Apr 23

Apr 23 Show Review: PUP Brings Incredible Rock Show to San Francisco

PUP
w/ Sheer Mag, Pinkshift
April 20th, 2022
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA

Photos and Review by Jared Stossel

Technically, I was supposed to cover PUP’s Sacramento date at Ace of Spades, but I ended up having some technical difficulties with my camera gear that I had to take care of. Ten days later, I’m back at The Warfield in San Francisco to catch the Bay Area date of the Canadian punk rock act. The band are currently touring in support of their newest album, The Unraveling of PUPTheBand, which was released earlier this month.

There were two exceptionally great opening acts: Pinkshift, a visceral new punk act that will hold your attention for the entirety of their half-hour opening set, and Sheer Mag, an electrifying rock act that’s been making a name for themselves since they began back in 2014. The latter combines the musicality and influence of 70s rock acts (AC/DC comes to mind) and the effervescence of the D.I.Y. punk movement. The former (Pinkshift), have been around for a significantly shorter amount of time, but their in-your-face attitude makes you wish that they had been around for even longer. Both these acts are going places, so catch them now so you can say you saw them when they were small.

PUP took the stage around 10 PM, opening with “Four Chords”, the synthesizer-laden first track from The Unraveling of PUPTheBand. At a certain point in the song, the synthesizer dies down and the full band kicks in. But PUP is even better live than they are on their albums. The guitars are crunchier, the energy is over the top, and they play the way a headlining band should always play; with confidence, energy and a smile on their face. “Thank you for waiting over two years for this show,” remarked Stephen Babcock, the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist. It was in that moment that I realized, oh shit. This show was supposed to take place in March of 2020 (but ended up being delayed due to COVID-19). It was a beautiful moment to see all that pent up energy, all that happiness being unleashed by both the crowd and the band throughout that hour long set.

PUP careened their way through a nineteen-track setlist. While a lot of songs came from the new album, fan favorites from releases like Morbid Stuff and The Dream Is Over all appeared throughout the evening. Towards the end of the show, there was a medical emergency in the crowd, bringing the show to a temporary pause for about five minutes. Once everyone was okay and the band got all clear, they got right back down to business.

Given that I had never seen this band, I didn’t know that PUP don’t do encores, they just keep on playing. After a brief instrumental track played on stage, they finished the show with two incredible songs: “Morbid Stuff” and “Kids”, before bowing out and heading off into the night. A PUP show is a delightful experience, and one that I can’t recommend enough. Go see this band. It’s easily one of the best rock shows you’ll see all year.

PUP Set List
Four Chords
Totally Fine
My Life Is Over and I Couldn’t Be Happier
Guilt Trip
See You At Your Funeral
Sleep In The Heat
Robot Writes a Love Song

Reservoir
Edmonton
Matilda (with Hotel California outro)
If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You, I Will
DVP
Scorpion Hill
Free at Last
Waiting
Familiar Patterns
PUPTHEBAND Inc. Is Filing For Bankruptcy
(Intermission)
Morbid Stuff
Kids