Summer School Class of 2026 is In Session in NYC
- Kara Maddox
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Now in its junior year, Idobi Radio’s Summer School Tour has once again taken over North America. Starting in 2024, the Summer School Tour showcases numerous up and coming pop-rock and pop-punk artists, paving the way for new faces in the scene. Many of the artists on the past few Summer School lineups have been exploding in popularity ever since, and some have even become headlining bands in their own right. This year, pop-rockers Honey Revenge headline the tour with South Arcade, Games We Play, Winona Fighter, and Chase Petra joining as support. On July 1, the tour took over New York City’s Irving Plaza for a night full of pop-punk that fans would never forget.
Kicking off the night was New Jersey-based metalcore band SAGE, the local opener of the night. At each show of the Summer School Tour this year, a different band local to each area opens. Opening the set with their new song “LOST”, the band already got the crowd hyped, with crowdsurfers already coming through the room. With heavy breakdowns and thrilling riffs, everyone quickly became immersed in the music. The crowd continued jumping, moshing, and crowdsurfing until the very last note. Even if it was many people’s first time hearing of SAGE, the band clearly made an impact on everyone that night, and fully warmed them up for the upcoming acts.
The next band to take the stage was pop-rock band Chase Petra. With an emo-inspired sound and heartfelt, personal lyrics, the band quickly captivated the crowd. Throughout the set, the mosh pit never simmered down for a moment, and crowdsurfers kept making their way through. During their set, Chase Petra performed two of their newest singles, “405” and “Soda Pop”, which were released in April and May respectively. Towards the end of the set, vocalist and guitarist Hunter Allen took a moment to speak for what’s right, saying “Free Palestine” as the crowd cheered in response. Chase Petra’s set was short but impactful, as the crowd was even more hyped in preparation for the sets ahead.
The third band to perform was rising pop-punk band Winona Fighter. Having released their debut full-length album My Apologies to the Chef in 2025, Winona Fighter has been quickly skyrocketing within the pop-punk scene. With punchy riffs and a dynamic punk spirit, it did not take long for the crowd to get moving. Right when the first song started, crowdsurfers started making their way through the room and they never stopped coming. Frontwoman Coco Kinnon’s energy was contagious as she jumped and kicked across the stage while delivering powerful vocals. Halfway through the set, she mentioned how important it is to be gathering together to enjoy music, and that right now, we can only trust our communities and never the government, to which the crowd cheered in agreement. Towards the end of the set, Winona Fighter played a cover of Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage”, and closed with their 2023 track “HAMMS IN A GLASS”, and topped off the performance with Coco jumping into the crowd to crowdsurf. Even if many people were just discovering Winona Fighter that night, it was evident that everyone in the crowd became fans.
Next up was UK-based pop-punk and self-proclaimed “Y2KCORE” band South Arcade. Without having even released a full-length album yet, South Arcade’s quick rise within the scene has been a spectacle. Opening with the catchy “HOW 2 GET AWAY WITH MURDER”, crowdsurfers instantly started coming through the room, sometimes multiple at once, and this never dwindled for a moment. Vocalist Harmony Cavelle helped hype the crowd up even more with her unrelenting energy. Unfortunately, South Arcade’s set was paused due to a false fire alarm, but the band returned and continued the show with no problem, making sure they end their set with a bang. The band closed with their fan-favorite “stone cold summer”, and the crowdsurfers kept coming and the mosh pit kept moving until the final note, with Harmony commenting that NYC was their craziest show yet.
The second to last artist to perform was Games We Play, a pop-punk solo project led by vocalist and guitarist Emmyn Calleiro. With catchy hooks and energetic melodies, the crowd instantly started moving, and crowdsurfers already started coming through during the first song. Releasing a new album I Wish I Never Quit on September 18, Emmyn mentioned how important this new album is for him, claiming that it’s the most authentic his music has ever been since he wrote it entirely himself. From the album, he played new singles “Is This What I’m Made Of”, “The Smash”, and unreleased track “Right Place, Wrong Timing”. The most memorable part of Games We Play’s set was the crowd interaction, with Emmyn continuously bantering with the crowd and even bringing a fan up on stage to play piano for a song. Closing with their 2022 song “I Hope You’re Happy”, the crowd kept moshing and crowdsurfing until the end, fully energized for the headlining set.
Following the performances of 5 great bands, the headlining set was about to begin. The lights dimmed for the final time that night, and soon enough, Honey Revenge walked onstage as the room filled with cheers. Opening with one of their most recent singles, “Run Your Mouth”, from their upcoming album Loving and Losing which releases on September 18, crowdsurfers already started coming through, and the enthusiasm in the room never died down for a second. Vocalist Devin Papadol and guitarist Donny Lloyd easily hyped up the crowd with their lively energy as they danced across the stage.
A highlight of Honey Revenge’s set was the crowd interaction. During their song “Habitual”, Devin said that they were going to grade NYC on how many fans could crowdsurf and see if they could beat Silver Spring’s record. NYC fans took this as a challenge as tons of surfers started soaring through the room, sometimes multiple at once. Devin also went up to the barricade to sing “Worst Apology”, and brought up a fan named Nico to sing “Are You Impressed?”.
Despite 5 previous sets, NYC fans never got tired for a moment. In fact, the energy just kept increasing throughout Honey Revenge’s set. As well as tons of crowdsurfing, the pit remained active throughout the set with many people moshing and even starting a circle pit during one song. When the band concluded their set with their breakthrough track “Airhead”, the fans gave it their all. No matter if they were moshing, crowdsurfing, or just dancing, everyone in the crowd was off their feet. NYC Summer School juniors were left with a night they would never forget.
