With temperatures reaching nearly 100 degrees, last Saturday was anything but the perfect day for a show, but that didn’t stop Boston fans from packing into a sold out Great Scott to see Amyl and The Sniffers (AATS). When the doors opened at 8:30pm, the crowd let out a collective sigh of relief, flicking their cigarettes to the ground and wiping their brows as they entered the surprisingly cool venue. But it wouldn’t stay cool for long.

Providence, Rhode Island punks GYMSHORTS kicked off the night, raising the temperature ten degrees just by walking on stage. A few songs in, singer and guitarist Sarah Greenwell took a moment to hype up the crowd for AATS’s upcoming set, yelling “lets give ‘em a fucking party!” as she leapt into the pit. Highlights from their show included “Copycat,” “Bed(stuy),” and “Ding Dong Ditch,” which spanned across the band’s works from 2014’s No Backsies to their latest 2018 release, Knock, Knock!. Towards the end of GYMSHORTS’ performance, Greenwell put down her scuffed up Fender in favor of a flame-covered NASCAR guitar as she launched into their latest song, “I’m the Jeff Gordon of Our Generation.”

After a furious 45 minutes of moshing, the crowd was drenched in sweat, and many members hastily retreated to the bar for a quick drink. Soon after, with cold cans now in hand, people began packing around the stage tighter than ever in anticipation for the main act. From the moment GYMSHORTS finished, AATS’s crew began breaking down the stage, stacking Marshall amps and piecing together a new drum kit. By 10:15pm, all of the “Sniffers” but vocalist Amy Taylor had made an appearance, and around 10:30pm, Taylor finally graced the stage. With Taylor now in position, the front row looked more like a red carpet event than a punk show, as dozens of cameras zeroed in on her, ready to snap away.

Before starting, Taylor took a moment to ask the crowd to help anyone who falls, and she continued to keep the audience’s health and safety in mind throughout the show, periodically passing out water bottles to parched fans. Playing non-stop for nearly an hour, AATS banged through most of their discography, including ferociously aggressive tracks like “Gacked On Anger,” “Monsoon Rock,” and “Starfire 500” from their 2019 self-titled album. And despite the rising heat, the band and fans alike seemed to only grow more energized throughout the show, fueling fire with fire. By the end of their set, the mosh pit had become a dark whirlwind of flailing limbs and sweaty hair, illuminated only by strobing camera flashes as Taylor made her way back and forth from the stage to the floor.

See below for photos from the show (in order: Amyl and The Sniffers, GYMSHORTS):