The sound Hot Mulligan makes at a sold-out Stone Pony Summer Stage.

If you’re able to stay up-to-date with modern emo’s biggest names then Hot Mulligan shouldn’t sound too unfamiliar. The #1 Hot New Band has taken the scene by storm with twinkly midwest emo influences, ridiculously hilarious song titles and devastating lyricism at the core of their identity. Consisting of Tades Sanville (lead vocals), Chris Freeman (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Ryan Malicsi (lead guitar), Jonah Kramer (bass), and Brandon Blakeley (drums), the group has had arguably the biggest year of their career since the release of their fourth album, The Sound A Body Makes When It’s Still, last August. 

In the midst of performing at massive festivals like Vans Warped Tour D.C., Gov Ball, Summerfest and Bonnaroo, Hot Mulligan made their way to the Stone Pony Summer Stage on June 16 for their largest headlining show to date. With support from Koyo, saturdays at your place and Joyce Manor, Asbury Park was treated to a night of pure chaos from each band on this stacked lineup. 

Koyo is one of those bands that needs to be experienced live. Sure, you can listen to them in your car or with headphones on during a workout, but nothing will compare to the influx of crowdsurfers and brutal mosh pits that occur right in front of your eyes and ears. Their setlist mainly consisted of tracks from their recent heavy-hitting sophomore album Barely Here along with two beloved fan-favorites “You’re On The List (minus one)” and “Moriches.” The Long Island post-hardcore band brought an indescribable energy to the stage at 6pm on a Tuesday that I’m honestly wishing I could relive right now. 

saturdays at your place took the stage next, bringing the Midwestern ache of Kalamazoo, Michigan to the Jersey Shore. I’ve been a huge fan of the trio since discovering them in summer 2024 and it warmed my heart to see how many people showed up in their merch and sang along to every word. The setlist was arguably perfect, standing in the space between every fan’s dream and the most well-rounded introduction to their music for those unfamiliar. Hearing tracks like “what am i supposed to do?” and “tarot cards” live in 70 degree weather while standing at the edge of a mosh pit felt extraordinarily therapeutic.

Joyce Manor has been on my list of must-see bands for what feels like decades. The best and honestly funniest part of this show was that they practically performed an entire headlining set because of how short most of their discography is. The setlist was 16 tracks long, powering through material from their older releases alongside their latest album, I Used To Go To This Bar. Watching them perform classics like “Constant Headache” and “Heart Tattoo” as the sun began to set has left me unable to stop thinking about how cathartic those moments felt for me. “Catalina Fight Song” brought their set to a close and it was fun to get the chance to scream along to the chorus, well, actually right by the ocean.

I forgot how at home I always feel right in the eye of the storm at a Hot Mulligan show. As soon as “Drink Milk And Run” began, the energy that consumed the Stone Pony Summer Stage was unreal. While you may expect the momentum to start to waver as a band rips through 23 songs with minimal breaks, it was the exact opposite. Hot Mulligan and the 4,500 people in front of them kept feeding off each other’s energy, only becoming crazier and more animated as time passed. I may have even almost broken my camera at one point to help lift a crowdsurfer (don’t worry, though, both my camera and the surfer lived to tell the tale)

There are few bands that have the same on-stage humor as Hot Mulligan. I wish I kept track of how many times Sanville amusingly told the crowd to loudly boo the band (only once for no reason, though!). There was another hilarious moment where he forced the crowd to admit that they never actually listen to any of the interlude tracks and then subsequently made that fact change as “This Makes Me Yucky” blared through the speakers. 

My favorite bit of the night was when Sanville declared that the setlist was heading into the section that was just about “guys,” including “Bon Jonah,” “Featuring Mark Hoppus” and “John ‘The Rock’ Cena, Can You Smell What the Undertaker.” It’s hard to explain to a normal person that the most emotional part of the night for me was during a song called “Monica Lewinskibidi,” but it’s somehow one of the most beautiful ways that I’ve ever seen grief described in a piece of music. This track has been my unrivaled favorite from their last record since its release and experiencing it live felt otherworldly. 

Freeman also joked with the crowd by briefly convincing them that the real Mark Hoppus was about to join them for their performance of “Featuring Mark Hoppus.’’ Although it was a little cruel, it was admittedly pretty funny watching everyone completely lose their minds before realizing that they’d been lied to. 

They continued playing a mix of new and old favorites before reaching the show’s final stretch that displayed their most popular hits. “BCKYRD” and “*Equip Sunglasses*” saw the massive crowd at their loudest and rowdiest, with every word being echoed back at a deafening volume. As the lights turned on and security started ushering everyone to go home, I left Asbury Park with an insane adrenaline rush, a setlist and one of Freeman’s guitar picks. 

The first time I ever saw Hot Mulligan was at the Stone Pony Summer Stage when they were a part of Sad Summer Festival in 2023. I lack the vocabulary needed to properly describe how it felt to watch them come back for their own headlining show three years later. This era has given the post-emo inventors a new vitality, with their sound and personalities being louder, bigger and more confident than ever before. Milestone shows of this stature remain concrete evidence of the true impact bands like Hot Mulligan have as they continue to evolve. They were playing to crowds of 1,500 just two years ago; now those numbers have tripled. Though self-proclaimed, Hot Mulligan really is shaping up to be the scene’s #1 Hot New Band with each passing minute. 

Missed out on Hot Mulligan’s string of summer shows? You’re in luck! The band announced that they’ll be back on the road again across North America this fall, hitting cities including Ottawa, Baltimore, Tampa, Charlotte and more. More information for these upcoming shows can be found here.

Review & Photography by Amber Bintliff

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