State Champs rock the House of Blues in Boston

House of Blues

Boston, MA

Saturday January 17th, 2026

State Champs celebrated ten years of “Around the World and Back” on a cold, windy night in Boston. Accompanied by Broadside, Real Friends, and Cartel, the New York based pop punk pioneers brought the energy. The crowd, myself included, was eager to hear songs that had not been played live in years.

Broadside started the show off strong, playing through their catalog that spans over a decade long. Playing classics like “Coffee Talk” and newer tracks off their upcoming album “Nowhere, At Last,” there was something for everyone. 

Real Friends were up next. I was especially excited for this band as I listened to them a lot back in high school. They still bring the same energy they did ten years ago. Along with their old school tracks like “I’ve Given Up On You,” their new stuff goes hard too; “Waiting Room” off of their newest record “Blue Hour” was a highlight in the setlist. Their lead singer Cody jumped into the crowd for multiple songs which pumped the fans up even more. 

Cartel played their hearts out and had the crowd jumping throughout their set. With their immense energy, you never would have known this band released their first album back in 2005. Playing classics like “Say Anything (Else)” and “Honestly,” they gave the fans exactly what they wanted.

The time had come. State Champs took the stage and the crowd erupted. They played “Around the World and Back” in full for the first time ever. It was crazy to see the deep cuts played live, along with staples like “Secrets” and “All You Are Is History.” My personal favorites were toward the end of their first set. I never thought I’d hear “Tooth and Nail” and “Slow Burn” live. After playing the record in full, they played eight more hits right after, including fan favorites like “Common Sense” and “Elevated.” The band played for close to an hour and half and put on the performance of a lifetime for this Boston crowd. Fans could be spotted moshing, crowd surfing, and jumping around as the band played hit after hit. 

All of the bands on the ticket put on one heck of a show. It was a great night to listen to pop punk in New England.