Posted by On 5/30/2026, New York City’s own Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage opened their season with a bang. For the venue’s first show of the year, Dance Gavin Dance put on an epic performance, supported by Wolf & Bear and The Fall of Troy.
Post-hardcore band Wolf & Bear started the night off with “Twisted Tongues” off their 2018 Everything is Going Grey album. They absolutely killed their eight song set, and both vocalists were absolutely nailing it on stage, getting the crowd excited and warmed up for everything to come. The crowd surfers started right from the first song and kept going throughout, which made being in the photo pit pretty interesting, but I am happy to report I escaped with zero injuries! (A rarity for me, as crowd surfers have an affinity for kicking me for some reason. Should I be worried?)
Next in the line up, coming to us from Mukilteo, Washington, was mathcore band The Fall of Troy. Now listen, these guys put on a show. I hadn’t heard of them before that night (which is my loss, honestly), but was told before their set to pay attention because they were really good. And, they were. Vocalist/guitarist Thomas Erak was all over that stage, hair flying, fingers dancing over the strings, and really giving the performance his all. The crowd spent their entire eight song set cheering and crowd surfing as if their lives depended on it. They ended their set with “F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.,” which is such a fantastic song it made it on to my car playlist before I even left the venue.
Dance Gavin Dance is an “I have no idea what genre” band from Sacramento, California. Listen, I tried to pin a genre down for you. I did. I’ve seen them labeled everything from “genre-defying” to “post-hardcore” to “mathcore” to “an exhilarating cacophony of sounds and disparate styles that harmonizes everything from funk through metalcore to post-hardcore, pop sensibilities colliding with progressive, kaleidoscopic song structures.” So, you tell me. Here’s what I can tell you. They are loud. They are screamy. They are something I would blast in my car driving while driving way too fast down the highway, and my Boomer mother who listens to yacht rock would absolutely hate them. Do with that info what you will.
They opened their set with “Animal Surgery” and played through an 11 song set (plus 3 encore songs) hitting on hits from multiple albums in their 11 album discography, ensuring everyone in the crowd got to hear their favorites. Vocalists Andrew Wells and Jon Mess were selling the show from the front of the stage, and their fiercely loyal fans were buying in. The audience was absolutely wild. Between the crowd surfing and scream-singing every song in unison, it felt more like a giant party than a concert. And a theme party at that, because I’d estimate 90% of the crowd was already decked out in Dance Gavin Dance merch, while holding their newly acquired t-shirts in their hands. Their fans are dedicated, and definitely do not subscribe to the old Droz adage of “Don’t be that guy” when it comes to wearing the band’s t-shirt to their own concert. I love that for them. (And, honestly? Why did we let a one-off line from PCU affect us so much in the first place? I have a bone to pick with Jeremy Piven about that one. Wear the merch. Support the bands. Be that guy.)
This show was part of Dance Gavin Dance’s two month North American headline tour following their September 2025 release of their Pantheon album. The tour started on May 5th and runs through July 25, 2026. Tour dates are available on their website, and they are hitting many major cities throughout the US. During this tour, so there may be one near you. The band will also be releasing Tree City Sessions 3, an album featuring re-recorded tracks, along with a new version of “Need Money.” Front man Jon Mess shares, “‘Need Money’ is an underrated song. It’s weird and fun, and you gotta love those horns.” The album is currently available on their website on double vinyl and CD, with a full release on June 19th. You can presave the digital album here.
Long Island Sounds 