punk and alternative music, and after spending a night at the Cincinnati stop, it’s easy to understand why. The tour offers truly some of the most captivating and fun performances that demand attention.
Better Anyway opened the show, hailing from Dayton, Ohio, for an enthralling return to their home state. Even though they had the first set of the day, they got the crowd going immediately and they were the perfect way to kick off the night.
Next up was Chase Petra, who absolutely won the crowd over with their mix of incredible musicianship and personality. During one of their songs, they picked a fan, Jayden, from the audience to become part of the bit. After deciding everyone had danced hard enough, they jokingly announced that Jayden was allowed to live, which got some of the biggest cheers of the night and made the set feel extremely interactive and personal.
South Arcade brought a completely different energy. The UK band leaned into nostalgic early 2000s pop rock while somehow making it feel brand new. Their set was upbeat, infectious, and impossible not to dance to. One fan handed the band a few packs of Pokémon cards during the set, and I cannot stop wondering what they pulled.
Games We Play delivered one of the highlights of the entire day, and was clearly a crowd favorite. Frontman Emmyn Calleiro had the crowd laughing just as much as he had them singing along.
At one point, the band invited a fan, Luke, onstage to play the keyboard after noticing him dancing harder than anyone else in the crowd. They said that they weren’t planning on bringing anyone up, but Luke gave them no choice.
After talking about how Cincinnati had become their favorite stop of the tour, the band decided to play the live debut of “Maybe I’m Right,” a song they haven’t played on any previous date and even after they were told to wrap it up, he refused to cut the song short. Calleiro played the song as the set was torn down around him. It was kind of beautiful and poetic. It was one of those moments that couldn’t have happened anywhere else.
Winona Fighter, a personal favorite, somehow managed to crank the energy up even higher. Their set was loud, thrilling, and impossible to look away from. They have an infectious stage presence that immediately commands attention, where every song is even bigger than the last.
Honey Revenge closed out the night with one final burst of energy. Their set was packed with singalongs, dancing, and nonstop excitement. They held a crowdsurfing contest, and Cincinnati officially broke the tour record. It was the perfect ending to a show that never slowed down.
There are still plenty of chances to catch the tour before it wraps up, and you do not want to miss this. Tickets are available here.
Remaining Summer School Tour Dates:
- July 15 – Cleveland, OH
- July 16 – Pittsburgh, PA
- July 18 – Worcester, MA
- July 19 – Asbury Park, NJ
- July 20 – New York, NY
- July 22 – Philadelphia, PA
- July 23 – Silver Spring, MD
- July 25 – Nashville, TN
- July 26 – Atlanta, GA
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