#ThrowbackThursday State Champs celebrates 10 years of ‘Around The World And Back’ with sold-out show at Brooklyn Paramount | Photos & Review

It’s no secret that State Champs has become one of modern pop-punk’s most influential acts over the last two decades. With over 830K monthly Spotify listeners, countless sold-out tours worldwide, and five full-length albums under their belt, the Albany four-piece first solidified their rise in the scene with their seminal 2015 record Around The World And Back. The band kicked off the new year celebrating the album’s immense impact with a short run of shows across the United States, including a sold-out show at NYC’s Brooklyn Paramount on Jan. 16th. 

Openers for each show varied, with Brooklyn being lucky enough to get Broadside, Real Friends, and Cartel all in one night. Frontman Oliver Baxxter took complete control of the stage beneath him as soon as Broadside’s set began with “I Think They Know.” With their fifth album now weeks away from release, the Virginia pop-rockers gave Brooklyn a taste of their most recent singles while still showing some love to older fan-favorite tracks. It’s almost impossible to describe the emotions radiating off the crowd during “Coffee Talk,” with every word of the band’s most well-known hit echoing throughout the venue. This was my first time being able to catch Broadside live despite listening to them since 2018 and it was everything I could’ve hoped for and more.

Real Friends was the next band on this stacked lineup, delivering a set full of catharsis, healing and pure pop-punk. You can check out my full review of Real Friends’ opening slot here. 

Cartel was the final opener of the night, intensifying the energy with a set full of 2000s nostalgia. The pop-punk icons began making music over 20 years ago and just recently made a massive resurgence in the scene last year. You’d never be able to tell, however, because the way they carry themselves on stage makes it seem as though they’d never left. It was fun to watch Cartel power through their massively influential hits while the crowd sang their hearts out alongside frontman Will Pugh. 

Even though it felt like the crowd had already exhausted all their energy for the three openers, Brooklyn Paramount came alive when it was time for State Champs. The 2,700 capacity venue was transported back to 2015 as the band performed a full playthrough of Around The World And Back. One of my favorite moments from the beginning of the night was the confetti that consumed the room as soon as “Secrets” began. It created a beautiful scene around me as fans frantically tried catching the falling pieces while singing their hearts out. 

State Champs shows aren’t complete without frontman Derek DiScanio and bassist Ryan Scott Graham running around like madmen. The energy that radiates off these two is seriously impressive as their stamina never falters for the entire hour and a half that they’re on stage. You can tell how much the band genuinely loves to connect with the audiences in front of them just by watching them. With every high kick, headbang and mid-air jump, State Champs is always prepared to give the crowd one hell of a show no matter where they are in the world.

There were two parts of the night that I was anticipating the most (and predictably lost my mind during). “Perfect Score” and “All or Nothing” have been in my top 10 State Champs songs since I started listening to the band in middle school. Getting to hear these tracks live, along with the rest of this quintessential record, was a seriously surreal feeling. Another surreal moment that found me losing my mind was when DiScanio welcomed Daisy Grenade on stage to perform “Around The World And Back” with them. I watched this happen when the alt-pop duo opened for State Champs in 2024, but this time was double the surprise and even more beautiful than the first.

Not only did State Champs rip through all 13 tracks on Around The World And Back, they came back out for an encore full of fan-favorites from the rest of their eras. “Elevated” and “Everybody But You” served as an epic finale to a night full of nostalgia, community and chaos, with massive mosh pits and endless crowdsurfers raging on until the very last chord. 

Whether you were there for the album’s release 10 years ago or recently discovered them 10 days ago, this show was the perfect embodiment of all that Around The World And Back has come to stand for since its release. This night was more than just a trip down memory lane–it was a celebration of the raw passion and authenticity that State Champs has brought to the genre for the last two decades. I’ve been able to see the band five times now, but this time around certainly showed them at their biggest and best yet. If I had to give the band rating, State Champs would definitely earn a “Perfect Score” from me. 

Review & Photography by Amber Bintliff

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