Turnstile is an American hardcore punk band from New York City that formed in 2010. The band consists of vocalist Brendan Yates, guitarists Brady Ebert and Franz “Franzlican” Lyons, bassist Sean Martin, and drummer Daniel Fang. Turnstile has opened for a number of well-known bands over the past decade as they’ve risen in popularity in the hardcore scene.
Turnstile’s Early Shows and Tours
In their early years, Turnstile played a lot of local shows in the New York/New Jersey area. They started gaining traction in the hardcore scene in 2011-2012 through playing support slots for more established bands passing through town. Some of the first major national acts Turnstile opened for included Ceremony, Trapped Under Ice, and Sick of it All.
Their first real touring experience came in 2012 when they supported New Jersey hardcore band Backtrack on a full US tour. This gave Turnstile essential early experience playing club shows to new audiences across the country. Other bands Turnstile opened short regional tours for in 2012-2013 included Down to Nothing, Suburban Scum, and Bane.
Early Major Tour Openers
Turnstile stepped up to opening larger shows and tours in 2013 and 2014. Some of the first big-name artists they opened for during this period included:
- Judge – Northeast US (2013)
- Dropout Kings – Midwest/East Coast US (2013)
- Power Trip – East Coast (2014)
- Sheer Terror – Northeast US (2014)
- Madball – East Coast (2014)
Supporting these established hardcore acts helped expand Turnstile’s fanbase beyond their hometown scene as they readied their debut EP. It also gave them experience playing in front of large, high-energy crowds.
Building Momentum with the Step 2 Rhythm EP
The release of the Step 2 Rhythm EP on Reaper Records in 2015 marked a new phase for Turnstile. The well-received EP led to increased show and tour offers from bigger artists. Some of the major bands they opened for in 2015 while promoting Step 2 Rhythm included:
- Ignite – US Tour
- Modern Life Is War – East Coast
- Strife – California Shows
- The Story So Far – California Shows
- Defeater – East Coast
- Death Before Dishonor – Boston
- Comeback Kid – Canada
This heavy touring schedule quickly expanded awareness of Turnstile beyond the hardcore scene. They were now playing for diverse crowds into post-hardcore, melodic hardcore, and pop punk. Opening for The Story So Far gave Turnstile their first exposure to large crowds at Warped Tour-style festival shows.
Pop Punk Festivals and Supporting Turnover
Turnstile continued taking opening slots at major US festivals and supporting a wide range of genres in 2016. Some of their notable tour openers that year included:
- Riot Fest (Chicago) – Festival Set
- Taste of Chaos Festival – California
- So What?! Music Festival (Texas) – Festival Set
- Turnover – US Tour
- New Found Glory – Midwest/Northeast
- Real Friends – California
- Four Year Strong – Boston
Playing these shows and diverse festivals both widened Turnstile’s audience and influenced their songwriting. Supporting the emo/indie band Turnover gave Turnstile experience tailoring shorter, high-energy sets for crowds less familiar with hardcore.
Breakthrough Tours and Nonstop Time & Space Album Cycle
The release of Turnstile’s Nonstop Feeling album on Roadrunner Records in 2017 elevated them to headlining hardcore shows across North America and Europe. However, they still made time for select high-profile opening slots to keep expanding their audience and perfecting their live show.
Some of Turnstile’s biggest tour openers during the Nonstop Feeling album cycle included:
- Gorilla Biscuits – Reunion Tour
- AFI – Europe
- Rise Against – US Tour
- Deftones – North America
- Blink-182 – California Festivals
This mix of genres showed Turnstile’s appeal across punk, alternative, and rock crowds. It also gave them valuable experience adapting for amphitheater audiences at venues like Red Rocks and the Hollywood Bowl.
Festival Experience
In addition to major tour openers, Turnstile played a heavy schedule of US and European festivals in 2017-2018. Some of their notable festival appearances included:
- Reading/Leeds Festival
- Hellfest (France)
- Download Festival
- Amnesia Rockfest (Canada)
- Montebello Rockfest
- This is Hardcore Fest
- FYF Fest
- Riot Fest
- WARPED Tour
This diverse mix of punk, rock, and hardcore festivals gave Turnstile wide exposure outside of the touring circuit. It prepared them for the bigger festival bookings that would come with their next album.
Arena Tours and Global Growth Supporting Glow On
With the release of their critically acclaimed Glow On album in 2021, Turnstile reached a new level of popularity and career momentum. They spent 2022 and early 2023 headlining shows internationally and selling out larger venues.
However, Turnstile still prioritized select high-profile opening slots to keep reaching new audiences. Some of their biggest tour openers during the Glow On album cycle so far include:
- Blink-182 – Global Tour
- My Chemical Romance – Australia/New Zealand
- $uicideboy$ – US Tour
- Rise Against – Europe
- The Used – US Tour
- Bring Me The Horizon – UK/Europe
These tours brought Turnstile’s music to arenas and massive crowds for the first time. Opening Blink-182’s 2022 global reunion tour gave them invaluable exposure to mainstream rock audiences numbering in the tens of thousands per show.
Mainstreaming Success at Festivals
Turnstile has also broken through to prominently-billed sets at major festivals worldwide supporting Glow On, including:
- Reading/Leeds Festival
- Lollapalooza
- Bonnaroo
- Boston Calling
- Primavera Sound
- Firefly Festival
- When We Were Young
- Corona Capital
Their high-energy festival performances for massive crowds cemented Turnstile’s reputation in the mainstream. It also opened them to demographics far beyond hardcore fans.
The Importance of Supporting Tours for Turnstile’s Rise
Throughout their steady rise from hardcore upstarts to festival headliners, Turnstile has strategically used supporting tour slots to expand their audience. Early openings for Judge and Sheer Terror boosted their credibility. Pop punk festivals widened their appeal. Arena tours with Deftones and Blink-182 brought music to the mainstream.
But they’ve never abandoned their hardcore roots, still prioritizing tours with Madball, Power Trip, and Gorilla Biscuits. This has allowed Turnstile to bridge genres and gain fans across the entire alternative music landscape.
Even now at their popularity peak, Turnstile continues taking occasional supporting slots when the opportunity makes sense. Their approach of carefully balancing headlining shows with targeted openings has been integral to their listener growth.
It’s allowed them to stretch beyond hardcore and make their intense live show work in vastly different settings. Turnstile’s strategic touring history shows how newer bands can progressively build a following by supporting established artists.
Turnstile Support Slot History by Year
Here’s a breakdown of some of Turnstile’s major tour openers year-by-year as they’ve risen through the punk and alternative scene:
Year | Supporting | Tour Region |
---|---|---|
2011 | Ceremony | East Coast |
2012 | Backtrack | US |
2013 | Judge | Northeast |
2014 | Power Trip | East Coast |
2015 | Ignite | US |
2016 | New Found Glory | Midwest/Northeast |
2017 | Rise Against | US |
2018 | Deftones | North America |
2022 | Blink-182 | Global |
2023 | Bring Me The Horizon | Europe |
Key Takeaways
- Turnstile has opened for bands across rock, punk, hardcore, and metal to expand their audience.
- They’ve progressed from smaller clubs to major festivals and arenas.
- Turnstile continues taking select openings, even at the height of their popularity.
- Their supporting tours illustrate an effective strategy for growing a following.
Conclusion
In their rapid rise from New York hardcore newcomers to international festival headliners, Turnstile has used supporting tours with strategic variety. They’ve opened for established bands across rock, punk, metal and hardcore genres. This has allowed them to incrementally expand their fanbase beyond hardcore purists.
Turnstile’s continuous willingness to accept supporting slots, even now at their popularity peak, has been central to their crossover appeal growth. Their diverse tour history provides an illuminating case study for bands aiming to progressively build their audience and graduate to larger venues.