Words By: Cameron Pazos
Images By: Maysa Askar
Chaos ensued on a cloudy, humid evening in Miami, FL, during Turnstile’s NEVER ENOUGH pt.2 tour. Taking place at Factory Town, deep in the urban suburbs of Hialeah, the cloudy twilight could not hold back the immense energy emanating from within the venue. A lone rainbow shone dimly above the sky as the opening act, Collateral, took the stage. This was what could only be seen as a celestial omen for the night to come. Turnstile is an American hardcore band formed in 2010 from a growing hardcore scene in Baltimore. The collective graced Miami with a date for their NEVER ENOUGH pt.2 tour after having performed a year earlier as a headliner at iiiPoints music festival. The group focuses on catchy yet simple lyricism, heavy guitar riffs, and drum tracks any trained drummer would be intimidated by. In 2025, Turnstile’s album NEVER ENOUGH was nominated and won Grammys for both Best Metal Performance and Best Rock Album.
What sets Turnstile apart from other groups is their inclusion of the crowd. Rather than a designated mosh pit in the centre of the crowd, Turnstile’s lead singer, Brenden Yates, encouraged the entire crowd to participate in what could only be described as a pandemonium. From the front blockade to the precipice of the venue’s exits, listeners engaged in mosh-pit-style tomfoolery. Puddles from rain earlier in the day caused small explosive bursts of water shimmering along the venue floor like an earthquake in shallow tide pools. This is Turnstile. Chaotic, free-spirited, unapologetic; the band always seems to prioritize the quality of the show over playing popular songs and recently released music. I Don’t Want To Be Blind, a track off of their 2017 album Space and Time shocked attendees, many of which thought they would never hear the song live again. Turnstile’s final serenade was T.L.C. (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION), a song that was released in 2021. Veteran fans of the band sent a current of kinetic energy surging through the crowd. Appendages flying, heads banging, and, of course, in Miami fashion, sunglasses on at night, painted a perfect picture to the end of a perfect show. Fireworks exploded over the venue’s stage moments before the lights went back on and the crowd was forced to go home or continue the night at one of Miami’s late-night scenes.
It is very easy to relate to a group such as Turnstile. This is due to their culturally diverse makeup. Members of the band include Daniel Fang, a Chinese-American drummer, Franz Lyons, an African-American bassist, and their newest addition to the team, Meg Mills, a female guitarist originally from the UK. Due to the diversity of the group, alongside their unapologetic attitude, the group has no difficulty expressing what truly matters to them. Just days after major news of Macklemore’s abrupt tour cancellation as an opener for Ed Sheeran for bringing awareness to the conflicts surrounding Israel and Palestine, the group still chose to feature a guest in the front of the crowd sporting a ‘Free Palestine’ shirt several times throughout the setlist. The group also supported individual non-profits for each city visited on tour. In Miami specifically, Turnstile partnered with PLUS1 to support the Florida Immigrant Coalition. Once again, this is, and always will be, unapologetically Turnstile.
As if a second round of their incredible NEVER ENOUGH tour wasn’t enough, the brilliant minds behind Turnstile recently released a two-disk set of the album featuring remixes from some of the most relevant artists today. NEVER ENOUGH: VERSIONS contains remixes from the likes of Faye Webster, Blood Orange, Panda Bear, Four Tet, the legendary Elton John, and the indubitably trending Slayyyter. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Slayyyter coined Turnstile’s tour as the best concert she had attended in 2026. The album is now streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. And if you’re really looking to listen to it as the creators intended, visit a record shop near you! With the tour ending officially on October 18th, 2026, will you have the time to see the show of the year? As someone who was able to see, hear, and feel the meritorious event, I highly implore you to do the same. If you or anyone you know lives in the Baltimore area, speculation of a final hometown appearance on October 24th, 2026 is running rampant on the internet in subreddits. Given this show’s teasing is accurate, I have no doubt that it will be a show you can’t afford to miss.