Beauty School Dropout Bring Punk Energy and Fan Community to New York City Show
Photo credit: Natasha Austrich
Moe, 27, had already seen LA-based punk rock band, Beauty School Dropout, when she drove four hours to catch their New York City show. She had even met the band before in her home state of Maryland, but that didn’t stop her from braving the blazing heat for their 2:00 PM meet-and-greet in Washington Square Park.
“The music makes you feel very alive,” she explains, “it makes me feel like myself.”
Many fans at the Silver Lining Lounge on Wednesday, August 13th, were repeat customers. The chaos began slowly, with a single man in the middle of the crowd spinning and thrashing his head to the beat. Soon, the moshing began. Several people crowd-surfed, a staple of a BSD concert.
The Band’s Rise: From Solo Project to Opening for Blink-182 on Tour
Beauty School Dropout––Colie Hutzler, Beepus (Brent) Burdett, Bardo Novotny, and Colton Flurry––grew out of Colie’s solo project in 2020 and has already garnered support from industry legends like Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz.
They spent the summer on the road, opening for Blink-182 and participating in the Summer School Tour—a mini Warped Tour featuring six other bands. Over the past four years on the road, they’ve formed what the band described as a “marriage.”
“It’s not easy, but we’ve gotten good at it,” said Bardo. “You have to learn. You have to have those breakdowns to be like, alright, we don’t want that. I think there’s a mutual respect.”
“We’re designer in an industry of fast fashion”
They called themselves the “fun bus” in which each member has their function–Bardo described himself as the engine, the “instigator”, Beepus as the brakes, and Colie as the steering wheel.
“Colton’s our matte black wrap,” added Colie, “He keeps us looking sexy.”
The band offers a retro take on rock stardom. With shaggy hair and concerts that end in smashed instruments, Beauty School Dropout seems to chase after the wilder, more intimate, and less documented concert experiences of the '90s and early aughts.
Photo credit: Natasha Austrich
Recording Where Did All the Butterflies Go? with Neal Avron
Their latest album, Where Did All the Butterflies Go?, was an exercise in patience. Over three and a half months, the band worked exclusively with Grammy-winning producer Neal Avron. They followed a strict daily schedule and recorded their album using all real instruments, in pursuit of a sound that captured the energy and mania of their live shows.
They agreed that despite the challenges, it was the most fun recording process they’d ever had. Rather than turning out single after single, they were able to focus and elevate their music.
Building a Fan Community at Beauty School Dropout Concerts
“I think everything is so consumable now, even on the creative side,” said Colie. “So having to really sit and marinate in the whole process, we love the music so much more.”
With an industry that increasingly relies on technology and even artificial intelligence, this kind of attention can feel rare.
“We’re designer in an industry of fast fashion,” concluded Beepus.
Fans Sara, 23, and Kate, 30, first saw BSD two years ago when the band opened for the artist jxdn. They loved the band’s grungy vibe—Kate said they reminded her of bands she grew up listening to in the early 2000s. Since then, they’ve attended several concerts.
Beauty School Dropout hoped their fans would follow suit and embrace a community-forward approach to concert-going. They’re honest with their fans, encouraging moshing, crowd-surfing, and limited screen time during the set.
“Obviously, people are still capturing moments,” said Beepus. “But it’s less watching the show behind your screen. It’s let's grab a video of my favorite song and go in the pit.”
They’ve worked hard to create a community within their fanbase. Between regular, free meet-and-greets and Discord servers for fans to connect, BSD has formed an indomitable community of rock fans and moshers.
Bardo even recalled a group of fans who met in line at one of their shows. After becoming fast friends, the group booked tickets to see Beauty School Dropout across Europe.
“They’re ripping Europe together for the first time,” He said. “And I’m like, if that’s not community, I don’t know what is.”
Photo credit: Natasha Austrich
An Electric Night: Beauty School Dropout Live in New York City
After a 40-minute set that included new songs and old favorites, the crowd lingered. Colton seemed to come alive with each crash of his drumsticks.
“I feel like this is an amazing moment in my life,” he said as he took a moment away from fans in the conjoined hotel lobby. “I lived in Harlem for three and a half years. I’m so happy to be [in New York City] with the boys.”
Even after a tidal wave of success, this show felt like something special. The band stayed for hours after their final song, signing autographs and mingling with rosy-cheeked fans.
“It was electric,” continued Colton. “As fun as it is to play stadiums, these are my favorite shows. I can see everyone’s faces.”
Still coming off a moshpit high, Moe summarized the show succinctly: “Everyone knew every word. They fuckin’ rock.”
Where Did All the Butterflies Go? is out now! Listen Here