March 13, 2026. Quarters perform at Royale Boston. Photo by Cam Cavagnaro
Changing your band name is always an interesting way to shake things up, for better or worse; Without name changes, we wouldn’t have Dinosaur Jr., Blink-182, or the Cure. New York-based rock trio, Quarters just released their third studio album, I Hope This Isn’t The End Of The World —the first release under their shortened moniker. Quarters played their inaugural show at Royale in Boston to debut their new LP and kick off their five-week North American tour.
Originally formed as Quarters of Change, the group made some slight personnel changes and came out more refined than ever. Admittedly, it is a bold move to release an album on the first day of a tour, especially when it starts outside of your home state, but Quarters rolled the dice and were met with an amazing turnout. The show featured local legends, Paper Lady and tour mates, Porchlight, which introduced some welcome diversity to the stage and crowd. Each opener catered to the different parts of the Quarters’ sound—Paper Lady fitting with the darker, moodier crowd, and Porchlight brightening the ambience and picking up the pace.
Quarters took the stage with “EZ,” one of the more progressive and atmospheric songs on the new album. Since stripping down to one lead guitarist, it was clear that Jasper Harris had been shaking off the rust and putting his best foot forward for the tour. Nearly every song featured some extra embellishments from Harris that really set the band apart from the others. All three permanent members have cut their teeth on tour and it’s clear they each spent time practicing their showmanship along with their performances. Singer Ben Roter appeared livelier and more confident than ever, interacting with the crowd frequently and using all of the stage for dynamic and theatric effect. Drummer Attila Anrather used every piece of his (massive) drumkit to make the songs pop a little more, which was aided by the stage lights installed inside the drums and the riser.
The set featured over half of the new album, which was surprising given the 14-song tracklist, along with noted classics “Kiwi” and “T Love,” from their 2021 breakout record, Into the Rift. It was nice to see the band mix up the set a little bit, while still showing their high level of confidence in the new songs.
Quarters have just started their tour across North America, so make sure to catch them while you can. Check out their new album, I Hope This Isn’t The End Of The World.
