Philadelphia punk band The Menzingers kicked off their tour in Garfield last Thursday at the DIY venue the Mr. Roboto Project in Garfield.

The Sidekicks and Cheap Girls are also on the current tour but did not play the Pittsburgh date. Instead, Captain, We’re Sinking, Luther and World’s Scariest Police Chases were on the bill.

What better way to kick off spring than in a small venue, slipping off of sweaty punk kids, singing along to The Menzingers?

The set list was one that satisfied both fans who have been there since their beginning and fans who just picked up their new album, On The Impossible Past, released in February. The Menzingers played songs from older albums Chamberlin Waits and their EP Hold On, Dodge which were a treat for old fans. But they mostly played a lot off of their most recent album, as well as their first release on Epitaph.

They opened with “Good Things,” the first track off their latest album. The crowd didn’t stop from the second the first chord was struck. The Menzingers matched the crowd’s eager, enthusiastic energy throughout the entire show.

If you couldn’t tell from the opening song, it was evident halfway through the set that the crowd fully embraced the latest album; they sang practically every word. At times, it was almost hard to hear singers Tom May or Greg Barnett over their fans.

The pinnacle of the show was when the crowd took over during “Ava House” off their new album. The reaction on Tom May’s face as concert-goers sang back every lyric was one of enthusiastic surprise. The low stage and small space of Roboto made the show more personal, which made moments such as this one that much better.

But the hands-down personal favorite of the crowd had to be “Gates.” It had everyone singing at the top of their lungs and sweating all over each other.

One of my favorite parts was when the band played “Sunday Morning” off their EP Hold On, Dodge, which had the entire room chanting back, “Don’t worry brother, this will blow over.”

They slowed it down at a few points with songs “On the Impossible Past” and “Kentucky Gentleman.” While the songs were slower, the energy of the show was not.  

After this tour and their recent album, I have a feeling The Menzingers won’t play a venue as small as Roboto for a while. Music fans are garaunteed to begin taking more notice of how talented The Menzingers are.

Judging by the amount of sweat covering everyone by the end of the show, I don’t think anyone left disappointed.