New Bomb Turks Live @ Sonia, Cambridge MA [07-31-25]

I grew up on the New Bomb Turks. Getting into punk rock, I was a frequent listener of the Fat Music and Punk-O-Rama compilation CDs. What a deal! 20+ songs from different bands for $4! I remember those days fondly and how I would skip to my favorites. The New Bomb Turks were on these comps but, strangely, never made an impact. Come to think of it, I can’t believe these guys were ever an Epitaph band. Did you know they also put out a 7 inch on Fat? Would hardcore label fans even get this band? They clearly operated on another level and definitely went over my head. But finding Nightmare Scenario in the dollar bin at Lou’s Records in Encinitas changed all that. Finally, I understood them. And I never looked back. But, by that time the New Bomb Turks were no longer a band. All I had to remember them was my ever-increasing vinyl and 7 Inch collection and my already-faded shirt. I still listen to the New Bomb Turks 25 years later.

So imagine my excitement when they announced a show in Cambridge/Boston.

I was here not just celebrating finally seeing one of my favorite bands live but also my first time at Sonia. It’s very similar to TT’s The Bear except the layout is flipped. I wonder why they closed it down in the first place. Was this venue strictly catering to more of these Fat/Epitaph/Pirates Press/Oi type bands?

The New Bomb Turks, for being such an old band, still have all their energy (and their hair) intact. The most surprising thing of the night was watching singer Eric Davidson plow through an energetic set while sporting a (hopefully not) permanent limp after suffering a brutal accident and hip surgery a few years ago. But there he was, pushing through, still being an incredible front man, egging the crowd, messing with people’s hair, phones, and hats, and displaying a range of antics on stage. The band sounded great and as tight as I imagined and hoped they would be. I was almost in tears from the sheer joy I was experiencing. We got classics like Born Toulouse, Point A to Point Black, End of the Credibility Race, and So Long Silver Lining. Surprisingly, some of my favorites (and best songs) were missing like Automatic Teller and the entirety of their latest LP The Night Before the Day the Earth Stood Still. What gives!?

The show was evidence that this Ohio band, which has been only marginally active over the past couple decades, can still deliver the goods and could potentially offer us yet another exciting LP if they ever got down to it. “I’d love to more than anything to put out a new record,” guitarist Jim Weber tells me after the show. “Life,” is the only thing he says when I ask him why they haven’t.

But life has ways of surprising you. And where there’s a will there’s a way. Here’s hoping it will bring a new record from these seasoned veterans. I love you, New Bomb Turks.

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