The 411 on Twentytwo.
Shot and Written by Michael Campanile
July 23, 2026
Shot and Written by Michael Campanile
July 23, 2026
When this year's Stoked for the Summer lineup was announced, I kept hearing the same thing from friends—"check out the band Twentytwo." They were slated to open The Bouncing Souls' annual punk rock party down the shore, so of course I did just that and really liked what I heard. When they finally took the stage last month, they did not disappoint.
The Philadelphia area punk rockers known for their throwback melodic sound are comprised of lead singer Tony Conner, bassist Bryan Fischer, guitarists Jason Mack and Mike Wrigley and drummer Justin Mondschein. Their songwriting is "raw and authentic with lyrics reflecting on personal struggles, triumphs and a sincere sense of community they hope to continue building through releases and live shows".
Their debut EP 505 Palomar Pl. was released in 2020 and recorded with Pete Steinkopf of The Souls. After COVID, they released a handful of singles that they recorded with Matt Brasch of The Wonder Years. 2024 saw the band sign with Jump Start Records and release "Surrounded" (a personal fave).
They are currently working on their first full-length LP Suddenly Strangers that should drop in the fall. It was recorded at Noisy Little Critter and mixed by Stephen Egerton of The Descendents. The band's goal was to capture the energy and feel of their live shows on the new record. The new songs will also have a harder, more aggressive sound since they don't want to pigeonhole themselves to one particular style.
While last month may have been Twentytwo.'s first visit to Asbury Park, their bassist has been part of the event since the beginning. Fischer and his wife Amanda have been designing the surfboards that get raffled off at the show to raise money for Surfrider Foundation.
I asked Fischer what it was like to finally perform at Stoked. "It was an honor to be asked to open it. We had so much fun! I'm not sure if any of the other guys ever went to one before, but it was awesome to share such a special day with them. We were so appreciative of everybody who braved the rain to come and watch us." He also talked about how great it was to play The Stone Pony Summer Stage, and hopes to perform inside the legendary venue down the line.
Just how special was playing Stoked for Fischer? He actually gutted through a broken finger that day, not that you could tell from his playing. He had a special cast designed so he wouldn't miss the show and even wrote "22FU" on it, a nod to one of The Souls' fan favorites.
You could definitely tell the guys had fun. They kicked off the day with a passionate and engaging set, and the rain didn't dampen their energy one bit. It started and ended with older songs "Oneders" and "The Sound" respectively, but in between they treated the crowd to six tracks from the upcoming album. As promised, the new songs had that harder, throwback style and sounded great live. I can't wait to hear them on vinyl in a few months.
So what's up next for Twentytwo.? On August 30 they will be playing at Sick Sad World Landsdale with Title Holder, The Bad Ups and Backyard Superheros. And then on September 12 they return to The Grape in Philly with My Cousin’s Girlfriend’s House, Grip On The World and Tyler Marie's Birthday Party. Hopefully they'll also venture back to Jersey sometime soon. A show at Wonder Bar or Wild Air Brewery in Asbury Park would be right up their alley.
Give them a follow on social media for future show announcements. And while you wait for the new album, be sure to check out their previous releases wherever you stream your music.
Coverage from June 27, 2026 at The Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park, NJ. All photos are © Michael Campanile Photography and cannot be used without permission.