Halcyon 'Stuck on the Daze' Album Release Show Review

Halcyon 'Stuck to the Daze' Album Release Show Review

June 21, 2025

Jackrabbit, The Down Bads, Halcyon

The Mill - Mascoutah, IL

Walking up to the Halcyon album release was a moment where you go back in time; like you escaped the boredom of your folks’ place, sneaking over to your best friend’s house in the dead of summer. Like you were transported to the town fireworks display.

Jade, lead singer of Halcyon, ran up to make sure that you knew that there was fresh, sliced watermelon on the table, and horchata under the pavilion. The shade of the stage covering a slew of lawn chair sitters, comfortably leaned back and laughing. It felt like a full community of people coming together to truly enjoy an evening out, filled with music and enthusiasm.

The venue is a new space to FPCS, and newer to the Mascoutah community, as well. The Mill was purchased and rehabbed by a private citizen and was then given back to the city itself, available for residents to rent so that they can bring their own events to life. Street corn, cold drinks and more were served. Merch was so cool it became one of those situations where decisions become difficult.

With this album release show being one of the first to debut at The Mill this summer - they made sure to show up and show out. The sound was phenomenal, as Jackrabbit opened things up. You may have heard of Jack Rabbit as a heavy hitting punk outfit, but for this evening we were able to catch them performing as an acoustic duo. Not all punk translates effortlessly into folk-punk, but wow man. Stella and Niko know how to make it happen. Keep your eyes trained on these two, because from what we hear there is absolutely more to come. And thank goodness for that.

Now The Down Bads? This is our second time seeing and we are just in love. The energy that this band carries brings you back to 2009 Pointfest, when you’re dead center in the mosh pit and you lost your phone, but you can only care about how sick the guitar solo is. In the middle of a heat wave, these gentlemen leaped around like dancing beans, turned head banging into organic air conditioning and kept the electricity in the air for the entire set.

Halcyon is a group that is working hard to bring their music to the ears of their friends, family and community. They put this entire event together themselves, and for that we celebrate them and congratulate them on such a beautiful album release show. Now, their performance? Began with one of the tallest humans we have ever seen actually doing a backflip off the stage as everyone kicked into ‘Quickie’. The crowd was eating it up. The excitement radiating from the people around us was palpable. Everyone was waiting for this moment and Halcyon was delivering. Did this cause the heat in the air to literally rise? You betcha. And guess what? The band was more than prepared for this, as they doused sweating, lyric-screaming attendees with water guns to beat the summer heat. It was another successful Halcyon set, to be sure. But more than that it was a landmark moment in their growth as a group. A successful album release is a point on the map of the musician’s journey. We already know that there is more to come from Halcyon, and we are more thrilled than ever, now, to see what that will be.

“We have been dreaming of being able to put on a show in Mascoutah, like the one we just did, since our first cover show back in 2022. From the bands that were able to warm up the crowd, to the actual crowd itself? We couldn't have asked for a better show. It was the first show in a while where we didn't have to really stress about competing, or making sure we played our best, so people would give us a listen. We knew everyone was there for us and it just made the show that much more fun” - Halcyon, June 2025

Please follow all of the bands on social media, it really does help them inform you of upcoming shows and new music they are working to write and record. Going to shows also supports bands in their efforts to showcase their talents with you and community members like you who listen to great music, just like theirs. Even reading this review is a way to engage further in being an advocate for the local bands you love, so bravo to you, too for making it all the way to the end.

Thank you for your interest in your local community musicians,

Zeke Lindhorst, FPCS

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