It seems like nearly every band eventually reunites, but the Botch reunion is one that a lot of us thought would never happen. Even after they released their first new song in over 20 years–which guitarist David Knudson says came together unexpectedly and organically–there was still some hesitance to actually play shows. Finally, they tested the waters with a surprise set at longtime producer Matt Bayles’ birthday party in October of 2022, and then played their first proper show since 2002 four months later. This past weekend, they brought their hugely-anticipated reunion tour to NYC for two shows: Friday (11/10) and Saturday (11/11) at Webster Hall.

Whatever hesitance may have existed at one point was clearly shed by the time of this show; Dave Verellen, David Knudson, Brian Cook, and Tim Latona went as hard as you’d hope, sounded larger than life, and seemed genuinely over the moon about the opportunity to play to some of the biggest crowds of their career, two decades after they initially broke up. Brian’s bass tone was monstrous, Tim’s drumming was all power, David Knudson dished out his mathy riffage with all the intensity and precision he had back in the day, and Dave V still commands (and jumps into) the crowd like a natural-born hardcore frontperson. It’s really something how much sound and force they can make with just four people.

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