Monday night, Turnstile played an intimate pop-up show at Baltimore’s 350-capacity Ottobar during a short break from their extensive North American tour opening for blink-182. The show felt like a return to the true ethos of the band—while it’s amazing to see them play arenas, returning to a room this size (in their hometown, no less) allowed the group and their fans to interact without frills and production. As the “no stage diving” signs around the venue were blissfully ignored, vocalist Brendan Yates himself dove into the crowd. People were literally hanging off the rafter from the upper balcony and launching themselves down into the pit. It was pandemonium in the best way possible.
The show was first announced last Thursday with just 24 hours notice before tickets went on sale (they sold out in under three minutes). The show opened with a set from Jivebomb, another local hardcore band, and benefitted Baltimore Youth Arts, “a creative entrepreneurship and job training program that provides artistic and professional opportunities to young people ages 14-25, focusing on those involved in the justice system,” per the org’s website.
Our photographer Skylar Watkins was there to check out all the action—check out her black-and-white shots below.
