For the past six months, the members of the South Florida-based punk band New Found Glory haven’t had much of a social life. Twenty-something’s Chad Gilbert, Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, Steve Klein, and Cyrus Bolooki have been relentlessly touring the United States and Europe, first on the Warped Tour bill, then later opening up for punk-pop trio Blink 182.
“My ideal Saturday night [has been] playing a sold out show,” Bolooki, the drummer, said.
Inspired by early ’90s punk bands like Green Day, New Found Glory formed about four years ago in Coral Springs, Fla. Grushka and Pundik started the band.
“I found the band through friends of the other members,” Bolooki said.
He joined four or five months after NFG formed, and ever since, the band’s line-up hasn’t changed.
This summer, they played the Vans Warped Tour, then opened for Blink 182 on their late summer/early fall tour.
“I didn’t like Blink 182 the first time I heard them,” Bolooki said.
But after hearing them a bit, the sound grew on him. Blink’s drummer, Travis Barker is now Bolooki’s favorite drummer.
“I have so much respect for him,” Bolooki said, adding that some of his favorite shows were when NFG toured with Blink.
“We played some shows towards the end of the tour with more than 20,000 people,” Bolooki said. “In California, everybody’s crazy!”
But despite the insanity they experienced out west, the band has developed a fondness for the Northeastern United States.
“It was one of the first places we went on tour,” Bolooki said. “The support and fans are amazing.”
As for Philadelphia, he called it “an amazing place,” and is a fan of Jim’s Cheesesteaks … with cheese-whiz.
“I wouldn’t trust the cheese-whiz anywhere else!” he said.
According to Bolooki, the worst thing an audience can do is call New Found Glory “sellouts” or form an opinion of the band without doing research, but overall he has found fans to be somewhat respectful and fun. Last April, after the band played a New Jersey show, a fan dressed up in a Domino’s pizza outfit with her friend to get backstage.
“She even brought pizza boxes,” Bolooki added. “But they were empty.”
New Found Glory has continued to forge forward with their music careers. In 2000, they released their self-titled album, their fourth overall, and this week they began a cross-country headline tour with H2O and RxBandits. Their Philadelphia show will be the sixth stop on the month long tour and will be packed with energy and amazed fans.
New Found Glory will play at The Electric Factory on Saturday, Oct. 27.
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