Punk generations collide as Stiff Little Fingers take control of District Music Hall
District Music Hall has become one of Connecticut’s go-to venues for punk and hardcore. Walking into the room that night, you could feel it: patched vests, dyed hair, longtime fans mixing with kids just finding their way into the scene.
THE ATTACK
Florida’s The Attack opened the show with a tight set, the bandmates gelling well and bringing a positive, upbeat energy that carried straight into the crowd.
What impressed me most was what happened after their set. Every band member stayed to break down their own gear. I’ve been to too many shows where the band vanishes backstage, and this was the opposite. It was humbling to watch.
I liked their sound enough to head to merch right after, where I grabbed a vinyl and some swag—because let’s be real, that’s one of the few ways to really support a band on the road. I ended up talking with drummer Tito Esquiaqui, a down-to-earth guy who’s just happy to be out there with friends he’s known since grade school, doing what they love.
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS
Then came Stiff Little Fingers. Every song built on the energy of the one before it, both band and crowd feeding off each other. Mid-set, SLF let the audience decide between U.S. rock or U.K. punk for the next song. No surprise—UK punk won.
From that moment on, the energy never dipped. The room was alive with the crowd dancing, headbanging, and singing along. Almost no phones in the air. Nobody was trying to document it. Everyone was just living in the moment.
It’s worth remembering who SLF are. They came out of Belfast in 1977, alongside other U.K. punk bands like the Sex Pistols, The Damned, and The Clash. The entire scene was fueled by political tension and cultural unrest. Decades later, you can see the fingerprints of Stiff Little Fingers all over bands like Green Day. Punk rock that stays loud and political, calling out bullshit no matter what side of the aisle you’re on.
There’s been a noticeable resurgence of punk and rock lately, and it just makes sense. With the political climate in America more tense than ever, the anger and defiance that fuel this music are finding new life on stages across the country.
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