Frank Turner's "50 States in 50 Days" Tour Rolled Through Las Vegas with English Pub Swagger

LAS VEGAS, NV - Last Friday night, Frank Turner and his touring band The Sleeping Souls came to The House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay for their “50 States in 50 Days Tour” (Nevada being state #48) and put on a barnburner of a show. 

They brought along some pretty incredible supporting acts as well.

First up on the bill was an English band called Pet Needs that really had a great grasp for what Frank Turner fans would appreciate. It was like watching a band that Turner may have trained himself. Of course, I am sure Turner has a lot of influence on many up-and-coming bands in the UK.

Pet Needs engaged the crowd, gave back stories to songs, put out a shit load of energy, and best of all…they played really good songs.

Their 30 minute set seemed like 10 minutes with the amount of activity and entertainment the put into their performance. They definitely got a new fan in me.

They are also going to be releasing a new album soon. So, I would suggest checking that out when it is available.

Next up was the legendary hardcore punk band The Bronx. Well, I am not the first nor will I be the last writer to try to articulate what The Bronx is like on stage, but let’s just say, “It’s pretty fucking nuts.”

They are loud. They are energetic. And lead singer Matt Caughthran is absolutely insane. At one point late in the show, he started a circle pit. Yeah, you’re thinking, “So what, every punk band does that.”

Well, except this crazy mofo actually stood in the MIDDLE of the mosh pit after everyone started going ballistic and kept singing the whole time. I still have no idea how nobody tripped on the microphone cable or how nobody knocked Caughthran over. I guess he’s had some practice though.

I haven’t spent a lot of time listening to The Bronx’s music to this point in my life, but I think I will be checking more of it out just due to their performance.

Then came musician/comedian of “murder folk” music, Amigo The Devil. If you aren’t familiar with his work, I suggest just checking out a song or two as he is as twisted as they come, but in a light-hearted humorous way — at least on stage he is.

The music is often dark, but the back stories lighten the tone significantly. For example, he talks about a song where he wrote about a female friend who got married and hopes her husband died. According to Amigo The Devil (real name Danny Kiranos), the song is based on a real woman, and her husband DID die. Of course, that could all be for the sake of entertainment, but it makes for a twisted comedic punchline.

Last but not least, Frank Turner and his touring band The Sleeping Souls took the stage and absolutely killed it.

It was almost a full 2 hours of merriment, uproarious singing, and communal dancing. It was the equivalent of a 12-round championship fight where both combatants are swinging wildly at each other for all 12 rounds.

Turner is quite literally one of the greatest showmen on stage that I have ever seen. 

He was gracious, humble, and he was bombastic. 

He may have yelled the word “Vegas” over 50 times to keep the energy of the crowd going at maximum levels for most of the show, but it’s a tried and true way to get the fans pumped up and reacting.

If you have never seen a Frank Turner concert, then I highly recommend you do so immediately.

He is the drinking buddy you never knew you wanted (figuratively speaking as he wasn't drinking for almost the entirety of the tour). His shows are much more like parties at a pub with 500 of his closest friends than it is a concert.

I mentioned to an acquaintance on social media that I thought Frank Turner is “the Garth Brooks of punk/indie rock.” That is a title I don’t give lightly, and I don’t like country music at all, but Garth Brooks is historically known for putting on a big ass party with his shows and for being a great entertainer.

This was easily one of the top 5 concerts I have ever been to, and I don’t know how many I have been to, but it’s well over 100, I would say. 

His 50 States in 50 Days tour is almost wrapped up as he hits California on Saturday and Hawaii on Monday, but if you EVER get the chance to see Frank Turner on any bill, then you absolutely SHOULD go see him. You will never regret it even if you have never heard a single song of his or even like “punk” or “Indie” music. You will enjoy every second of it.

To see even more photos from the show, please view our File Share Folder (for a limited time).