Stop Missing Shows

Bowling for Soup in New York

403 users on tonedeaf are tracking Bowling for Soup

Never miss another Bowling for Soup show near New York.

Bowling for Soup
Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater — Bridgeport, CT
Tickets+CalendarText Friend

About Bowling for Soup

Bowling for Soup is a pop punk band from Wichita, Kansas that made a career out of being the smartest joke in the room. They broke through in the early 2000s with "1985 (Jimmy Eat World)," a song that perfectly captured the specific sting of realizing you peaked in high school. Their whole thing is combining genuinely catchy hooks with self-aware humor and references that land because they actually mean them. Songs like "Girl All the Bad Guys Want" and "Almost" became staples of mid-2000s MTV rotation, but beneath the novelty appeal is solid songwriting. They've maintained a steady presence for two decades by refusing to take themselves too seriously while writing songs that stick around way longer than novelty songs should. Their fanbase tends to be fiercely loyal, which tells you something about the actual quality underneath the funny hats.

Bowling for Soup shows are basically sing-alongs with a band that clearly enjoys the ridiculousness. Crowds come loaded with nostalgia, everyone knows the words, and the band leans into the fun without being condescending about it. Expect audience participation, banter between songs, and a general sense that everyone's in on the joke together.

Known for 1985 (Jimmy Eat World), Girl All the Bad Guys Want, Almost, The Bitch Song, Ohio (Come Back to Texas)

Bowling for Soup + New York

Bowling for Soup hit Irving Plaza on September 15 and reminded the room why they've stayed relevant for two decades. They opened with their own theme song and spent the next hour working through a setlist that proved they understand their audience—plenty of the obvious stuff like "1985" and "High School Never Ends," but also deep cuts like "Last Call Casualty" and "Smoothie King" that showed they're not just coasting on nostalgia. "Life After Lisa" and "Down for the Count" landed hard in a New York crowd that clearly grew up with these guys. They closed with "Girl All the Bad Guys Want," which felt like the right note to end on.

Bowling for Soup in New York News

Live Music in New York

New York's rock and alternative scene has always had room for bands that don't take themselves too seriously. Bowling for Soup fit that tradition—smart-alecky pop-punk that acknowledged its own ridiculousness while still landing the jokes. Irving Plaza, where they performed, sits in that middle ground between real venue and tourist destination, a space where straightforward rock music still matters and bands like this can pack a room with people who show up specifically to hear songs about trucker hats and high school.

New York road trip to see Bowling for Soup?

Stay in the Upper West Side near Central Park—quieter than Midtown, better restaurants, and close enough to everywhere that matters. Dinner at Balthazar in SoHo if you want classic New York energy, or Gramercy Tavern if you prefer something less scene-y. Spend your afternoon at the Met or catching live music at Blue Note or The Basement—both venues where you'll see the players who influenced Mars's sound. Walk through Washington Square Park, grab a coffee, remember why New York mattered to music in the first place.

Stop missing shows.

tonedeaf. reads your music library and emails you when artists you actually listen to have shows near New York. No app. No ads. No noise.

Sign Up Free