Los Angeles alt rock and melodic hardcore group Militarie Gun were never supposed to exist. Helmed by singer and Pacific Northwest hardcore scene vet Ian Shelton, Militarie Gun began as a creative outlet during Covid lockdown, arriving at a time Shelton’s Seattle-formed buzzy hardcore group Regional Justice Center were winding down as a burgeoning pursuit in filmmaking began to flourish, directing videos for the likes of Angel Du$t, Drug Church, and Supercrush, and moving to LA to further pursue the medium. However, like many people, Ian’s plans were monumentally altered by the pandemic, and he found himself doubling down on songwriting as his primary creative outlet, crafting Militarie Gun’s 2020 debut EP, My Life Is Over, all by himself. Soon rounding out the band with guitarists William Acuña and Nick Cogan (later replaced by Kevin Kiley), bassist Max Epstein (later replaced by Waylon Trim), and drummer Vince Nguyen (later replaced by David Stalsworth), Militarie Gun were met with instant acclaim for a pair of 2021 EPs, All Roads Lead to the Gun and All Roads Lead to the Gun II, collected together and expanded with more tracks in a deluxe edition- their de facto first full-length- after signing to Loma Vista Recordings.
Over the past few years, the rockers have toured relentlessly, and their sound- a sweet spot between an especially melodic and catchy take on hardcore and an aggressive and biting yet immensely accessible flavor of pop rock- has set them apart from other acts in the contemporary punk scene, swiftly attracting a passionate following and leading to appearances at increasingly higher-profile shows, including at fests like Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Primavera Sound, and shows with the likes of Manchester Orchestra and A Day to Remember. The band’s proper debut LP, Life Under the Gun, arrived in 2023, and was praised as one of the year’s best albums, both sharpening Shelton’s deeply personal and self-reflective, though often lighthearted lyrics, and perfecting the group’s accessible, lush, hook-laden punk, conjuring greats like Guided By Voices, Fugazi, and The Jesus Lizard. In 2024, they released an EP of stripped-down and reworked tracks called Life Under the Sun (featuring Nashville’s own Bully, among others), before returning last year with highly-anticipated sophomore effort God Save the Gun (which recently received an expanded, deluxe edition), the band’s best release to date, packing even more raw emotion and intensity, and met with universal acclaim. In support of their latest, Militarie Gun will return to Nashville tonight, Sept. 17, to headline Eastside Bowl, along with a stellar supporting lineup of Canadian grunge and shoegaze duo Softcult, Aussie post-punks Shady Nasty, and Virginia alt rock and power pop project Dazy! Tickets are available right here.
Militarie Gun, Softcult, Shady Nasty, and Dazy perform tonight, Sept. 17 at Eastside Bowl. The show is all ages, begins at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. doors), and tickets are available for $25.26.
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