Bad Time Records Tour 2026: Kill Lincoln + JER + Bad Operation presale codes

Washington, DC's Kill Lincoln sit at the bright, fast corner of ska-punk, fronted by guitarist-vocalist Mike Sosinski with a tight horn trio.

Horns, Hooks, and Push

This run pairs them with JER and Bad Operation, a tidy snapshot of the New Tone wave. Expect staples like Confession Obsession, Civil Surgery, and Used Up, with a late-set sprint through Good Riddance to Good Advice.

Who Shows Up

The crowd skews mixed and friendly, with patched denim, enamel pins, checker socks, and horn tattoos, and the pits stay active but careful. A neat detail: Sosinski also runs Bad Time Records, which helps seed these multi-band bills, and Bad Operation popularized the 'New Tone' tag from their early days. JER built a huge following as Skatune Network and often turns that arranging skill into sharp, road-tested horn books. Treat the song picks and production talk here as informed speculation rather than a guarantee.

The Kill Lincoln Circle: Style, Chants, and Community

You will spot patched denim and hi-top sneakers, but also button-downs with slim ties from fans leaning two-tone.

Styles in the Skank Circle

Checker accents land on socks and guitar straps more than full suits, and enamel pins trade hands near the merch tables. Circle pits form and fade quickly, with shoulder taps to clear space and fast returns of fallen hats and glasses.

Rituals, Not Rules

Call-and-response moments pop up, especially a quick 'pick it up' before a tempo kick and long 'whoa' stacks over horn lines. Merch skews practical: tote bags, small-run 7-inches, and shirts that feel like DIY posters. Between sets, people compare horn mouthpieces and pedalboards while swapping stories about past label showcases. It reads like a community night as much as a show, with locals pointing newcomers toward solid food spots after load-out.

How Kill Lincoln Makes Horns Hit Harder

Kill Lincoln keep vocals crisp and on top, with quick gang shouts hitting on the one to lift choruses.

Brass at Full Sprint

Guitars stay bright and mostly clean so the upstrokes speak, while bass warms the low-end and glues kick to the horns. The horn section uses tight unison stabs for cues, then opens into simple two or three part lines so hooks feel wide without crowding.

Arrangements That Breathe

Live tempos sit a notch hotter than the records, and they often shorten intros so songs slam in fast and keep the pit skating. A reliable move is dropping to drums and bass while a trumpet or sax circles a riff, then snapping back with a full-band hit that resets energy. Lighting supports the accents with quick strobes and color washes, but the focus stays on playing rather than spectacle. A small but telling habit is letting the horns shadow the vocal melody for a bar during turnarounds, giving the singer breath without losing motion.

If You Like Kill Lincoln, You Might Roll With...

Fans of Less Than Jake will recognize brisk tempos, shout-along choruses, and trombone melodies that cut through guitars.

Overlapping Scenes

If you like The Interrupters, expect clean upstrokes and pop-smart hooks that keep the floor moving between pits. Followers of We Are The Union often overlap here because of the shared DIY ethic, inclusive spaces, and horn-forward songwriting.

Melody With Muscle

East Coast skankers into Catbite will appreciate the modern two-tone grooves and a rhythm section that locks hard without rushing. These acts all favor catchy phrasing over flash, which aligns with the way this bill balances speed with melody. If your favorite nights swing between pogo and slick ska bounce, this lineup fits that mood.