There’s something unique about Turnstile. Though rooted in hardcore, the Baltimore-based quintet pushes the genre’s boundaries by emphasizing groove, melodies, and a sense of community rarely associated with the genre. On Saturday night, on Osheaga’s Scène de la Vallée, this vision came to life before an excited crowd, confirming why Turnstile is now one of the hottest rock bands around.
As a simple pattern of colored bars fills the giant screen, the musicians calmly take their places at their instruments on an almost minimalist stage. Seemingly innocuous, this visual choice stands in stark contrast to the traditionally dark aesthetics of punk and post-hardcore. The whole scene is accompanied by the synth pads of “Never Enough,” the opening track from their latest album. From the very first chords, this bright, modern identity takes hold, as does the crowd’s anticipation as they wait for Brendan Yates to sing the opening lyrics. When he belts out the first lines—immediately echoed by thousands of fans—the pent-up energy finally erupts.The transition to “T.L.C.” (Turnstile Love Connection) instantly ramps up the intensity. Short, fast, and unrestrained, the song evokes the urgency of bands like Bad Brains and Black Flag. Yates’s screams and the physical energy of the entire audience set the tone for a performance where each song seems to propel the crowd a little further into euphoria.
One of the most striking aspects of the concert, however, is its staging. Rather than relying on elaborate visuals, Turnstile chooses to place its audience at the center of the experience. The screens constantly display footage captured from within the mosh pits and circle pits, as well as shots filmed with a camera held directly in the crowd. Bathed in harsh white light, these images evoke the aesthetic of an old video camera and reinforce the impression of witnessing a spontaneous moment rather than a perfectly choreographed show. Moreover, they highlight the diversity of the audience: young teenagers, parents, and people in their sixties—all seem to share the same enthusiasm.
The setlist, consisting mainly of songs from Glow On and Never Enough, constantly maintains this balance between adrenaline-fueled bursts and more contemplative moments. Songs like “Holiday” and “Birds” spark the wildest crowd reactions, while “I Care,” “Mystery,” and the extended “Look Out for Me” provide breathing room where more alternative textures, synthesizers, and danceable rhythms take over without ever breaking the show’s momentum.
The climax comes precisely with “Birds,” performed as the finale. The moment Brendan Yates invites the crowd to jump and thousands of people sing along in unison to “Finally I can see it / These birds not meant to fly alone,” the concert transcends a mere display of energy. It becomes a moment of communion where everyone seems carried along by the others.
Leaving the La Vallée stage, what remained most of all was the impression of having participated in an immense collective liberation. Turnstile no longer seeks merely to shatter the conventions of hardcore: the band transforms them into a space where rage, vulnerability, and joy coexist, making this performance one of the most unifying moments of the day.
Photos by Benoit Rousseau
