45 years.
That's how long it has been since Saturday NIght Live has had a hardcore band on their soundstage as an invited musical guest. In 1981, FEAR infamously turned the show's live musical performance into bedlam, becoming the stuff of SNL lore.
For the Baltimore collective, the appearance on the beloved late night television institution reiterated their continued impact on modern counter culture. The band that cut their teeth in VFW halls, DIY spaces and hardcore basements across the country for years have become a fixture on the festival circuit, dominating mainstages home and abroad all while setting the pace as a generational force and cultural trendsetters.
The band's Saturday Night Live appearance with guest host Dakota Johnson emphasized just how vital Turnstile have become. Blazing through a rendition of "Birds" (doubled down by a performance of "Dull" and I Care") far more electrifying than anything typically aired during the slot, the band's collective bounce and Daniel Fang's maniacal tempo behind the kit was thrilling to everyone watching for a few different reasons.
For the long-tenured fan, the ones convinced early on during the Time & Space or even the Nonstop Feeling era, the appearance was just another career benchmark that affirmed what they had already known. Turnstile has been one of the best bands in the world and now, the greater universe has even further proof of why.
For everyone else just coming around, the band's live conviction and celebratory release is undeniable. You would be hard pressed to watch Turnstile live and not feel SOMETHING. And that was the magic that played out on national television. A Baltimore hardcore band managed to get everyone on the same page with a pair of songs that made anyone seeing it feel something.
The band is currently on the second leg of their Never Enough tour, performing to capacity crowds consisting of a broad stroke of fans from all walks of life. The common denominator apart from the shot of life that is a live Turnstile set - everyone loves to see a winner.
Catch Turnstile live. See the remaining dates below. Get tickets - HERE
