The Summer Circus Tour rolled into the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on August 1 and turned the venue into a sweaty, skank-filled celebration of punk and ska. Headlined by Gainesville’s own Less Than Jake, the night also featured Catbite, The Suicide Machines, and Fishbone, each bringing a unique vibe that kept the energy at a high from start to finish. Circle pits opened early, crowd surfers passed overhead like clockwork, and the collective joy in the room was impossible to ignore.

Catbite kicked things off with the confidence of a band that knew exactly how to light a fuse. Their tight, high-energy ska-pop was punchy and immediate, with frontwoman Brittany Luna commanding the stage with effortless charisma. Songs like “Not Ur Baby” and “Excuse Me Miss” were met with early sing-alongs and plenty of skanking up front. For an opening act, they felt like a main event, earning every bit of the crowd’s attention.

The Suicide Machines hit the stage like a wrecking ball, tearing into their set with a speed and aggression that never let up. The pit exploded early on during songs like “S.O.S.” and “Awkward Always,” and it only got rowdier as the band barreled through their set. By the time they reached “New Girl” near the end, the floor was a swirling storm of limbs and sweat. They closed with “DDT,” leaving the crowd breathless and grinning. Between the blistering guitars and the shouted choruses, it was pure, unfiltered chaos. The kind that makes you feel lucky to be smashed into a sweaty wall of strangers.

Fishbone brought the funk, and a whole different kind of fire. From the second Angelo Moore strutted onstage, the crowd knew they were in for something wild. Their set swerved through ska, punk, and funk without a second thought, held together by the band’s razor-tight musicianship and carnival-like stage energy. Songs like “Ma and Pa” and “Party at Ground Zero” turned the venue into a fever dream of horns, bass, and bounce. It was joyful, wonderfully chaotic, and unapologetically weird in the best possible way.

Less Than Jake brought it all home with a set that reminded everyone why they’ve lasted more than three decades in the scene. Formed in 1992 in Gainesville, Florida, the band helped shape the third wave of ska punk with their signature blend of pop-punk energy, brass-driven hooks, and irreverent humor. They've weathered every trend shift in punk rock without ever losing their identity or connection to fans. That history was felt in every beat of their set.

They kicked things off with “Gainesville Rock City” and rolled into massive crowd favorites like “All My Best Friends Are Metalheads” and “Look What Happened,” turning the venue into a full-blown ska punk circus. In one of the night’s most ridiculous and memorable moments, the band used massive leaf blowers to shoot streams of toilet paper into the audience, wrapping the front rows in flying white ribbons. They also brought two VIP fans onstage, outfitted them in rainbow clown wigs, and had them dance along in true Summer Circus fashion. Between songs, they cracked jokes, shouted out longtime fans, and made the show feel personal even from the back row.

Even after all these years, Less Than Jake still knows how to make every show feel like a party you’ll be talking about for weeks. From the front row to the back wall, fans shouted every lyric, bounced to every beat, and skanked like their lives depended on it. The Summer Circus didn’t just live up to its name. It raised the bar.