Jordan Pundik, vocalist of of New Found Glory, tears onto the stage.

At The Ritz in Raleigh on August 18th, 2024, the air was thick with anticipation as the Catalyst 20 Years Later tour rolled into town. Opening the night was Chicago’s own Sincere Engineer, a band that could be best described as the raw, visceral voice of the working-class heartland, dripping with every ounce of Midwestern punk rock grit. Deanna Belos led the charge with her fiery vocals and gut-wrenching lyrics, backed by the relentless trio of Kyle Geib on guitar, Nick Arvanitis on bass, and Adam Beck on drums. Sincere Engineer’s set was a potent blend of melodic punk and emo, cutting deep with tracks from their latest album Bless My Psyche—a record that feels like a long drive through a rusted-out town at dusk, where every song is a pit stop for the broken-hearted. Their website, sincereengineer.com, serves as a digital haven for those who find solace in Belos’ earnest, unapologetic anthems of desperation and hope.

And then, the stage exploded in a cacophony of pop-punk euphoria as New Found Glory took over, proving why they’ve been the undisputed kings of this genre for over two decades. Hailing from Coral Springs, Florida, NFG brought the house down with a set that celebrated the 20th anniversary of their seminal album Catalyst—a record that, let’s face it, defined a generation of skate kids and heartbroken misfits alike. Jordan Pundik’s voice was a time machine, transporting the audience back to 2004, while Chad Gilbert’s guitar riffs sliced through the air like a well-aimed dagger. Bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Cyrus Bolooki provided the pulse, keeping the crowd in perpetual motion. The band’s latest release, Make the Most of It, showcases their resilience in the face of life’s hardest blows, a theme that resonated with every fan in the room. For those who want to relive the night, their website, newfoundglory.com, is the place to be, loaded with tour dates, merch, and that undeniable sense of community that New Found Glory has been cultivating since day one.

Sincere Engineer

New Found Glory