Hfth 10 Left us all feeling the love

They said there’d never be another. But The Bouncing Souls brought back the beloved Home For The Holidays this year for the tenth, and what they promised would be the last, time. The Souls hometown club, the iconic Stone Pony, was celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, and the club wanted to end their landmark year with the boys who were a big part of putting them on the map (well, them and Springsteen, I guess…)

The Bouncing Souls showed up and showed out for The Stone Pony’s 50th anniversary. photo by kim moenich

So The Souls rounded up nine of their closest band friends, and put on a three night celebration to end 2024 with a bang. With a different lineup every night, The Souls drew together their families and friends, long-time collaborators, former band mates, and even their beloved merch person, to create an absolutely memorable experience.

A lineup for the ages! photo by kim moenich

Night one saw The Souls instrument tech, Tim, and his band, Gimme Drugs, opening the weekend. They were new to most of us, but have actually been around since 2008. They might be one of the most eclectic sounding bands of this time, with a vibe you can’t quite put a finger on. But they had us all rocking out and got us geared up for what was to come.

Jesse Skokos, frontman of Gimme Drugs, opening Night 1 of HFTH. photo by kim moenich

One of my personal favorite humans, the incomparable Tim Barry, was up next. You could feel the love and excitement in the room as he took the stage. This was the fourth or fifth time I’d seen him this year, but this time felt a little more special. “I wasn’t planning on playing any shows right now. This is family time. There’s only one or two bands who could’ve gotten me to leave home, Hot Water Music and The Bouncing Souls,” Tim said at the start of his set. And you could feel the love as he belted out his lyrics, and we screamed them back.

Tim Barry, preaching the truth at HFTH 2024. photo by kim moenich

Strike Anywhere was up next, and the crowd (myself included) went absolutely nuts. I am fortunate enough to get to see these guys several times a year, and, besides Quicksand and Snapcase, no other band makes me dance as hard. Thomas and the guys, as long time friends and touring partners, with The Souls, were the hardest band of the weekend, and the audience absolutely loved it.

Seriously?! Name a more fun band to watch live than Strike Anywhere. I’ll wait. photo by kim moenich

As the headliners began to take the stage, it was impossible not to notice (from my center rail vantage point ) Greg’s left leg as he used his cane while walking up. He was wearing a walking boot, beautifully decorated with Xmas lights, and spent most of the first night singing while sitting on a stool. He explained on night 2 that he broke his ankle while playing soccer with his son, and it was on the mend.

Greg Attonito, of The Bouncing Souls, showing off his Xmas spirit with a light-adorned walking boot. photo by kim moenich

But nothing could stop the guys from bringing their signature sound to the eagerly awaiting crowd. The first round of songs saw The Souls playing the first track off each of their albums- a fun game that we caught onto about halfway through. There were plenty of deep cuts and fan favorites throughout their three night performances, and the crowd ate it up. I’ve seen The Souls well over a hundred times (I saw them 8 times this year alone), and I heard songs I hadn’t heard them play for decades! It made for a great night/weekend, and no one was left wanting for their favorite tune.

The Bouncing Souls on Night 1 of HFTH 2024. photo by kim moenich

Night two started with another new-to-me band who had also apparently been around for over a decade, Seaside Caves. The keyboardist/backup vocalist, Matthew Gere, is also the long-time merch person for Hot Water Music and often The Bouncing Souls. They called themselves “art rock, not punk rock”, but I would describe them as very New Wave bordering on shoegaze. But however you frame them, you should be listening to them! They blew my mind and I immediately bought their whole Bandcamp catalog.

Matthew Gere, of Seaside Caves, plays the keys while we all swayed dreamily. photo by kim moenich

I also hate to admit that I’d never heard of the next band, but I have since fixed that issue! New Jersey born, The Ratchets have been around for decades, but broke up in 2003 for an extended period of time. Now back together and cranking out some amazing tunes, these guys were so much fun to watch! They have a perfect rock-n-roll meets punk vibe, and had us all moving our feet. You can find their discography on Pirates Press Records and I highly suggest you check them out!

The Ratchets giving us something to sing about. photo by kim moenich

Following that fun set, Dave Hause and The Mermaid swept in and blew the roof off The Stone Pony! I’ve seen Dave numerous times, but never in a smaller venue like this, and it was the most energetic, exciting, and dance-able set of the weekend (sorry Pietasters, I love you dearly and you were a very close second!) Dave and the boys were all over that stage, and the audience, and had us all dancing ourselves silly. The whole crowd, even the tons of kiddos on the rail, were singing along and couldn’t stop smiling.

Dave Hause preaching to the choir at HFTH 2024 Night 2. photo by kim moenich

And, of course, the night ended with another 90 minute singalong with the home team, joined onstage by some of their old friends, like Dave Hause and their former drummer, Michael McDermott.

It was fun to see McDermott back on the drums for The Souls. photo by kim moenich

The final day of HFTH 2024 saw my new favorite band, The Kilograms, opening the show. In case you’ve been hiding under a rock this year (and who could blame you!), The Kilograms are comprised of ska veteran Joe Gittleman, formerly of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Sammy Kay, who grew up working with The Souls and Gaslight Anthem, Michael McDermott, drummer for Joan Jett, The Souls, and others, and J Duckworth, of Newport Secret Six. This is their first year as a band, and it’s started off with one hell of a bang. I was lucky enough to see them for the first time at Supernova Ska Festival this year, and instantly fell in love. They put on an incredible set to start the last night of HFTH, and the crowd reciprocated their energy. They’ll have a new album coming out soon, produced by Pete Steinkopf, of The Souls, so you need to snatch that up!

Joe Gittleman, of The Kilograms, just rippin’ on bass. photo by kim moenich

Punk rock supergroup, Beach Rats, hit the stage next. Because all of the members of this band are always on the road with their other projects, Beach Rats shows are few and far between. Needless to the say, the audience went absolutely insane when these guys started rocking out! Comprised of members of The Bouncing Souls (Pete and Bryan), Bad Religion (Brian Baker), Lifetime (Ari Katz), and Danny Windas.

Pete Steinkopf and Bryan Kienlen of Beach Rats rock out, with a creepy friend watching over their shoulder. photo by kim moenich

Brian Baker of Beach Rats keeps the crowd moving. photo by kim moenich

Just to make sure we had our dancing shoes fully on, The Pietasters were the last supporting act of the weekend to take the stage. I still have a flyer in my room from 1994 from a Pietasters and MU330 show in Chapel Hill. I’ve been watching this band a LONG time! And this night’s performance felt like those old days. The energy in both the band and the crowd were palpable, and everyone was doing their best to skank in the crowded space. Stephen Jackson had the crowd going wild, jumping on to the rail to sing “Maggie May” and more favorites, and we ate it up. It was a perfect ending to a great weekend of bands, leading up to the The Souls final performance.

Stephen Jackson, of The Pietasters, had the crowd screaming for more. photo by kim moenich

Then it was time for the guys to take the stage for the last night of the “last ever” Home For The Holidays show. A third perfect set was rolled out by the the band who have been at for over 35 years now. Johnny X even came out to join them for his namesake tune. Joe Gittleman sat down with Greg to duet on “Lean On Sheena”, a song Joe actually wrote for his band, Avoid One Thing, that The Souls later covered and became one of their biggest hits (news to me!) And McDermott took over from George, so he could go have a bit of fun onstage with his bandmates. It was a truly perfect ending to a truly perfect weekend. Thanks for having us over for the Holidays, boys. It was an Xmas I’ll never forget!

Joe and Greg sing “Lean On Sheena” to rowdy crowd. photo by kim moenich

George gets to come out from behind the drums to help Pete with his guitar skills. photo by kim moenich

The Pietasters help The Bouncing Souls find some soul in the music. photo by kim moenich

Make sure to check out our In Spite Magazine Youtube Channel where you can see live performances from the weekend. (The Strike Anywhere after show was one for the freaking record books!!!)