Jeff Rosenstock is a man who has always worn his heart on his sleeve, spilling his guts out in his live shows as much as he does in his writing. He has long been considered one of the paragons of DIY for the last decade or so, whether it’s in fighting for better merch cuts from venues or in consistently being his own roadie, appearing on stage to set up and set down before and after his show, even at 930 Club.

With HELLMODE, his first album as a Polyvinyl Records artist, he continues to bring a lot of what we love from him – gang vocals, the occasional xylophone, and a lot of loud guitar – but he isn’t afraid to slow things down and feel a bit more emotionally exposed on songs like “HEALMODE,” a song written as he received a positive COVID diagnosis two days before Christmas in 2021.

Since 2016’s WORRY., his star has risen in the music scene, going from 200-person venues like DC9 to now, his first appearance at 9:30 Club, and a sold-out one at that. A third of the set was devoted to his new album, and judging by the loud singalong reception, “WILL U STILL U” and “LIKED U BETTER” fit very comfortably amongst other favorites like “Scram!” and “We Begged 2 Explode.”

Even the ska version of “Leave it in the Sun” appeared, from the alternate version of NO DREAM, titled SKA DREAM. At one point, he gladly accepted a squash that someone somehow brought into the gig and proceeded to improv a song about it with his band, before singing “LIFE ADMIN” to the gourd as he held it close and looked at it in its non-existent eyes.

A few things will always be a given at a Jeff Rosenstock show: emphatic sing-alongs, circle pits, crowd surfers, and that sweet 666/weed flag that has gotten bigger and bigger as he takes on bigger and bigger stages. His shows are a euphoric, symbiotic experience for all involved: Rosenstock clearly gets a huge boost from live shows and the energy given back to him by the fans, and his devoted fans in turn give back what he gives them.

Opening for Jeff Rosenstock was Philadelphia-based rock band Gladie, whose 2022 album Don’t Know What You’re in Until You’re Out is out on Plum Records. Boston-based solo guitarist/loop pedalist Sidney Gish, whose latest release is the single “Filming School,” also opened.

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