FREE THROW BRINGS ‘MOMENTS BEFORE THE WIND’ TO PHILADELPHIA

May 21, 2026

4–5 minutes

When you are truly passionate about your craft, it will show in everything you do. This ethic is 100% apparent in every ounce of soul Free Throw puts into their music. Home for Free Throw is in Nashville, Tennessee, where the band met in 2012. The group — consisting of Cory Castro (lead vocals, guitar), Lawrence Warner (lead guitar), Jake Hughes (rhythm guitar, vocals), Justin Castro (bass) and Zach Hall (drums, vocals) — bonded over their involvement in the local punk and emo scene, finding common ground in musical inspirations.

Since the release of their very first EP Free Throw in 2012, the band has been creating songs that connect with listeners of punk and emo music all over the world. With six albums, including their most recent release Moments Before The Wind (2026), the band has gained a ride or die fanbase. Free Throw’s music inspires artists all across the globe and has created songs that have turned into staples in the emo community.

Free Throw hit the road in early April to celebrate Moments Before The Wind’s release. On May 9, Philadelphia’s Union Transfer hosted Free Throw for a night of stacked lineups and electric energy.

Opening the night were New York’s own Macseal and Wakelee, and Missouri’s TRSH. Each band brought their A-game to the stage, taking the time to show everyone in the crowd why they should tune into them. The energy in the room for each artist was something to marvel at; every last person who took the stage had a massive smile on their face which made it almost impossible to watch without doing the same. Each opening band thanked Free Throw for having them out, not failing to mention how pivotal their music has been in shaping their own bands — it was truly something so special to watch.

Soon after, lights dimmed and the crowd roared. Blue lights illuminated their backdrop which read “Free Throw” in their signature logo font. The band walked out beaming, waving to the excited crowd eager to hear their favorite band. The night opened with “MissingNo.” which is uncoincidentally the opening track to their recent record. The room filled with the opening lines, “The sun was rising in front of my eyes as I drove up 95.”

The vibes in the room somehow upped to a whole new level. From the very beginning of the show there was non-stop crowd surfing, moshing and singing. There was nothing that was going to kill the energy in the room.

“Philadelphia has always been like a second home to us,” Castro said as the band stopped to speak to the crowd. Free Throw’s excitement to be playing in Philly was apparent; every last note was sung, strum or hit with an intensity that can only be explained by excitement and pure joy.

The energy in the room did not die down as the night went on, it did the complete opposite. Playing songs like “The Corner’s Dilemma,” “Pallet Town” and “A Part Is Better Than Zero,” the crowd moved freely from the very front of the barricade to the bar in the back of the room. The band stated that they were keeping track of the best circle pit of the entire tour, and in response the entire room opened up immediately, eager to hold this title.

The night was coming to a close as the last song “The Waters Of Life” began to play. The lights matched the emotions in the room perfectly: hades of blues flashing during the heavier instrumental and a yellow and orange backlight illuminating their silhouettes as the song fades out.

“I I am scared, not prepared / Yet, I am ready / As ready as I’ll ever be / You can plan / You can plot it out / But life has its own direction / And I am ready / As ready as I’ll ever be”

The band walked off the stage and the room began to chant “one more time” so loudly that it shook the room. Once the band returned to the stage, Castro took to the mic, saying “We will give you three” before playing “Randy, I Am the Liquor,” “Two Beers In” and “Hey Ken, Someone Methodically Mushed the Donuts.” The crowdsurfing picked up to a new level, the crowd working together in unison to make sure every surfer got over safely. If you weren’t surfing, you were moshing or screaming the lyrics back with your whole chest. It was a beautiful sight to see and was a true representation of the power live music is.

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