Meet Me At the Altar stands out amongst stacked lineup at Irving Plaza

Pop punk’s not dead — it’s simply changing, growing, and becoming a better version of the original.

It felt like all of New York City’s pop-punk scene was smooshed and packed into the 1,200 person capacity Irving Plaza. Maybe before the pandemic, no one would think twice. Being pressed up against another concert-goer was the norm. Now, though, it still feels strange to be back amongst the crowd. Despite that peculiar feeling creeping its way up my neck, I still knew it was a true relief to be back among the community.

The venue was sold out. The bill was stacked. Fans were eager to see Anxious, Meet Me at the Altar, Hot Mulligan, and Knuckle Puck. So eager, in fact, that the venue was absolutely sold out. A mid-March show when the seasons were on the verge of changing was all anyone needed to feel that seasonal depression begin to drift slowly away.

The stand out of the night was none other than Meet Me at the Altar. In the early phases of their band’s growth, they managed to catch the eye of so many pop-punk legends like Dan Campbell (The Wonder Years) who features on the band’s acoustic song “Feel A Thing.” 

Prior to this tour, no one had been able to see much of Meet Me at the Altar. While the band’s first tour was in 2018, they didn’t really blow up until 2020 and were signed to Fueled by Ramen in the midst of the pandemic… meaning no more tours for them until now. So, unless you’re an absolute OG fan, you may not have gotten the honor of moshing to their music live.

via Ali Fitzgerald (@alfitzpics)

And it truly was an honor to see them in their element live on stage. Fans were clearly eager, nervous even, to finally see their new faves live before them. The anticipation was killer. Sure the lineup was stacked with bands that were undoubtedly going to sell out the venue themselves, but Meet Me at the Altar was the band that everyone was simply curious about. Fans wanted to see it for themselves — the viral band that had won the hearts of all of our idols already.

It was the pure energy that won us over in the end. Look, we love Irving Plaza, we really do, but that stage was simply too small to contain the undeniable force that was MM@TA. If you remember the golden days of Warped Tour, then you’ll recall that some stages were bigger than others and you could tell a band was on the cusp of blowing up when the stage was too small and there were too many people packed in front of it. MM@TA was outgrowing this stage even before they set foot on it.

Now, let’s talk about the obvious: Pop punk (like most of the music industry) is incredibly dominated by white men. Period. It feels like every tired lineup we see is another mix of the same men copy and pasted over and over.

Fans have been demanding a change for a while now. MM@TA is that breath of fresh air we need. They’re a full female band. Not only that, but they’re a Black and Latina band. They’re the proof that including more diverse voices in this scene will get you some of the best music that this genre can offer.

It’s sort of a scapegoat to try to compare the band to the likes of Paramore. All respect to Hayley Williams, but every female-fronted emo band is not going to be Paramore. MM@TA is much more on that Riot Grrrl vibe. They fit in with the current pop-punk bands that give us that harder, rockier sound. MM@TA isn’t shining away from that pounding, dangerous sound. Songs like “Hit Like a Girl” address the power and strength of women. When performed live, what you see is a mosh pit full of the exact powerful women that the band sings about. Women in this scene should never be made to feel invisible: and MM@TA knows this.

via Ali Fitzgerald @alfitzpics

It’s not like their music only focuses on this topic, either. However, the female identity is forever intertwined with any experience. I digress. MM@TA delivered a stellar performance through their other songs, too. “Now or Never” showcases, particularly, the wonderfully supported vocals of lead singer Edith Johnson who delivered a performance that we’ll never forget.  

The three-piece band is also made possible by guitarist Téa Campbell and drummer Ada Juarez — both so incredibly talented in their own right. Campbell gives us some sensational guitar with the classic punky feel and effortlessly shreds. On stage, she seems to feed off the energy of the audience and give it right back. Juarez was in an interesting position since it’s not uncommon for drummers to fade into the background. However, that night, Juarez actually drew the crowd in with her skills. She took up space, something not always easy for women (especially in music to do).

In fact, that’s the thing about MM@TA live: they didn’t seem afraid. They made the stage their own. They demanded to be heard and they certainly were. There’s something indescribable about the power of pop-punk… and there’s something even more about the power of women.

Check the band out on Spotify and Instagram.

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