PICK IT UP! Goldfinger Gives Philly a Ska-Punk Christmas

Obligatory seasonal reference here, but as I walked into Union Transfer on Friday night, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning, bursting with excitement to unwrap my gifts. The gift that I, and a sold-out crowd, were about to receive was bigger than anything that could fit under a Christmas tree–even more-so on a personal note. After twenty-five years of my schedule not lining up with their tour dates or "just missing" them at festivals, I was finally at a Goldfinger show.

A "Rude Boy" is born

For a bit of perspective, Goldfinger was part of a group of artists that elevated me from "casual Top 40 listener" to "insatiable music fanatic."  The sound of Southern California's ska-punk scene was (and still is) irresistible to me.  The music was unlike anything I'd ever heard before, and I was hooked. SoCal ska-punk is marked by a percussive skank rhythm cranked by the guitars, punctuated by blaring horns (and the occasional saxophone solo), all expertly folded into a complex, driving punk sound.  Y'all can have your "creamy keyboards" and four-hour-long loops of a stranger on TikTok popping bubble wrap, because this is my ASMR.

It was No Doubt's music that opened the gate for me (IYKYK). Early in my teenage years, some time in the twenty months between the release of Return of Saturn and Rock Steady, No Doubt's music became the center of my universe. I was particularly struck by the band's earlier sound that was prevalent on the two LPs the band released before their 1995 album, Tragic Kingdom, catapulted the group to megastardom. Putting my family's brand-new high-speed cable modem through its paces, I spent hours on the PC researching bands that performed on the same circuit as No Doubt in the early 90s. Monthly trips to Tower Records ensued, blowing my small weekly allowance by purchasing records by artists like Reel Big Fish, Save Ferris, Fishbone, and Sublime.  But there was one band in particular that caught my ear more than the others–a band called Goldfinger. Even if you don't immediately recognize the band's name, I can assure you there is a high likelihood you've heard at least one Goldfinger song in the 30+ years they've been around.  

We Receive These Gifts in the Name of Punk

The evening began with sets from three very distinct artists, each chock-full of Christmas surprises for us punk nerds who turned up early. Soul-rock band sullvn started the evening, surprising the sold-out crowd with an appearance by third-wave ska legend and Mighty Mighty Bosstones frontman Dicky Barrett, who joined the band on stage for sullvn's cover of his own band's hit song, "The Impression That I Get." Second on the bill was southeastern-Michigan ska revival band The Boy Detective, a seven-piece ensemble fronted by the magnetic Benny Capaul, whose kinetic performance was an absolute thrill to witness.  

Finally, Detroit punk legends The Suicide Machines took the stage, lighting us up into a frenzy.  The band's legendary lead singer (and quintessential punk rocker), Jason Navarro, took us on a brief tour through the group's discography.  I've long considered The Suicide Machines to be the American equivalent of early punk acts like Sex Pistols and The Clash.  The band's lyrics have always taken the establishment to task for purporting to have our backs, consoling us with one hand while the other is reaching around to pick our pockets.  But while revisiting songs that were written as far back as the first Clinton administration, I was struck by how much deeper the lyrics cut in 2025.  

Not one to mince his words, Navarro took a moment to offer his own personal "fuck you" to our sundowner-in-chief, and since his shout-out was very niche to what Music Jawn is doing, I will paraphrase it below.

“Fuck Trump, tell him to come get me.  I don't care. Put that on your fuckin’ blog today.”  
- Jason Navarro

The Suicide Machines’ raucous set lit the fuse for the explosion that would be Goldfinger's set–but before we get into their set (which now sits at the top of my list of best concerts of 2025), let me give y'all a little background on the band.

The Legend of Goldfinger

After the 1993 dissolution of his short-lived funk rock band Electric Love Hogs, vocalist and guitarist John Feldmann formed Goldfinger in 1994 with his then-co-worker, bassist Simon Williams. Goldfinger's music was a departure from the funky hair metal of Electric Love Hogs, leaning instead into the infectious ska-infused punk sound spreading through Southern California in the mid-1990s.  The band soon added guitarist Charlie Paulson and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer, and they had their big break when an A&R executive paid a visit to the shoe store where Feldmann and Williams worked.

The group recorded their first EP, Richter, on independent label Mojo Records the following year.  The EP gained significant traction on local college radio stations. Within a few months of Richter's release, the band was signed to Universal Records and began work on their debut self-titled album.  On February 27, 1996, Goldfinger was released, and once Los Angeles' famed alternative radio station KROQ added the track "Here in Your Bedroom" to their rotation, the rest was history.  In the year following the release of their debut album, the band hit the road so hard that they set a Guinness World Record for the most consecutive live performances by a touring band in one year (385 performances).

They haven't slowed down, either.  Though the line-up has shifted (Feldmann is the only member of Goldfinger who has stayed with the band since its formation), they've remained one of the most prolific live acts in the history of American music.

"As of the other week," Feldmann announced halfway through the band's set, "Goldfinger has played 18,432 shows in the last 32 years."

Between the busy performance schedule, recording seven full-length studio albums with Goldfinger, serving as an A&R executive, and raising his family, Feldmann has also cemented himself as one of the most celebrated songwriters and producers in rock music.  His studio work has garnered him three Grammy nominations, most recently this year for his work on electronic musician Skrillex's song "Voltage."

Goldfinger's current lineup consists of Feldmann, Paulson (who re-joined the band in 2019), Mike Herrera on bass, and Nick Gross on drums.  Gross was unavailable for the Philadelphia date. The band called on Jay Weinberg, formerly of Slipknot (and the son of longtime Bruce Springsteen drummer Max Weinberg), to keep the rhythm pounding.

The Main Event

Goldfinger's live show is relentlessly high-octane. From the moment the band walked out on stage to their final bows, there was rarely an opportunity for anyone to rest–audience included. Every member of the band is a ridiculously talented musician–Paulson jumps as if he has springs in his shoes, shredding his guitar without missing a single chord. Herrera slides and spins across the stage while strumming with Top Gun precision. Feldmann leads the show with a balance of passion, joy, and gratitude, while still harnessing the punk attitude he and his band have been known for over the past three decades. His vocals sound exactly as they did in 1996.

Friday's set began with "Get Up," from Goldfinger's 2008 LP, Hello Destiny. By the second song (the pulsing pop-punk anthem "Spokesman"), the crowd surfing had begun.  Goldfinger's set was equal parts rock concert and cathartic outlet.  As we approach the end of one of the darkest years in the history of our country, Philadelphia was ready to vent its frustration the punk way by pounding our fists in the air, crashing into one another, and yelling lyrics as loudly as our larynxes would allow us to.  

From the politically-charged lyrics of songs like "Open Your Eyes" (for which Goldfinger invited Navarro out for), to smaller moments like when Paulson flipped his guitar over to reveal "ACAB" spray-painted on its backside, the audience (myself included) were given a chance to process 2025 in a safe space.  In addition to the group's original music, the set included covers of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" and NOFX's "Linoleum." The crowd-surfing was so enticing that Feldmann himself dove off the stage at one point, the crowd delicately moving him back toward the stage like a deity.

"I just had my dick grabbed more than it has been in months," he cracked afterwards.

It wasn't all hard punk; there were some tender moments, too.  Feldmann invited any kids in attendance (including his own) to join the band on stage to help them out on the song "Mable," which gave me a deep sense of hope for their generation (and may they continue to listen to punk rock).  To kick off Goldfinger's (four-song!) encore, Feldmann invited his wife Amy onstage and shared the story of how the two first crossed paths after Goldfinger opened for No Doubt at The Stone Pony in 1996.  Now married for nineteen years, the couple embraced before the band launched into the song "Chasing Amy," a love song Feldmann wrote for his wife that was released earlier this year.

The encore included a nod to the approaching holiday with a Goldfinger version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and ended with Goldfinger's famous cover of Nena's "99 Red Balloons."  With the band taking a final bow and our ears ringing, we re-entered the brisk, wind-driven cold of the December evening and returned to our homes. There, we snuggled warm in our beds, with visions of future Goldfinger shows dancing in our heads.

Though they aren't on tour per se, Goldfinger have announced plenty of 2026 dates. If they're in your area, do not wait twenty five years to see them.