The bands Initiate, Knuckle Puck, and The Wonder Years indeed came out swinging on March 22, one after the other, with an energetic showing to celebrate the tenth anniversary of The Wonder Years’ album, “No Closer to Heaven.” The Taube Music Hall was packed nearly to capacity as people came to enjoy fantastic music in Berkeley.
Starting the evening was the hardcore band from Southern California, Initiate that got the mosh pit moving with a high energy set that whipped the venue into the proper show-going attitude. Campbell, lead singer of The Wonder Years, insisted that all guests of the show keep an eye on Initiate, saying that soon magazines such as The Rolling Stone would be singing praise about them just like they had about The Wonder Years in the past. Truly, it’s hard to contest that with how lead singer Crystal Pak belts and the electricity from the rest of the band’s performance matching it.
Following Initiate’s showing was the five-piece pop-punk act, Knuckle Puck, who also performed with The Wonder Years when they initially debuted the “No Closer to Heaven” album. Taking their name from a Stick To Your Guns shirt that said “Knuckle Puck Crew,” they come from Chicago, Illinois and continued the energy with songs from their album, Copacetic, as well as “Green Eyes (Polarized)” from their pre-Pandemic album, “20/20.”
The singer tapped into the crowd’s excitement by rolling from end-to-end of the stage, clearly demonstrating how celebratory the show was for them as they hearkened back to the first “No Closer to Heaven” tour they performed on.
And of course, the headliner! With lights soaking the stage in a deep, melancholic blue, The Wonder Years opened up with the song that shares the same name as their remastered album, “No Closer To Heaven.”
Over the course of the show, Campbell took several opportunities to mention not only the previous acts with glowing praise, but to also announce a partnership with This Must Be The Place, a charity organization that provides Naloxone to combat the fentanyl epidemic. At the merch stand in front of the venue, Naloxone bottles were available to be distributed.
“If you need to know how it works, it’s basically a miracle in the shape of a bottle of Flonase,” Campbell explained to the crowd. He would also explain on Instagram that “I’ve been straight edge my entire life and never leave for tour without a dose in my backpack. Having Naloxone available and knowing how to use it is about community care – you never know when you may be able to save someone’s life.”
“No Closer to Heaven” has been out since September 4, 2015, and this tour is a celebration of the band’s fifth studio album. It signals a break from a serious case of writer’s block Campbell experienced, and is a raw and honest case of lyrics that clearly highlights why The Wonder Years continue to set the standard for pop-punk music overall.
With songs such as “A Song for Ernest Hemingway” including lyrics like “I’ll be your dead bird, you’ll be my bloodhound,” it is a powerful example of Campbell’s lyricism and his ability to turn personal tragedies into great pieces of art, an incredibly laudable talent. It comes out as something that can be slow and emotional, while having the ability to be belted out with all the air in your lungs when you need the catharsis only music can provide.
More fantastic shows like this one are coming to the UC Theatre this month! For a full list, click here. To hear the bands that played, feel free to check out the following links: Initiate, Knuckle Puck, and finally The Wonder Years!
