We can’t stop thinking about State Champs’ NYC takeover

My mind is racing and my heart is pumping, but it is full, happy, and alive. It’s a feeling I had been craving for a long time. At a State Champs concert, it’s like you’ve never been more in sync around a crowd of strangers. 

State Champs overtook Irving Plaza for a few nights in October. Plus, they played an additional night at Warsaw in Brooklyn. All this is to say, for a few nights, State Champs were the Kings of New York City. After all, this state is their home and they were going to give us shows that we could never forget. We’re still thinking about it weeks later.

What will always stand out about State Champs is their evolution as a band. In 2015, they opened for The Wonder Years, a band that is a notorious pinnacle of the Philadelphia pop-punk scene. From there, they leaned into a new niche in 2018 where they were added to Fall Out Boy’s Mania Tour. As the band took on new experiences, it was clear in their music that there were new sources of inspiration for them.

State Champs have never been a band with hard limitations. In fact, they’re the opposite. Unlike some other bands in the scene, each one of their albums takes on a sound of its own. This is what makes a setlist like the one in New York City so interesting. Each Champs song is written like an isolated moment in time with impeccable storytelling. So, the tour’s setlist became a web of memories and projections of futures. 

They pulled from some of their early work with “Elevated”, which was a standout song on their 2013 album Finer Things. They relied on fan favorites from Around the World and Back. They leaned into their pop influence with a Shawn Mendes cover and honored their 2018 era with a Fall Out Boy cover. Of course, they would be remiss not to include their more recent work, with “Just Sound” appearing on the list as well.  

However, admittedly, having spoken to some fans, there was more of a demand for their earlier songs. To grow, though, as artists and expand their fanbase may mean continuing to push these types of setlists on later tours which continue to provide variety.

We can’t not talk about the fans’ energy. 

Over top of the crowd, there’s a feeling of freedom. Crowdsurfers found themselves chasing that feeling that clears their mind of all their worries. Champs goes out of their way to facilitate a connection with every fan, but something about pointing up at your favorite band while they sing their best lyrics somehow elevates that connection.

The moshpit was a safe environment. Doesn’t that feel like an ironic statement? Moshpits aren’t all about danger and violence, they’re about trust in the community. Champs fans trust each other and look out for each other, values preached by the band themselves.

Ultimately, when State Champs inevitably makes their way back to New York City, we expect their fanbase to come out in droves once again.  

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