The Bouncing Souls Turn Up the Heat at Crossroads
To say The Bouncing Souls have a dedicated fanbase would be an understatement. Last weekend, hundreds of diehards braved the frigid cold for not one…not two…but THREE sold out shows at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ. The small venue and energetic crowds were a throwback to old school punk rock gigs, and it was a great way to close out a long, cold January.
Originally The Souls were set to only play matinee and evening shows on Saturday, but added a third for Friday night when those two sold out immediately. They brought along a trio of talented friends as Chuck Coles, Black Guy Fawkes, and Jared Hart played acoustic sets. Hart provided a memorable moment for the final show as he jumped into the crowd for a cover of Rancid’s “Olympia, WA”.
I was lucky enough to attend the Saturday shows, and both were awesome. Each set had fan favorites like “True Believers”, “Hopeless Romantic”, “Lean on Sheena”, and “Gone”, but the guys also mixed in songs they don’t normally play. “Neurotic” and “I Like Your Mom” from their debut album made the cut as did a fun cover of “Just Like Heaven”. The day even included a kazoo solo!
The Souls head to the UK later this month as part of Less Than Jake’s Winter Circus with The Aquabats! and The Bar Stool Preachers. If you live across the pond and have a chance to catch one of those shows, you will not be disappointed. Back here in Jersey we’ll be counting the days ‘til Stoked for the Summer as we wait for the snow to melt.
Show 2 with Black Guy Fawkes
Show 3 with Jared Hart
Coverage from January 31, 2026 at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ.
All photos are © Michael Campanile Photography and cannot be used without permission.
