Not often is an artist able to capture the essence of summer joy in a show, yet The 502s did exactly that Friday, May 28 at the District Music Hall in Norwalk, Connecticut, continuing their “Nonsense All Night” Tour with yet another electric concert experience.

From the opening night, the energy at the District Music Hall was at an all-time high. The 502s are a band whose music can only truly be experienced in person, and that electric live performance was present from the opening song. Fittingly, it was “Friday Night” that began the show, with energy that was physically shaking the District Music Hall. Listening to this song anywhere other than a packed music hall next to concert friends you met ten minutes before simply doesn’t do it justice.

No single member of the band captures that pure elation of summer vibes more than Joe Capati, who can only be described as the energy man in the musical instrument department. Think back to “Friday Night.” Throw the song on your streaming method of choice. Almost exactly one minute and 30 seconds in, there is a distinct saxophone solo that, while unique enough, isn’t particularly captivating. Now picture a man in a striped summer shirt, looking as if he’s stepped right from a Sicilian summer holiday onto the stage, playing that saxophone like his life depends on it. 

That was the energy Capati brought to each and every song, and something that the rest of the band fell right in line with. The best type of show is one where the band is so unequivocally in love with what they are doing, that there is no doubt in the audience’s mind that this is the best version of the tracks. For The 502s, that continued as the night progressed. 

“Sayonara,” set up the night well, with a catchy chorus that those in the crowd less familiar with The 502s most recent album were able to pick up easily. And nothing screams concert more than complete disregard for anything but the good in life. That message of positivity and a completely carefree attitude continued into the next song, “Summer Fling” before a momentary change of pace with “Like My Father,” one of the few tracks from their first studio album “Because We Had To” played during the evening.

But even the band’s saddest song had an undeniable energy to it that was coming from more than just the quick tempo and exciting stage presence of the six band members. The earnestness when singing about loss, and the unique perspective the song gives through its melody alone, bordered on the line of perfectly crafted and “y’all don’t want to hear me, you just want to dance.” 

The next three songs returned that excitement and whimsy, with love at the forefront. Nothing but pure vibes “waved” through the now warmed up crowd, with the majority of fans beginning to sing along as the stretch closed out with “Skinny Dipping and Mimosas.”

As the show progressed, that energy continued from The 502s. Truly a show where there wasn’t a moment to breathe for the crowd and the band. Each moment brought something special, from random unplanned confetti drifting from the rafters of the music hall, to that confetti then being the primary prop for each band member’s solo moments through the show, to the seemingly obligatory rock-paper-scissors competition that resulted in drummer Sean Froehlich leaving the music hall with one less hat. 

The highlights for pure atmosphere were some of the band’s most popular songs. “Hey, Julia” got the largest swell from the crowd, as well as “Just A Little While,” the band’s token TikTok sensation. Personally, though, I think the best two songs were from the band’s oldest album. Along with “Like My Father,” which somehow brings a fresh take tonally to how the loss of a parent can change one’s perspective, “Olivia” was the most impactful love song of the evening. With a beat that begged you to stomp your feet, and lyrics that resonated with me — I mean, come on. “And any boy could give you all his love / But you don’t know the things that I’m made of” is a sapphic girl’s dream — I couldn’t get enough of it. 

But I will end with another line from “Olivia” that perfectly describes the only emotion present when you’re pressed up against the pounding walls, The 502s celebrating the joy of life, love and the summer months in the District Music Hall. 

“And there’s nothing I could ever do, to save me from the truth / Oh I’m in love.”