If you’ve never seen Turnstile live before, just imagine massive mosh pits and its frontman Brendan Yates launching himself into the crowd.

Franz Lyons, bassist for Turnstile, plays and sings at the band’s Sunday set. (Sam Rink)

The hardcore Baltimore-based punk band formed in 2010 and is made up of Yates, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills, Franz Lyons and Daniel Fang. 

Turnstile is known for its unhinged live performances, and its Lollapalooza set was no different.

In 2015, the band released its debut full-length studio album, “Nonstop Feeling,” and it has surged in popularity in the years since.

Turnstile earned eight total Grammy nominations from its two most recent albums — 2021’s “Glow On” and 2025’s “Never Enough,” the latter of which won best rock album.

Drawing a massive crowd as the second-to-last artist on Sunday to take the Bud Light stage, Turnstile began its set at 7 p.m. The ethereal sound of “NEVER ENOUGH” rang from the stage, and the jumbo screens showed people from the crowd.

Yates didn’t address the audience much throughout the set, but he didn’t have to. Festivalgoers’ love for the band and its hardcore music was illustrated from the very beginning. One man held up his phone with text that said it was his seventh Turnstile concert. Others flaunted signs or Turnstile T-shirts.

A fan crowd surfs her way to the barricade at the Turnstile set. (Sam Rink)

Anytime a festivalgoer found themselves illuminated on the jumbo screen, they’d stick their tongues out, head bang and scream the lyrics to whatever song was playing.

The crowd’s energy reflected Yates’ onstage. His raw vocals never faltered as he screamed over the relentless backing of the drums and abrasive guitars. He jumped around the stage when not singing, spinning in circles and raising his microphone stand off the ground. 

Throughout the set, people opened multiple mosh pits and collided with each other in swift movements. Multiple people crowd surfed to the front and over the barricade, and even those in the very back of the viewing area were jumping up and down to the music.

The band’s energy further added to the performance, with the drummer moving his body with the rhythm of each song and the guitarists jumping up and down while playing with heavy force.

The momentum only kept growing, and as the band’s final song, “BIRDS,” came to a close, Yates threw himself into the audience with his arms outstretched.

Festivalgoers pushed him upwards for several seconds before Yates rolled himself towards the ground, signaling the performance’s end in perfect Turnstile fashion.

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