I sat down across from Cole Becker, the lead singer of SWMRS, at a hipster bar with vintage decor. We were in Kreuzberg, the center of Berlin's counter-culture scene. Becker easily fit right in with his whitish-blonde middle-parted greenish-blue dyed hair. Sporting a friendly demeanor, he shook my hand and started chatting. Becker talked about how he loved vinyls as they carried music that he just couldn't find online. His appearance certainly fit the type of person who enjoyed vintage, what with his tapered distressed light blue jeans and t-shirt over a striped long-sleeve shirt look.
When a friend sitting next to me later found out that we were actually hanging out with the face of the impressive band, he exclaimed in shock, "That was him? He was the lead singer? Wow! I had no idea."
Lead singer Becker, along with drummer Joey Armstrong, founded the band Emily's Army in 2004 after they were inspired by watching the movie School of Rock. After some soul-searching and member changes, the punk rock band rebranded itself as SWMRS and are now joined by lead guitarist Max Becker and bassist Seb Mueller.
The four-man band from Oakland, California performed a rocking show in Musik & Frieden (Music & Peace) in Berlin, Germany last night. Excited concert-goers jumped around enthusiastically throughout the show and kept up a hopping moshpit all night. The band interacted well with the crowd, making the show very special and personal. Becker shouted, "If you remember one thing, remember this: Rock n Roll won't solve your problems, but it will help you figure them out!" This was a perfect segway for the hit "Figure It Out". At one point, Becker grabbed his mic stand and held it above the audience, who sang the lyrics with their hearts out.
Becker remarked that Germany and Japan has the best fans. While both have very polite cultures, they also love rock. When a song comes on, they'll go as hard as they can, but when there's a pause in between songs, they'll stand around politely without a sound.
The fans certainly lived up to expectations. At one point, Becker parted the crowed and on his count of three, the two halves collided. Even the apprehensive people on the outskirts gave in and joined the fun.
SWMRS is currently on tour opening for the rock band All Time Low and will also be opening for Blink 182 in June. They put on a side show in Berlin last night to promote their latest album, Drive North, which was released in the US in 2016 but will be available in stores next week in Germany.
SWMRS' social media base has grown impressively, with 77.6K followers on Twitter and 69.4K on Instagram. Despite their celebrity status, the group members are still very humble and down-to-earth. When someone from the audience handed Becker a lost phone from the dance floor, Becker held it up onstage and tried to look for the owner. Then, at the end of the show, he reiterated, "Whoever lost your phone, come pick it up at the merchandise table!" The band's friendliness and realness is easily discernible.
After the band finished their encore, I went outside and somehow ended up talking to a pair of Germans in their mid-20s. They excitedly told me that they had won some Twitter contest SWMRS held years ago and had come back for a night to reminisce the good old angsty times. The woman dressed in a baggy hip hop sweatshirt commented, "It's not my kind of music anymore, but it was still so good!" Even though I don't usually listen to punk rock, SWMRS definitely did not fail to entertain everyone at the cozy concert venue. Be sure to check out their music below and follow them on social media!
When a friend sitting next to me later found out that we were actually hanging out with the face of the impressive band, he exclaimed in shock, "That was him? He was the lead singer? Wow! I had no idea."
Lead singer Becker, along with drummer Joey Armstrong, founded the band Emily's Army in 2004 after they were inspired by watching the movie School of Rock. After some soul-searching and member changes, the punk rock band rebranded itself as SWMRS and are now joined by lead guitarist Max Becker and bassist Seb Mueller.
The four-man band from Oakland, California performed a rocking show in Musik & Frieden (Music & Peace) in Berlin, Germany last night. Excited concert-goers jumped around enthusiastically throughout the show and kept up a hopping moshpit all night. The band interacted well with the crowd, making the show very special and personal. Becker shouted, "If you remember one thing, remember this: Rock n Roll won't solve your problems, but it will help you figure them out!" This was a perfect segway for the hit "Figure It Out". At one point, Becker grabbed his mic stand and held it above the audience, who sang the lyrics with their hearts out.
Becker remarked that Germany and Japan has the best fans. While both have very polite cultures, they also love rock. When a song comes on, they'll go as hard as they can, but when there's a pause in between songs, they'll stand around politely without a sound.
The fans certainly lived up to expectations. At one point, Becker parted the crowed and on his count of three, the two halves collided. Even the apprehensive people on the outskirts gave in and joined the fun.
SWMRS is currently on tour opening for the rock band All Time Low and will also be opening for Blink 182 in June. They put on a side show in Berlin last night to promote their latest album, Drive North, which was released in the US in 2016 but will be available in stores next week in Germany.
SWMRS' social media base has grown impressively, with 77.6K followers on Twitter and 69.4K on Instagram. Despite their celebrity status, the group members are still very humble and down-to-earth. When someone from the audience handed Becker a lost phone from the dance floor, Becker held it up onstage and tried to look for the owner. Then, at the end of the show, he reiterated, "Whoever lost your phone, come pick it up at the merchandise table!" The band's friendliness and realness is easily discernible.
After the band finished their encore, I went outside and somehow ended up talking to a pair of Germans in their mid-20s. They excitedly told me that they had won some Twitter contest SWMRS held years ago and had come back for a night to reminisce the good old angsty times. The woman dressed in a baggy hip hop sweatshirt commented, "It's not my kind of music anymore, but it was still so good!" Even though I don't usually listen to punk rock, SWMRS definitely did not fail to entertain everyone at the cozy concert venue. Be sure to check out their music below and follow them on social media!
