Planes Mistaken For Stars Credit: Deathwish Inc

Listening to the 1999 self-titled debut EP by Planes Mistaken for Stars feels like taking a bullet train back to the year it was released. The record’s twinkly guitars, vocals that mix anguished croons and explosive shrieks, and urgent, vaguely poetic lyrics are clear hallmarks of that specific moment in emotional hardcore. The past couple of years have brought renewed interest in bands from the same time period. But while groups such as Majority Rule, City of Caterpillar, and Jerome’s Dream—had brief runs, split up in the early 00s, and are now making their comebacks with reunion tours, Planes Mistaken for Stars have remained active over the years (aside from a couple of short breaks in the late 00s). More than that, they’ve been an ongoing concern for more than two decades—a century in punk years—and they’ve stayed fresh too. On their most recent album, 2016’s Prey, they incorporate posthardcore-meets-Thin-Lizzy-style riffage and slurred noise-rock yowls, dragging their emo roots through the mud. Though Prey came out a little more than two years ago, the unease and fury that pulse through every song remain as resonant as ever. Tonight’s show is their only headlining date on this tour.   v