Hey guys, No Moshing ;)
by Siobhan Brannigan (she/her)
Photo Credit: Coby Rossi
It’s been a couple of months since Warsaw in Brooklyn welcomed AVOID for the most killer head-banging sesh of Thanksgiving break. On November 26, the old Polish community center was filled with a fresh West Coast funk courtesy of its members from Seattle and Southern California. With sounds relative to Limp Bizkit and The Offspring, the music evokes a vibe that feels like late ‘90s punk resurrected for zillennials. The nostalgia of AVOID’s style allows young adults to experience the music that their lifetimes barely succeeded. A first-time attendee at the show in Brooklyn recalled that they “could easily tell AVOID enjoys the music they make and what they do,” with another adding that “this is the band that will perform the cleanest Fortnite dances just for their fans.”
mosh /mäSH/ verb – dance to rock music in a violent manner involving jumping up and down and deliberately colliding with other dancers.
How are the band’s shows so successful? They keep them exciting with intense audience engagement. The most thrilling part of the AVOID experience occurs when fans flock to the floor to mosh. Some fans will even push through to the front of the room and, if they are lucky, be picked up to surf and touch spirits with the band. The musicians themselves also surf at times and float across the hall while fans cheer them on, bringing a new buzz to the concert.
Warsaw is based, and it’s not just because of the pierogi room. In this hall, fans are granted the privilege to mosh. But other venues have not been as forgiving in the past. If encouraging moshing and surfing is banned at the venue, frontman Benny Scholl earnestly reminds his fans that they CANNOT *wink* MOSH *wink wink*! Of course, the fans nod and listen every time and always make sure to keep their Charlie Brown moves to themselves!
Along with Scholl, the current lineup consists of guitarist Nick Olson, guitarist Chris Echols, and drummer Paul Jaton. Their most recent album release, Cult Mentality, set them up for a national tour that will continue throughout this spring. If you happen to catch an AVOID show, bring a pre-show gift for the band to show appreciation for the members' cultural influence. And once you're in there, prepare to DEFINITELY NOT MOSH.