Live Shows: Cape Crush, ONE FALL, Hell Beach, and Good June, Deep Cuts, Medford, MA 7/10/26

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Some shows are simply can't miss ones. When I first saw that Cape Crush were celebrating their excellent new album, Place Memory, at Deep Cuts with ONE FALL, Good June, and Hell Beach, I knew that would be a contender for bill of the year. All four bands are fantastic, and while all four play some version of pop punk/emo/melodic punk, they all do it differently enough to keep the night interesting. As high as my expectations for Friday night were, they were all blown away.

Good June was the band I was least familiar with, and the only one I hasn't previously seen live. The emo rock band took the stage first, and set the bar for the evening high. This is emo with an alt-rock edge, and every song was catchier and more fun than the last. Every band seemed to have their own diehard fans right up front and singing all the words, and Good June were no exception. I simply can't emphasize enough how catchy every song in Good June's set was, and I've had multiple taking turns being stuck in my head all weekend. Friday may have been my first Good June set, but it certainly won't be my last.

Up next was Hell Beach, making the trip down from Manchester, NH. I've seen them a handful of times with different line ups, and somehow they get exponentially better every single time. This is unabashed pop punk with the hookiest songs possible. Singer Jordan Hill is secretly one of the best frontpeople in music today, and throws everything he has into every song. Hell Beach fans are some of the most dedicated in the New England scene, reacting to every song like they're in a music video. As usual, they closed with "Poison Mind," which might be the best set closing song in years.

A funny thing happens with ONE FALL. I see them maybe once a year, and I know they're a fantastic live band, so I expect to see a great show. And every single time they blow me away completely. They're not doing anything to reinvent the melodic punk genre, but they have the genre so mastered that there's no one out there better than they are at it. Helen McWilliams is low key one of the most charming frontpeople in the Boston area, and it's impossible not to be won over by ONE FALL at every show. Putting a snippet of Wilson Phillips' "Hold On" into "Slingshot" only makes them more endearing. Every one of their shows starts off great and ends up being a near religious experience.

Cape Crush had a challenge ahead of them, having to follow three great bands. They met that challenge by playing all of their fantastic new album. Place Memory is one of my favorite albums of the year, and it only seems to get better with every listen. They play power emo, and every song is an anthem without needing to force it. I challenge you to find a better five song run this year than the opening five songs on Place Memory. Plus, Cape Crush are just fun live. Singer Ali Lipman has written ten deeply personal songs and turned them into sing-a-long anthems in a way that we haven't seen since Pinkerton. If you haven't heard the album yet, this is your sign to drop everything to check it out, and then make sure to get out to their next show.

On Repeat...

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