Live review: Frank Turner with The Interrupters live at Pier 17

New York, NY – 12 May 2023

Something as simple as rock and roll has saved our souls

If you were to tell me I’d be at an outdoor venue with a diverse lineup that included a Canadian multi-genre reggae and world-beat act, a folk punk legend, a posi ska-punk quartet and a Brit singer-songwriter, I’d ask when Kevin Lyman recreated the Warped Tour. Turns out Frank Turner and The Interrupters, left to their own devices, created something even more amazing.  

An outdoor show on the Rooftop at Pier 17 in Manhattan, set an immaculate scene for the ultimate escape from the monochromatic doldrums of the last few years in various stages of pandemic lockdowns.  A perfectly curated selection of artists guaranteed the sunshine and panorama would still play second fiddle to the performances. 

Bedouin Soundclash kicks things off with strolling bass lines and rude boy vibes… well as rude as a Canadian trio could get. As the band swayed through its catalogue, they broke into “Clockwork.” For the uninitiated, the track comes from 2019’s Mass. On wax the song is backed by the 15 piece Preservation Hall Jazz Band. BC didn’t need the extra 12 players as they pulled it off spectacularly with just 3 men. As the set closed out with a tribute to Ben E King‘s “Stand By Me,” the trio kept the crowd in the palm of their as Jay Malinowski’s smooth and soulful vocals reverberated across the NY Skyline.

A hard act to follow, Chuck Ragan proved himself more than up to task. Chuck Ragan accompanied by Todd Beene on Pedal Steel brought the gruff and tumble as they chug-a-chugged through a working-class punk set with rhythms from a steam engine. On the same blocks where Seeger and Guthrie would busk themselves onto immortality, Ragan joined the conversation with his songs of regret and empowerment.

As the sunset on Manhattan, The Interrupters took to the stage for their co-headlining set. Over the course of their hour-long set, The Interrupters shared a sincere smile and nod of appreciation with every member of the audience and with each other. This isn’t a band that’s just thrilled to be on stage or to have people singing along; this is a band that loves to be together on that stage with the crowd and each other. It shows in every aspect of their performance. The band bounced around their discography, kicking things off with the barn burner anthems of empowerment and community “Take Back The Power,” “Title Holder” and “Judge Not” all the while, wrapping the crowd around their collective fingers. 

Many voices would have been drowned out by the sing alongs emanating from the pit, but Aimee Interrupter isn’t a voice that can be silenced. Leading the fans with overpowering vocal prowess, it seemed as though Aimee’s voice was bouncing across all five boroughs and inviting all who could hear it into the Interrupter brotherhood. Aimee, along with the Bivona brothers Kevin (guitar) and Justin (bass), scurried and shimmied across every inch of the stage, making sure the fans on stage left and right got just as much love as those in the center.  Super credit goes to Justin who never stopped moving, putting in as much of a cardio workout as most strikers on NYFC.

Start to finish, the band brought it with everything they had and were unrelenting in their intention to win the entire crowd over. I’d say it worked because when the band closed out with a brief interlude of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and the hits “Family” and “She’s Kerosene” the floor of the rooftop we stood upon shuddered as the crowd’s energy was amped to 11. It was a performance brimming with joy and fun and mutual appreciation between the band and their fans.

To hear Frank Turner is to love him.  Frank has been crafting emotional tunes for 25 years already, and one would think the proverbial well is bound to run dry… but it hasn’t yet.  Frank Turner is a troubadour of our times, our scene.  Across his 2,765 shows (yes he keeps count) and his multitude of solo records, Frank Turner has seemingly won over every person who has crossed his path. As an unquestionable and inimitable scene pioneer Frank is probably among your favorite songwriters’ favorite songwriters. 

The man has consistently and without fail inspired and impressed his community of friends and fans.  You may have noticed I referred to him throughout as Frank, a familiarity typically left out of reviews and write-ups.  That’s because the content and character of the music he has released over the years builds a relationship and the connection he develops, turns each of his fans into family.

With backing instrumentation from longtime collaborators The Sleeping Souls, Frank Turner filled the riverside pier and Manhattan cross streets with his songs of hope, redemption and the simple act of not being a dickhead. The man didn’t stop, whether it was his energetic performance or his tales of $65 haircuts or the simple act of inviting everyone to his birthday party (at an undisclosed venue on an undisclosed date), Frank made every person feel the warmth of his gaze. 

With a setlist tailor-made for each of us, Frank blasted through his discography for the full hour-set with no misses, kicking off with “Punches,” throwing in “1933” “Non Serviam” and “If I Ever Stray” to a chorus of the broken and wistful legions that made up this new family. As Frank said, “we aren’t just strangers who came together to listen to loud music.” 

We were a family of orphans in the care of Frank’s House of Improving Refuse.When the set closed out with “Out of Breath” “I Still Believe” and ” Four Simple Words” the Rooftop felt to be buckling under the pogoing display of affection as this new found family said our goodbyes, with Frank as the centerpiece.

It would be easy to rave about the songs and how into them the crowd’s got, but the most important part, from every act this evening, was the genuine soul in each song from each performer. Everything seemed natural and authentic as the bands each connected with the crowd to improve upon every moment of the performance. The setting, the bands, the setlists and the energy… everyone who attended the show were given an evening of pure perfection.