Toronto’s PUP have carved out a reputation as one of the most exhilarating live punk bands of the last decade. Fronted by Stefan Babcock, with Nestor Chumak (bass), Zack Mykula (drums), and Steve Sladkowski (guitar), PUP blend the raw urgency of punk with Midwest emo melodies and hook-heavy choruses that fans scream back word-for-word. Known for their humor and boundless energy, the band has built a loyal following off records like The Dream Is Over and Morbid Stuff, and a live show that thrives on chaos—moshing, crowdsurfing, and a sense of communal catharsis.
Night 2 of PUP and Jeff Rosenstock’s co-headline run at the Brooklyn Paramount was nothing short of a punk rock fever dream. PUP took the stage first, wasting no time tearing into “Hunger for Death” before plunging straight into fan favorites like My Life Is Over and I Couldn’t Be Happier and Guilt Trip. The crowd was immediately on their feet—moshing, frat flicking, and surfing overhead—yet the band kept the energy grounded in community, with Stefan reminding fans, “make sure you take care of each other.”
The set hit a high point when Babcock introduced Paranoid by welcoming guitarist Tom Thacker onstage with the line: “welcome to the cataclysmic wonder of friendship.” The crowd roared, living entirely in the moment—phones pocketed, fully immersed in the chaos.
As always, the band’s physicality was part of the show—they hopped and bounded across the stage with wild abandon. Mid-set, Stefan checked in with the crowd: “How ‘bout we play some old sh*t?” before launching into Reservoir. He also shouted out opener Ekko Astral, asking for “a f*ck yeah for Ekko Astral—that band fucking rips.”
Closing with If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will into DVP, PUP’s set was an explosion of catharsis. But the night didn’t end there. After Jeff Rosenstock’s headlining set, PUP returned to the stage for a chaotic, collaborative encore. With both bands stacked together, they ripped through Shut Up, Jeff’s Hey Allison!, Get Dumber, and We Begged 2 Explode, as a massive, double-band blowout.
The result was a night that felt like a punk summit—two powerhouse acts feeding off each other’s energy, fueled by chaos and a thousand sweaty, smiling fans.
Setlist
Main Set: Hunger for Death, My Life Is Over and I Couldn’t Be Happier, Guilt Trip, Robot Writes a Love Song, Concrete, Sleep in the Heat, Paranoid (with Tom Thacker), Totally Fine, Hallways, Morbid Stuff, Kids, Falling Outta Love, Reservoir, Old Wounds, Familiar Patterns, “If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will”, DVP
Setlist with Jeff Rosenstock: Shut Up (with Jeff Rosenstock) (Stefan solo then into Double Band), Hey Allison! (Jeff Rosenstock cover) (with Jeff Rosenstock), Get Dumber (with Jeff Rosenstock), We Begged 2 Explode (Jeff Rosenstock cover) (with Jeff Rosenstock), Reservoir (with Jeff Rosenstock)
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