District Music Hall weekly round-up: The Bouncing Souls and The Wonder Years announced

District Music Hall weekly round-up: The Bouncing Souls and The Wonder Years announced

District Music Hall announced Reverend Horton Heat w/ Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas and Godspeed You! Black Emperor this week. Tickets are on sale now at districtmusichall.com

The Bouncing Souls
District Music Hall – 71 Wall Street, Norwalk CT 06850
May 1, 2025
Tickets go on are on sale now via districtmusichall.com

The Boucing Souls

The Bouncing Souls are something of a punk rock institution. The band have been consistently churning out their beloved brand of anthemic punk since 1989, and have earned an intensely loyal fanbase with tireless touring and an unrelenting love of making music. As the band approached the creation of their tenth full length, they sought to make a record that captured the spirit of their earlier work, while incorporating who they are today. That record is Simplicity and its 13 tracks of undeniably infectious punk rock prove that The Bouncing Souls have a lot more to say.

In making Simplicity, The Bouncing Souls set out to write songs that, first and foremost, would translate into the live environment. With over 20 years worth of anthems under their collective belt, it’s a challenge to write a setlist that incorporates newer material, but Simplicity’s many standouts are more than up to the task. Next, the band enlisted the help of producer John Seymour, who manned the mixing boards for their fan favorite LPs How ISpent My Summer Vacation and Anchors Aweigh, to record the album with all of the raw energy of the live performance. The production of Simplicity perfectly embodies the band’s bite and power, the driving guitars, prominent bass, rock-solid drums, and soaring vocals all cutting through with no unneeded studio shine. From speedy hardcore-influenced ragers, to comparatively tender punk ballads, Simplicity’s dynamics show every side of The Bouncing Souls.

On Simplicity, The Bouncing Souls do what so few long-running bands are able to accomplish: they utilize all of the skills and lessons that come from over 20 years of making music, while still capturing the reckless spontaneity of their past work. That delicate balance can only be found if there’s a sincerity in the songs that comes from genuine love of playing music together, and The Bouncing Souls have that in spades.

Dave Hause & The Mermaid

Dave Hause’s songs have always been rooted in tangible reality—of emotion, of environment, of circumstance. Since releasing his debut album, Resolutions, in 2011, the Philadelphia-born songwriter has poured his whole heart, soul and life into his music. That’s no different on Drive It Like It’s Stolen, his sixth full-length. Its 10 songs overflow with Hause’s trademark urgency and passion, shimmering with a truth that reflects the harsh realities of life in this day and age, as well the intermittent jolts of joy that punctuate it. After all, his songs have always detailed his own personal traumas and triumphs within the setting of an unforgiving capitalist backdrop, tethering those personal experiences to ineluctable external forces. 2013’s second album, Devour, for example, was a response to his divorce from his first wife, while 2019’s Kick saw him tackle hope, depression, global warming and a crumbling American democracy with the news that he was to become a father. Most recently, on 2021’s Blood Harmony, Hause wrote and sang about the positive impact of having twins, and of the joy and excitement of being able to be at home with them for the first couple of years of the pandemic.

Drive It Like It’s Stolen is just as earnest and heartfelt, raw and real as anything he’s ever written before. Yet there’s also a subtle yet significant difference—here he’s delving into a more fictional type of storytelling to create what he terms “post-apocalyptic Americana”. That’s clear from the title of this album’s haunting and ominous opening song, “Cheap Seats (New Year’s Day, NYC, 2042)”. Set two decades in the future, it’s obviously not about anything that’s actually happened, but is still very much inspired by life. At the start of 2022, Hause was in a good place. He’d changed his diet and had maintained a strenuous workout regimen resulting in improved physical and mental health. Feeling great, he’d decided to go off Lexapro and left to go out on the Blood Harmony band touring.

“I was feeling great,” he recalls. “I came back to work, didn’t have my meds. But then I’m on tour, I’m not working out, I’m not eating that way anymore. And I’m really faced with the American city, the American experiment post-pandemic. We’re going places and being like, ‘Oh, my God, this is what Portland and San Francisco and Los Angeles look like.’ And it looked terrifying. Whenever I went anywhere, I felt like I was watching the prequel to 12 Monkeys, except I was also living it and just wondering what the fuck was going on. The tour was doing well, but it just felt like my mental health was falling down stairs. A few months later, when we were finishing the tour, we heard stories that people were siphoning gas out of tour buses. So, a lot of the record was kind of born of and trying to wrestle with that.”

To that extent, the future dystopia of “Cheap Seats” is very real—a vivid depiction of a society on the verge of collapse based on Hause’s experience as a touring musician and then filtered through his imagination. If “Cheap Seats” sets the tone with its dream of escape from a ravaged New York City, then song “Pedal Down” starts that road trip. It’s a gloomy, glowering, dark early morning ride through desolate, post-apocalyptic streets, whose atmosphere really places you inside that car. A moody and monochrome song full of portent and hope in equal measure, it’s both a literal journey—captured by the album’s striking cover, which replicates the view of one of his twins in the back seat as the family drives away—and a metaphorical exploration of Hause’s fears and anxiety of being a parent in modern day America. ‘But we lead our lambs to slaughter,” he sings. ‘It’s profit, boot straps, and guns/Every god needs a sacrifice/Honey, what have we done?’ On one level it’s a simple question directed at his wife about having kids. On another, it’s tackling the whole American system.

 “Having children sounds like a great idea,” he explains, “and then you realize that they’re grist for the mill. They’re grist to be sold to, they’re to be exploited, and they’re potentially fodder for our passion for guns. If your god in America is the gun, the idea that we must have these guns, then gods need sacrifices and our children are those sacrifices. And you wonder, ‘Did we bring children in this world to sacrifice them to the various American gods?’ That’s another thing we’re kind of grieving. We’re all complicit in this, and we’re all potentially going to have to pay.”  The disturbing, apocalyptic quasi-reality of the album’s lyrics is matched and amplified by the music. Written by Hause with his younger brother Tim, Drive It Like It’s Stolen—just like the three that preceded it, as well as Tim’s 2022 debut full-length—is the distinct next phase of their creative partnership. The third release on the brothers’ own Blood Harmony record label, it shakes up expectations while at the same time building off the sound and reputation Hause has established for himself over the past decade or so. “Damn Personal”, for example, is a boisterous blue collar anthem about lost friends that’s charged with electric emotion, while the uplifting, Petty-esque “Hazard Lights” ruminates on Hause’s sobriety and the temptation that exists when he’s around friends who still imbibe. Yet though there’s a specificity to those lyrics, they’re easily applicable to other situations, too.

 “That feeling of having the hazard lights on,” says Hause, “it’s just uncertainty. I’m kind of just pulled over here—I don’t know where I’m going, I know where I’ve been, the hazard lights are blinking, so please don’t hit me because I’ve got to figure out what to do next.”

Elsewhere, there’s “chainsaweyes” and “lashingout”, two very halves of the same whole that once again merge personal anxieties with universal horrors. Both ask important questions about identity and parenthood and responsibility and the difficulties of raising children in America. The former is backed by dramatic strings that emphasize the importance of the subject matter, while the latter begins as a beautifully poignant acoustic tune before descending into a marvelously unexpected piano breakdown that wouldn’t be out of place in a saloon sometime in the 1800s. Don’t be deceived by what Hause calls the “sugar” of that part, though—there’s still an important message underpinning it.

 “Both those songs are trying to assess that angry, always devouring, youthful, testosterone-fueled American boy thing,” explains Hause. “Raising boys in America, you don’t want to fall on the wrong side of history with that. In “lashingout”, that person who sings ‘I want to be God for a day’ at the end could be a school shooter. That wish could be something that would prompt someone to do something terrible. Why would you want that power? You could really hurt people. But here’s the thing—we all feel like lashing out like that at points. But what is it that’s prompting this feeling that you want to change everything, and do you have it right? Are you righteous in that anger of wanting to lash out?”

Drive It Like It’s Stolen was engineered and mixed by David Axelrod, and—like Blood Harmony—produced by Will Hoge and recorded at Santi Sound in Nashville, though with a different set of musicians than that album’s all-star cast. Yet that’s not to the record’s detriment at all. On penultimate song “Tarnish”, a song about both a life lived and one still being lived—past and present coalescing in a beautiful mesh of wistful self-reflection, Hause sings ‘I never got a golden record/I guess the melodies were wrong.’ The performance and production of not just that song, but this whole record, proves that sentiment entirely wrong. It’s followed by “The Vulture”, a song that harks back to the defiance that dominated Kick but which is recast with his children in mind. It feels, too, like the cementing of the thematic shift he’s making on this record. These songs may still be for Hause, but they’re increasingly less about him.

 “My life is getting increasingly less interesting,” he smiles. “And that’s by design. You want to be steady, you want to be at a baseball practice or taking your kids to gymnastics or whatever it is. You don’t want to necessarily be staring into the abyss all the time and trying to determine your existential weight. I don’t want my life to become fodder for songs—I want my creativity to be the fodder for songs.”

With this particular car ride, then, Hause is en route to a whole new world. Whether real or imagined or a combination of both, it’s time to buckle up for the ride.

The Wonder Years
District Music Hall – 71 Wall Street, Norwalk CT 06850
May 16, 2025
Tickets go on are on sale now via districtmusichall.com

The Wonder Years

For a number of years, this would have been an almost-blank page. Back in the mid-2010s, a few years after The Wonder Years had first formed in Lansdale, PA, just north of Philadelphia, the band would be asked to provide a bio for events they were playing. All Dan Campbell would write was ‘The Wonder Years is a band’. That was it. They’d then receive the programs for whatever festival or event it was for and laugh. Most bands, the frontman remembers, would write a “full page thing about how their last record charted and ours would just be a blank page with those six words at the top.” A lot of time has passed since then, and a lot has changed, although also not that much, at the same time. If The Wonder Years – completed by guitarists Matt Brasch and Casey Cavaliere, drummer Mike Kennedy, bassist Josh Martin and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Nick Steinborn – could get away with a six-word bio, they probably would.

As it happens, when it comes to The Hum Goes On Forever, context is important, which is why you’re reading these words. The most important reason is that this is the first record the band has made since Campbell became a father. And so, when he sings its very first words – ‘I don’t want to die’ – on its very first song, “Doors I Painted Shut”, they shimmer with a little extra poignancy and potency. Because as someone who has sung candidly about how despondent he’s felt at times, thoughts of unexistence are no longer possible. It doesn’t mean they stop, but Campbell can no longer succumb to the abject malaise they induce.

“You’ve got to pull it together,” he says, “because your kids are counting on you. These things that feel hopeless – these massive cultural and societal, full-populace problems like climate change and school shootings, all the things that you’re afraid of for your children – well, they only get fixed if you fix them. ‘I don’t want to die – because I’ve got to protect you.’ It would be very easy to give in to the depression and just kind of lay there, but my kids are counting on me, so I have to try to pull myself together and do the work. ”

That, then, is the crux of this record: his survival is more important than it ever was before. As Campbell phrases it, “How do you take care of someone else that needs you when there are days that you barely want to exist?” Now that he’s a father, the answer is a lot simpler than it used to be. Quite simply, he doesn’t have a choice. Rather, he has to press on against the noise that’s been inside his brain for as long as he can remember. That’s what the ‘hum’ of this album’s title is. Taken from a poem he wrote for Sister Cities, it is, he says, a representation of the gloom he tends to carry with him.

“Even when it’s not constantly in my face,” he admits, “there’s always a low hum of sadness, a low rumbling of ennui. So TheHum Goes On Forever is the understanding that I’m always going to have it, it’s always going to be there, it’s always been there for literal generations of my family and it’s important that I accept that and live and work through it.”

The Hum Goes On Forever, then, is the sound of The Wonder Years navigating those dark, cold waters, bringing that ever-present pulse in the back of Campbell’s mind to vivid life, while also pushing it as far back into his skull as it will go. It’s the kind of effect that’s only achievable through true collaboration and understanding, something that defines how the band has operated from its inception. The six-piece wrote the bulk of these songs in a farmhouse in the middle of Pennsylvania in the winter of 2021.This was before vaccines were widely available, so they all quarantined for 14 days first. Then, after getting vaccinated, they wrote together again in March, April and May, before tracking songs in June. Initially, the idea was to just make an EP with Will Yip, but it instead became their seventh album, finished with Steve Evetts, after the band decided the songs would be under-served on an EP. The result is a record

that captures the taught, fraught uncertainty of the period in which they were written, but also travels back in time and memory to uncover and dwell on and inhabit leftover remnants of the past. It serves, too, as a revealing representation of how the six lives that constitute The Wonder Years interact with each other. That happens both inside and outside of the band, obviously, but in terms of the former, they’ve all grown together immensely as musicians. It means the band knows when to be restrained and when to explode, filling in space and emptiness as needed to create a record that mirrors, sonically, the heart-torn urgency at its core, the way these six individuals interact with each other, each an essential component of a greater whole – as well as the next evolution of a band that’s never stopped growing, never stopped striving, never stopped searching for the truth and the heart of this dumb thing we call life.

It would be easy to talk about how specific songs do that, but that would also kind of defeat the point of this record. Because this is a complete journey and should be taken in as such. It begins in August and ends in June and traverses years and decades, as well as the constant cycle of sadness and healing within them. Except it never quite gets there. The hum is never totally shaken off.

“Because the tagline for The Upsides was ‘I’m not sad anymore’,” Campbell explains, “I think people were like, ‘This is the guy who used to be depressed.’ But obviously that never goes away. It’s a constant, and you basically have to co-exist with your sadness. It won’t go away, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t rely on you and that you can stop. As we’ve continued to make records, that’s manifested itself in different ways, but I don’t think ever as clearly as it has on this record. This one is more clearly about me struggling and floundering and drowning at points. In fact, I think it’s maybe even the most revealing in a lot of ways. There’s things I’m singing about on this record that I wouldn’t have had the guts to confront in myself prior to it – like being this open about how low I had gotten, starting in late 2019 and then tumbling into a pandemic, and just thinking and thinking and thinking….”

There’s a lot of thinking on this record. A lot of thoughts. But the main one, the important one, is that very first line of the first song: I don’t want to die. It’s something he repeats and reiterates on final track “You’re The Reason I Don’t Want The World To End”, which addresses the change in Campbell’s purpose since becoming a dad. That’s obvious enough from the title alone, but with the final line – inspired by gardening with his first son during the pandemic – the message becomes truly clear: ‘Put the work in, plant a garden, try to stay afloat.’ It’s a reminder to himself, but it’s also for anyone who listens, anyone who needs it, everyone who’s grown up with the band and has sought, and continues to seek, refuge in their songs. Because, yes, The Wonder Years is a band. But it’s also much, much more than that.

Don’t Miss

Drive-By Truckers – February 1, 2025

Share your District Music Hall experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram
Click here to learn more about the District Music Hall
Click here for the latest news at the District Music Hall
Click here for the upcoming events at the District Music Hall
Click here for the upcoming events in Norwalk
Click here for the latest news in Norwalk
Click here for upcoming events in Fairfield County
Click here for the latest news in Fairfield County

Click here for Norwalk Merch
#thenorwalklife • 203 Norwalk • I Clover Norwalk • I’d rather be in Norwalk • I Really Really Miss Norwalk • Just a kid from Norwalk • Norwalk Coordinates • Norwalk Pride

••••• Message center – Connecticut savings and messages from our sponsors •••••••

Connecticut Merch

If you’re from Connecticut or just love it, then you’ve come to the right place. Show your state pride with our assortment of unique Connecticut merchandise.

Our popular collections 203 • Two o’ Three • 860 • Eight Six O’ • I Really Really Miss Connecticut • Just a kid from Connecticut • Pride • Love & Live • Connecticut Fall

We also have merch by town, not all towns are available yet. You can always contact us and we can order the design you are looking for.

Save 10% on all products with promo code Post10. Always free shipping

Fairfield Theatre Company Events

1/29 – Lee Dewyze – Click here for tickets

Gourmet Cookies

Indulge in Keksi gourmet cookies, featuring classic flavors such as chocolate chip and snickerdoodle, as well as new monthly creations. Made with the highest quality ingredients, each bite is a delicious treat. Perfect for any cookie lover!

Movie showtimes at Prospector Theater

Looking to see a movie. Click here for showtimes

Save on CBD!

My name is Jillian, and I am the editor here at Finding Connecticut. When I came across New England Hemp Farm a few years ago, I had recently had my ankle fused. New England Hemp Farm’s Sports Relief Rub and 500 MG Full Spectrum CBD Oil have helped with everyday and weather pain.

Finding quality products that can improve your day-to-day life can be tough, but with New England Hemp Farm, getting a good night’s sleep or relieving your pain and anxiety has never been easier. Plus, using our code Findingconnecticut35, you’ll save 35% on your first purchase. And don’t forget, returning customers can use code Findingconnecticut20 to save 20% on orders. Let us help you find relief and savings with New England Hemp Farm.

Products we use here at Finding Connecticut include Sports Relief Rub • 500 MG Full Spectrum CBD Oil • Pet Drops • Pet Treats

Let’s create with Victory Designs

Need help with your creative needs? Our team has 20+ years of experience with Adobe, Shopify, and WordPress, and we offer affordable graphic design and web services. Let Victory Designs assist you with bringing your ideas to life.

Connecticut business owners:
Are you a local business owner in Connecticut looking to boost your visibility and reach more customers? Look no further! Our platform provides a unique opportunity to showcase your business to an engaged audience of people who love and live in Connecticut. By partnering with us, you can reach potential customers who are actively seeking things to do, places to dine, and local merchants and service providers to support. Don’t miss out on this chance to grow your business and connect with the local community!

Connecticut with us!

Stay informed with daily news directly in your inbox! Our service is completely free, and we guarantee your privacy – your email and information will never be shared, traded, or sold.

Stay connected with us on social media
Facebook • Instagram • Threads • Tiktok • X • Google News • Newsbreak
Join our Reddit community

Share your Connecticut experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram

Click here to return to Finding Connecticut’s home page

Don’t miss our reviews

Concert reviews • Restaurant reviews • Family restaurant reviews

Looking for the latest news by region, topic, and events

Foxwoods Resort Casino kicks off 2025 with a curated line up of January events

ICYMI: Our top 5 stories of the week

District Music Hall weekly round-up: The Bouncing Souls and The Wonder Years announced