That was one of the most fun shows I have ever had the immense pleasure to attend. Certainly the best free show. Underscores is coming to the Fonda at the end of May, so this pop-up show was a complete surprise to me Monday when April posted about it on her instagram. It was an even bigger surprise when I saw how many people showed up, and who were the friends April brought out to join her (Jane Remover and Ninajirachi). More than anything, I was surprised by the intensity of the crowd and the volatility of the moshing. It was a two and a half hour set of pure motion: utterly exhilarating. It was also a concert of many firsts for me – the first time I got to mosh at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the first time I’ve moshed with my glasses (did not bring my contacts because I wasn’t expecting moshing at all), and the first time I’ve seen a DJ set played out of the back of a U-Haul.

First, let me just really emphasize how amazing of a venue Hollywood Forever is. I have seen only seen one show here before, Magdalena Bay, and while that was a magical show, it was also massive. The crowd was massive, as was the stage, the production value, etc. Hollywood Forever does really well with such a massive show since the venue itself is huge. It is also an extremely picturesque setting, what with the palm trees all around and it being in a famous cemetery. All of that made this U-Haul Pop-Up show so unique, and in a way that was very much noticeable during. It was clear that this was a special event, a one time thing, and an experience we would all be talking about for years to come. Even as we were in the middle of this massive cemetery, the vibe of the show was much closer to that I expect from a small venue. The “stage” was just a U-Haul with the crowd loosely in front. There was minimal staff, and in general it was a much more intimate vibe than the last time I saw April when she opened for Danny Brown last year at the Bellwether.

It was also so surreal watching the sun set, and the show transform into a rave in the dark. Our one source of reliable light was from the maw of the U-Haul itself. That shining square was the source of our illumination, our adrenaline, and our joy. And what a joyous experience it was.

Building off of that last point, I have to say that this was maybe the most joyous show I have ever been to. The crowd was large, and it was electric. Everyone was smiling, everyone was freaking out, and it was clear that none of us were prepared for what a fucking party it would be. Even though it was a surprise pop-up show announced only two days prior, the crowd showed up BIG TIME, and by every conceivable metric. The energy was simply indescribable. Countless pits were opened, and then subsequently flooded with beaming, ricocheting bodies. I was very early on drenched with sweat, so much so that that my glasses kept fogging up and I ended up spending much of the show just holding them above my head as I let myself be carried by the sea of bodies.

I also saw a bunch of people I had already met at previous shows, whether that aforementioned Danny Brown show last year, or even a friend I met at a They Are Gutting A Body of Water show last year. I also made a lot of new friends, and saw them again and again in the pits. Some of them even helped lift me up so I could crowdsurf, another first for me at the Cemetery.

As with most shows I go to, I brought some gifts to hand out. For this one, I made 70+ buttons featuring lyrics from “Hollywood Forever” off of April’s new album U, one of my favorite releases thus far of 2026. I get so much joy from making and giving away these little trinkets, and it is all the better when the crowd is so friendly. It was also so cool to give some to people who remembered me from the Danny Brown show and still had some of the buttons I handed out then. Some of those same people will be at the Fonda show next month, and I am so excited to get to give them some of the new batch of buttons I’ll be making for that show.

All in all, that was one of the most fun, one of the most hype, and just one of the most completely exhausting shows I have ever been to. I will never forget it.