While it’s only been a year since the pop punk and emo band Hot Mulligan graced New Haven, Connecticut’s College Street Music Hall with their presence, it was worth the wait. The group from Lansing, Michigan consists of vocalist Nathan “Tades” Sanville, guitarists Chris Freeman and Ryan “Spicy” Malicsi, bassist Jonah “Fantasy Camp” Kramer, and drummer Brandon Blakeley. This time they brought out Charmer, Just Friends, and Free Throw with them for their headlining North American tour “Choose Your Fightour.”

The night started out with smaller Michigan emo band Charmer getting the crowd warmed up. The band’s shorter setlist consisted of hits from the group’s two full-length albums, “Charmer” (2018) and “Ivy” (2020), and various singles released throughout their time as a band since 2015. The four-piece band put on a great show and gained a room of new fans. When they asked the crowd who had seen them live before, about half of the room cheered and raised their hands. I had never heard of Charmer until this tour, but I was excited to join this new crew of fans.

Next up was Just Friends, a band I can confidently say put on a performance I did not expect. Described as an American funk-rock band, the seven-piece band came out on stage and caught lots of eyes when every person looked like they were dressed for a different occasion. While the band sounded fantastic, each member’s enthusiasm and excitement stole their part of the concert for me. The banter between vocalists Sam Kless and Brianda “Brond” Goyos Leon was hysterical, but my favorite part was when Kless cartwheeled across the stage.

The third and final opener, Free Throw, was my most-loved of the three opening groups. The energy, the sound, and the atmosphere were all electric. The band was so good, that even the lead singer of Hot Mulligan came out to sing part of “A Part is Better Than Zero” with the band. The five-piece band from Nashville, Tennessee has been around longer than all the other bands who tore up the stage that night. Since 2012, Free Throw has been releasing hit albums from “Those Days Are Gone” (2014) all the way up until their most recent release of “Lessons That We Swear to Keep” (2023).

Finally, at 9:45, Hot Mulligan hit the stage with “How Do You Know It’s Not Armadillo Shells?” It was difficult to decide what to watch: the endless movement of the band, the colorful strobe lights reaching the whole venue, or the audience’s passionate reaction to the ‘#1 HOT NEW BAND’. Between the moshing, surfing, and beer-throwing, there wasn’t a dull moment. Some of their most popular songs like “*Equip Sunglasses*,” “Drink Milk and Run,” “Bckyrd,” and “Shhhh! Golf Is On” were played. Even better, the band sounded the same live as on the recordings! Their most recent album, “Why Would I Watch,” released in May of 2023 was the most featured in the band’s setlist, taking a total of 9 out of 19 songs. As each track was announced, some back stories were told in between songs. I think this set Hot Mulligan apart from other bands. It showed each musician’s personality past the music and gave fans stories to match the songs to. I didn’t know much about these bands before seeing this show, but the suspense made me enjoy it even more. Only on show number 4 of the tour, with 14 more to go, there’s sure to be more surprises in store.