Concert review: Black Pistol Fire w/ Never Ending Fall | 04.10.26, Delmar Hall (with photo gallery)

Photo of Kevin McKeown of Black Pistol Fire by Laura Jerele

Two bands, nonstop energy, a fabulous crowd, no dull moments: pretty much everything I want included in a Friday night show. Delmar Hall filled up early, which I always love to see! People clearly got the memo to get there to see openers Never Ending Fall, and honestly, it felt like half the crowd showed up just for them. This band is chaos in the best way. Nonstop movement, jumping, singing, smiling, the whole deal. Their lead singer and founding member, Jack Miller, was basically a human sparkplug with kicks and jumps, hyping everyone up and eventually calling for a mosh pit that turned into more of a loose dance circle, but that’s ok! Didn’t matter though, because he dove right into it anyway, right into the crowd like it was the most natural thing in the world. NEF’s songs were super catchy and high-energy and I thought they were just straight-up fun—one called “You” was quite fabulous. And they were brave enough to throw in an Oasis cover, well done! Excellent vibe check with these lads because instead of disappearing backstage, they immediately headed over and hung out at the merch booth like total pros, meeting fans, taking pics, signing whatever was handed to them, and selling merch they actually designed themselves. Genuinely cool to see a band this good making connections with people like that.

Headliners Black Pistol Fire are just too good to even explain. A duo that makes massive amounts of noise. It’s just two guys with massive sound and energy, I felt like my brain needed a minute to catch up. Kevin McKeown on guitar and vocals and Eric Owen on drums somehow make a sound that feels massive, gritty, and loud in that raw, garage-blues way they’ve built their reputation on. McKeown was all over the stage, singing, headbanging, dancing, sprinting, leaning into the crowd, and then completely zoning out into the music like nothing else (including us) existed. It’s honestly wild how much energy that guy has. Meanwhile, Owen in the back just kept on hammering away with this relentless force, no frills, just hitting hard and sounding insanely tight. He hits his drums HARD. I feel like they’ve got that “two-man wrecking crew” thing down to a science. They doused us with bangers “American Wet Dream,” “Hipster Shakes,” and “Lost Cause,” to name a few. 

The lighting kept things moody and a little gritty, mostly dark with these sharp flashes of white cutting through at just the right moments, which somehow made everything feel even louder (and challenging to photograph!). It was a little unhinged in the best possible way. Two bands, completely different vibes, but both bringing ridiculous energy. Exactly what a Friday night should look like. | Laura Jerele