This may have very well been the funnest show of the year. Of course it was. It’s the funnest show of the year every time Peelander-Z rolls through.

The technicolor Japanese-American punk band are known for their wild and unruly shows, saturated with neon hues and nonstop audience participation. You want to be a fly on the wall? Well tough luck, it won’t happen here! Even the shyest of folks really let their guard down by the end of the show, and everyone was taking part.

The rapid-fire songs with easy-to-echo lyrics conjured a rallying cry for every song. “Bike Bike Bike!” “Mad Tiger! Mad Tiger!” and “So Many Mike!” were just a few of the nonstop choruses fans shouted through the air (though collectively, nobody could top the volume of frontman Peelander Yellow). When Peelander Yellow yelled “How do you like your steak?!” everyone responded “MEDIUM RARE!” Then BAM. Nonstop metal riffs followed by some thrashing about.

Between the dancing, crowd surfing, human bowling, and hefty audience participation, the band really brought fans into an alternative reality. It felt like walking into a live action Yo Gabba Gabba video. Members of the band dressed in their signature hues– and though this show tour featured only three members of the band (their many stops to the region have featured various iterations in band size), it was no less quieter or rowdier.

To experience a Peelander-Z show is an absolute gift. If you attended this show, there’s no doubt you participated in some way. The band may have handed you some pots and pans to bang on, or you helped lead everyone in an exercise at the beginning. The really sturdy fans balanced Peelander Yellow on their shoulders or steadied the boogie board that the guitarist surfed on. Either way, a Peelander-Z show is a bit like Fight Club (if this is your first night, you HAVE to… uh… party).

Local punks Drastic Plastic opened the night, and were (like everyone else) happy participants in the physical antics for much of Peelander-Z’s set. Photos from the night below: