Pop-punk is something that hasn’t been raging. Something that we’ve been missing out on. The days of “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” and “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” may be behind us, but Meet Me @ The Altar (MM@TA) is only getting started! They’re revitalizing pop-punk one song at a time.
Based in Orlando, this all-women trio is making headway in a new decade of pop-punk. Guitarist-bassist Téa Campbell (23) and drummer Ada Juarez (24) met online in 2015 after Campbell found a drum cover of a Twenty One Pilots song by Juarez. Lead singer Edith Johnson (23) joined not when the band was made, but two years later, after being rejected. She originally sang Paramore’s “All I Wanted” and didn’t get the gig. However, in those two years, she continued to uplift and support the band, asking over and over again if they needed another singer. This is where she joined and took her spotlight.
In 2024, it’s about damn time that this band gets the praise it deserves. All three women are women of color. As the music industry has been deconstructing its racial and gender inequality, it’s stellar that such a fantastic group is getting the attention they deserve.
They’re part of the label Fueled By Ramen, the same label that Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Twenty One Pilots and A Day To Remember started with. It’s a platform that has given them some amazing opportunities, like getting to perform at All Things Go this last fall. I had the honor of getting to hear their music for the first time at All Things Go, an experience that I’ll never forget. The energy of MM@TA is such a powerful force, one that I feel everyone should experience. Johnson is known for having amazingly fun hair, adding that bit of color to the punk aesthetic of Campbell and Juarez.
Although they opened for MUNA, this is one of their first headlining tours with their most recent album, “past // present // future.” The tour is 24 shows long, focused on the East Coast and a bit of the Midwest. They’re taking the same stage of MUNA, at the 9:30 Club. The show is Wednesday, Jan. 24th at 6:30 p.m. If you have time, or even don’t have time, make it to this spectacular show! They have a great stage presence, and I already know the concert will be electric.
