If you’re a fan of Midwest emo, you’ve likely heard of Counter Intuitive Records — or at least some of the most popular bands on their roster like Mom Jeans and Prince Daddy & The Hyena. The Boston-based record label recently hit the 10-year milestone, and to celebrate, put together a mini-tour across the Midwest and East Coast last December. Although the tour’s Brooklyn date at The Meadows had a stacked lineup, sports. stood out not only because of how they set the tone with an eclectic and electric set, but also how they massively hyped up the sold-out crowd with a significantly smaller discography than the other bands on the tour’s roster.
As of now, the group has only one album, Demon Daze, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last August. A quick search on Reddit or a scroll through comments on their social media pages shows just how impactful this album has been within the scene, with some even comparing their work to Midwest emo staples like American Football and Title Fight. This tour is also one of the first few shows the band has done since 2019, so it’s no surprise that when I asked people around me who they were most excited to see, a majority said this band.
As soon as the opening guitar riff of “Ridge Road” echoed throughout the venue, the crowd finally let loose and erupted in an all-out frenzy; don’t worry—in a good way. Throughout sports.’ set, fans matched the high energy with shouting lyrics they’ve known and loved for years, lots of crowdsurfing, and—of course—plenty of moshing. Even I was wiped out from singing along while simultaneously running around trying to get the perfect angle for my photos.
Arguably, the most memorable part of the entire show came during the band’s final song, “Words That Rhyme With Different, Etc.,” when guitarist Sean Duffy went into the crowd to sing along with the fans. For some, this might seem meaningless. But for others—including myself—intimate moments like these are special because they remind us that, regardless of whether you’re a fan, in a band, or somewhere in between, we’re all humans looking for connection, wanting to be seen and understood.
Being that this was an anniversary tour, seeing sports. and other artists associated with Counter Intuitive Records made me reflect not only on their growth over the past 10 years, but also on my own. In the span of a decade, sports. released an album, toured across the country multiple times, disbanded, and then got back together. Meanwhile, my decade-long journey went from being a naive kid in high school with dreams of working in the music industry, to losing hope during the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally to building up my self-confidence in its aftermath—now, almost in my late 20s, seeing my goals become reality. Who knows what the next decade has in store for sports.—or really, for all of us. But to that, I have only one thing to say: bring it on.
check out sports.’ feature in our print magazine HERE
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