Live Shows: The New Limits, Eight Foot Manchild, and Futon Lasagna, Faces Brewing, Malden, MA 9/26/25

As much as I was looking forward to The New Limits' album release party this past Friday, I almost didn't make it. It was a great triple bill, featuring the world's first and therefore best doombrass band Eight Foot Manchild and Futon Lasagna, a band I keep seeing playing shows I want to go to, but have never made it out to see. Getting to Faces Brewing in Malden was a nightmare, with random cars choosing to drive fifteen to twenty miles under the speed limit, and the most insane red light that was only allowing two cars to turn left into Malden. (I was literally at this light for ten minutes...) I was in such a bad mood by the time I parked my car that I almost turned back and headed home since it would be impossible to enjoy my night because of my fowl mood.

Luckily, I stayed, because all three bands won me over and turned the night around. First up was Futon Lasagna (four members, three pairs of Vans (all checkered), zero horns). Their music was ska based, but delved quite a bit into alt-rock and punk. Some songs seemed to dodge the ska genre and were fully alt-rock, but most mixed ska with punk and alt-rock. It was a fun and energetic set that resulted in me scowling in the corner at the start to actually having fun and bopping along within three or four songs. And isn't that all that you want with any ska related band?

Up next was Eight Foot Manchild (five members, zero Vans, three horns), who have been ducking ska allegations for their entire existence. They were a great addition to the bill, with their blend of dark metal/hard rock with a horn section. They stuck out from the other two bands sonically, but their live show is always an insane amount of fun, with tracks like "Circle of Salt" propelling their set forward. I'm not quite sure how the ska diehards felt about them, but Eight Foot Manchild fans were present, and some were definitely converted into the cult Friday night.

The New Limits (seven members, two pairs of Vans (zero checkered), three horns) closed out the night, mostly playing songs from their just released excellent new album These are the Nights. Their set is everything you want from a ska related band in 2025. They were ridiculously fun and got the crowd dancing, especially towards the end, but weren't jokey as third wave ska could be most of the time. All members seemed to be having fun, and the fact that Faces was filled with friends, family, and fans certainly helped. Despite it only being my first time seeing The New Limits, the sense of community within the crowd pulled me in. Plus, they played what appeared to be the increasingly rare legit encore. This may have been my first The New Limits show, but it certainly won't be my last.