Hot Mulligan Takes Over Asbury Park
By Erika Szumel
ASBURY PARK, New Jersey – On a beautiful summer night in the live music capital of New Jersey, punk lovers came together to celebrate the music of a stacked lineup: Koyo, Saturdays At Your Place, Joyce Manor, and Hot Mulligan. The show was part of the North to Shore festival, a three-city celebration of arts and entertainment held in New Jersey.
The show was held at the legendary venue, The Stone Pony Summer Stage, that opens every summer from May to October and is located just steps away from the beach. Fans enjoyed the concert both inside and outside of the venue.
The place was packed from the jump when Koyo came out. The hardcore band from Stony Brook, NY found its roots in August 2019. Koyo has an interesting sound in the scene because it combines the hardcore intense breakdowns with very emotional, introspective lyrics heard in more classic emo songs. The band played Irreversible, off of their latest album released on May 6, Barely Here, with a great example of those emotional lyrics: “You deserve a panic attack, on an Amtrak train, going far the fuck away from me.” The crowd was fired up for this crew and the pits immediately opened up for the eight-song set. At the end of the fourth song, It Happens to the Best of Us, the snare drum broke and drummer Brandon Blakeley from Hot Mulligan helped them out.
Modern Midwest emo band, Saturdays At Your Place, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, took the stage next with cross my heart, a track from these things happen, released in 2025. Their sound is described as modern Midwest emo, incorporating the very classic elements of relatable stories and nostalgia, chaotic and cathartic moments, and the underground basement feeling. This group has a strong fan base and the venue was packed from front to back. It’s safe to say this is one of the openers that many people came to the show for.
At this point in the night, fans had been dancing and making circle pits for two sets—but they were just getting started. Joyce Manor, the pop punk legends from California, took to the stage with I Know Where Mark Chen Lives, a track with over 2.5 million streams on Spotify. This band is known for their shorter-length songs ranging from 90 seconds to 2.5 minutes, introspective lyrics, and an anthemic and nostalgic sound. The set was an impressive combination of their most popular tracks and lesser-known tracks. Every single song was short, sweet, and packed a serious punch—the crowd was fired up for this band.
Last but certainly not least, Hot Mulligan took the stage with Drink Milk and Run. The sun was going down, but the crowd’s energy was riding the most incredible pop punk/emo/alternative music high. Hot Mulligan, hailing from Lansing, Michigan, started in 2014 and playfully named their band after a conversation about a teacher’s hot daughter. That authentic, playful part of this band shines through in every song they play. Their sound can be described as midwest emo meets pop punk with lots of energy, technical guitar riffs, sarcastic but emotional lyrics, and Nathan "Tades" Sanville’s signature screaming. The setlist was stacked with tracks from several albums including you’ll be fine, Why Would I Watch, and The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still.
The energy in this place was incredible—it’s almost hard to describe. There was never a quiet or dull moment, and there was always someone dancing. The crowdsurfers were in full force and shoes were lost left and right. The encore, Equip Sunglasses, was an iconic ending to this sweet summer night of punk music.
