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The best concert I saw this year was a BOGO double feature by the Boston shitkickers Haywire. On a Friday evening in Tribeca, the band played inside a wrestling ring at David Zwirner’s 52 Walker location as part of a Raymond Pettibon exhibition. The black turtleneck crowd wasn’t ready for the mayhem, and I saw more than one attendee get fully wrecked while accidentally standing too close to the pit — a brutal initiation to a hardcore show if there ever was one.
Just a few hours later, the band brought generators and fireworks over to the Williamsburg Bridge for an impromptu ripper that miraculously wasn’t shut down by the cops, as the crowd was too thick and blocked the narrow pathways. Trains wooshed past inches from the sweaty mob and fans made their own flamethrowers using cans of hairspray.
Haywire makes good on their name and can make any show feel like DIY culture is alive and electric — and that Boston hardcore ain’t dead yet. Their energy is just as palpable on the Shirts vs. Skins EP, featuring anthems “SUMMER NIGHTS” and “LOVE SONG.” The former captures the band’s M.O. better than any purple prose ever could: “Hanging out is what we do best / Getting fucked up with my best friends.” Never thought I’d say this, but 617 forever.
Just a few hours later, the band brought generators and fireworks over to the Williamsburg Bridge for an impromptu ripper that miraculously wasn’t shut down by the cops, as the crowd was too thick and blocked the narrow pathways. Trains wooshed past inches from the sweaty mob and fans made their own flamethrowers using cans of hairspray.
Haywire makes good on their name and can make any show feel like DIY culture is alive and electric — and that Boston hardcore ain’t dead yet. Their energy is just as palpable on the Shirts vs. Skins EP, featuring anthems “SUMMER NIGHTS” and “LOVE SONG.” The former captures the band’s M.O. better than any purple prose ever could: “Hanging out is what we do best / Getting fucked up with my best friends.” Never thought I’d say this, but 617 forever.
Dec 31, 2025