Dance Gavin Dance at The Stone Pony, NJ 5/29/26

Dance Gavin Dance is a post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, CA, in 2005. Over the past 21 years, they've become known for earlier songs such as "It's Safe to Say You Dig the Backseat," "Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most," and "Carl Barker," as well as newer favorites like "We Own the Night," "Death of a Strawberry," and "Chucky vs. the Giant Tortoise." The band is also known for having multiple vocalists throughout its history. Since 2024, Andrew Wells has served as Dance Gavin Dance's lead vocalist.

Their most recent release, the live album Tree City Sessions 3, arrived in mid-May of this year. Their latest studio album, Pantheon, was released in September 2025 and is the first album to feature Wells as a lead vocalist.

They're currently on a summer tour with special guests The Fall of Troy, Horse the Band, Wolf & Bear, and Novelists. On May 29, 2026, they performed at the Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, NJ. Punk Pulse Media's own Jersey girl, Lara, headed down the Parkway to catch the show!

When I first heard Dance Gavin Dance, it was 2017. I was a sophomore in high school when one of my high school friends in video production class, Alyssa, introduced me to them. Just to paint a very specific picture: it was fall, Stranger Things Season 2 had just been released, and I was as emo as ever. To top it all off, I was making Stranger Things edits set to Dance Gavin Dance songs... yeah, I was in the trenches.

While I really enjoy their older music, I've always associated the band with their bright, playful sound, impressive riffs, quirky lyrics, and insane vocals — especially during the Tilian era on Instant Gratification (2015) and Mothership (2016). Despite the band being around for 21 years and me listening to them for 9, I'd never gotten the chance to see them live — until now.

I'm going to be completely honest with you: I hadn't listened to these guys since high school. So, I had some homework to do before the show! A few days beforehand, I started listening to the setlist and revisiting their older material and listening to their new music for the first time. While listening back, I genuinely forgot how good their music is. I'm very happy this show resurfaced my appreciation for them and introduced me to some new favorites.

The first song of the set was "Animal Surgery" off the new record. Right from the jump, the energy was high at barricade. Security was already hard at work catching crowdsurfers during the first song, and that's when I knew I was truly home — one of my favorite venues, a post-hardcore band, and a lively crowd.

The second song was "Chucky vs. the Giant Tortoise" from Mothership. I was interested to see how Wells would perform songs originally sung by Tilian, and he absolutely delivered. Not only was he phenomenal on the songs he's featured on, but he also performed the older material exceptionally well.

The third song — and my last in the pit — was one of my favorites off the new album, "Midnight at McGuffy's." Not only is the Summer Stage one of my favorite venues to shoot, but it's also always great seeing my photographer friends in the pit! Shout out to Chris Spiegel of Blur Revision Media Design for grabbing these photos of me in action!

Photos by: Chris Spiegel, Blur Revision Media Design

For the next three songs, I made my way through the crowd and simply enjoyed the show. Those songs were "It's Safe to Say You Dig the Backseat," "Speed Demon," and, a new personal favorite, "Synergy." According to the Airbuds app (not sponsored) that tracks your listening habits, I listened to "Synergy" 15 times that week.

For the following songs, I made my way back toward the pit. The band played another longtime favorite, "Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most," along with "Trap Door" and "Elder Goose." The energy in the crowd was incredible. It was intense, of course, but everyone was looking out for each other and was overall so kind. I even made a few new pals that night!

To wrap up the main set, they played "The Stickler" and "Surprise! I'm From Cuba. Everyone Has One Brain."

At the beginning of the set, Wells mentioned that "this is one of the biggest crowds we've had so far" and added that "there's almost 4,000 of you here." I expected a great show, but I didn't expect such a massive crowd. It was a pleasant surprise!

The band's performance was fantastic, and the crowd had the energy to match. Wells really blew me away, not only on the songs he's featured on but also on the material that came before his time in the band.

I only have two grievances: I wish the set had been longer, and I selfishly wish there had been a few more songs from Mothership, Instant Gratification, and Happiness. I enjoyed watching them so much that I just wanted a few more songs. Personally, I'd pick "Betrayed by the Game" (the first Dance Gavin Dance song I ever listened to), "Death of a Strawberry," and either "Don't Tell Dave" or "Strawberry Swisher, Pt. 1."

For the encore, "Carl Barker" and "All the Way Down" were selected, before the band closed out the night with "Inspire the Liars" with Camille Contréras of Novelists. I've never seen so many people crowdsurfing at once — aside from Knocked Loose at The Pony Oct. 2024, where people were practically getting launched.

Every single person was singing along. The vibes were amazing, the crowd was incredibly welcoming, and the band was ridiculously talented. If they come to a city near you, I'd highly recommend catching a show. I'm excited to add them to my list of bands I'd photograph again in a heartbeat.