A good night for punk in its many forms: LVL UP, Palehound, and more at Union Transfer

LVL Up | Photo by Rachel Del Sordo | racheldelsordophotography.com

Friday night’s bill at Union Transfer offered attendees a variety of punk acts, each with a distinct flavor.

The show began with Boston’s Palehound, who were celebrating their record release of debut full-length Dry Food. Singer Ellen Kempner brought a quiet energy with her band’s captivating brand of bedroom rock, playing tracks from Dry Food and 2013 EP Bent Nail. It was also encouraging to hear Kempner end her set by assuring audience members to come find her during the show if they felt at all uncomfortable with anyone’s behavior. Nice to see an artist making conscious efforts to keep the show as safe a space as possible.

After Palehound was Purchase, NY’s LVL UP. The quartet, known for songs that tend to stay under the three-minute mark, treated the crowd to some longer jams. A monumental act in the DIY scene, LVL UP proved their versatility playing in a larger venue than your typical house show. Their set combined aforementioned jams with shorter songs from 2014’s Hoodwink’d and their latest 7″ Three Songs. There was definitely a handful of new fans in the audience by the final song.

Pittsburgh’s Adventures followed with energetic pop-punk tinged with synth-y shoegaze. Singer and guitarist Reba Meyers maintained tight harmonizing with keyboardist and fellow singer Kimi Hanauer on songs from February debut Supersonic Home. The band also performed a grungy cover of The Lemonheads’ “Outdoor Type”.

Basement’s entrance onto the Union Transfer stage took me by surprise. They came equipped with a lighting rig somewhat reminiscent of an EDM show, featuring multicolored swirling LED’s flashing in time. However, with the first bar of music, the sound was distinctly Basement. Mixing up old and new songs, they never strayed from their iconic post-hardcore sound, proving they’ll remain a staple of the scene for years to come.

Check out photos from the set below.