The Protest & Relent at The Junction Center - August 2026
We’re entering the dog days of summer as families squeeze in their final summer vacations and kids get ready to go back to school. It also means that some bands are wrapping up their summer show runs before fall tours start up or they head back into the studio. For us, that meant The Protest, Relent and Mawcore brought their intense rock ‘n’ roll flair to The Junction Center in Manheim, PA. The last time we saw The Protest was at The Junction Center back in 2018 during the City Rockfest Tour, since we missed their set at Uprise last year. This was our second time seeing Relent and the first time seeing Mawcore.
We were running a little late, so we caught the end of Mawcore’s set as they finished with their new single, “Not Your Machine.” The guitar work was really great. For being a smaller band, they had a strong stage presence and impressive graphics on stage. One highlight of their stage show was that they had Hei Hei (the chicken from “Moana”) on stage with them. We’re excited to get another opportunity to catch their set at Uprise.
After a brief set change, Relent hit the stage. In case you’re new to these guys, they’re a nu-metal band from San Antonio led by Miggy Sanchez. They brought the energy! There were moments where it felt like we were at a rap concert and then Miggy would bring us back with his thunderous screams. The guitarist, Salvadore Dominguez, followed Miggy from his original band, Ill Nino, to Relent and he absolutely threw down.
They started their set with “Remember Me” off their newly released Suffer EP. They mixed up the set with old and new material, pulling from their whole catalog with this year’s Suffer EP, 2023’s World War Me, 2021’s Heavy and 2020’s Heart Attack. Miggy got the crowd fired up before heading into “Bodies,” “Low” and “World War Me.” The guys didn’t slow down, keeping the energy high, creating a fun atmosphere. Then, they moved on with “Soldier” and “Suffer.” I loved seeing Miggy getting into his music and allowing the grooves flow through everything. They sounded great musically. The guitars were shredding and the drums were explosive. Relent finished their high-octane set with “Holy Forever.” They continue to impress each time I see them and if you haven’t seen them live, you need to do it!
Relent put on a really good show, but now it was time for the main event! Lights went down and the crowd went wild as their introduction fired up. Adam made his way onto the stage with Jesse and Jarob. Josh grabbed the mic and immediately got the set started in an absolute frenzy. Jesse Hardiek (Bad Plans) was subbing in for TJ on guitar as TJ had prior commitments.
The boys asked if the crowd was ready for some midwest rock ‘n’ roll and the crowd responded with an empathic roar. They launched into the first song “Take It Back.” The energy that flows onstage between Josh, Adam, Jesse and Jarob is contagious. “What Else You Got” was the next song and the crowd screamed back the words of the chorus. I loved watching Josh command the stage and Adam’s guitar solos and mannerisms remind me so much of Josiah Prince of Disciple.
“Paper Tiger” was the next jam to get the crowd screaming as they echoed the chorus back with brothers Josh and Jarob. The band took a breather and talked about the last time they were at The Junction Center and referenced the incident with Joshua Bertrand (guitarist of Random Hero) who fell on stage and broke his arm. There were a couple people who said they were there. This break also led into their new release announcement that dropped on social media earlier in the day, a self titled record due out September 10th. We look forward to reviewing it! They played a new one off that album, “Griefcase.” Even though it tackles tough topics like grief, it gets the crowd bouncing. The guys didn’t slow down going into “Dying Breath” and “Bad Self.” The catalog for this band makes it tough to decipher what’s going to make the set list, because every song is an absolute banger.
Josh took a chance to share his heart and the mission of the band, which is to share Jesus with everyone they meet. I recall Josh and Jarob mentioning in our interview last year how they have the chance to share the stage with secular artists and how many bands respect them for standing by their faith, despite potential backlash. Then Josh shared about a project close to their hearts, their collaboration with a human trafficking organization from their home in Indiana. Human trafficking is an absolute evil around the world and The Protest partners with Destiny Rescue. Josh gave the crowd an opportunity to donate to the cause and in exchange the band would match it with merch. We always appreciate bands who speak out against the evils of this world.
“Cloudwalker” is the second single off the new album and the next song to be blasted through the venue. Josh shared that they can find a peace beyond all understanding through Jesus Christ in the breakdown of the chorus. Then, they launched into “Show Up To The Showdown.” The song is as entertaining live as the music video. Again, the stage presence that comes from the band is electric and even though Jesse is stepping in temporarily he plays and looks as if he’s been playing with these guys his entire life. “Greater” is one of my favorite songs and I was so pumped to hear it live again. I especially love the chorus, “I don't do it for the money. Don't do it for the fame. As long as someone listens, I don't care who knows my name. I don't do it for the glory. Don't do it for the game. I do it all to make them see this is all for something greater than me.” It just reminds you that what we say and do should be to bring glory to God and not ourselves.
The band ended their set with “Chains Are For Breaking,” another song off the new album. The crowd screamed along with every word. It’s one of our absolute favorite new songs from the band. During one of the breakdowns in “Chains Are For Breaking,” Josh took the time to get in a quick workout with some clapping push ups. As they finished up the last note, they made their way off the stage leaving behind the bright lights and fog and the crowd started to chant “one more song.”
It didn’t take long for the band to answer that chant as they came out for the encore playing “Legacy.” The crowd ate up every moment of it. Jarob went nuts on the drum kit. They launched into their last song, “Noise Revolution.” They play each song with incredible passion and drive. They want to bring everything, rock out, and make sure that every person leaves with a smile. They finished the song and thanked everyone for coming out.
Overall, it was a fantastic show. The crowd was a little light at The Junction Center, but that meant every person had a prime view for the show. We were front and center and everyone was just rocking out around us! Mawcore got things started off with a solid set showing a lot of promise and determination. Relent was fun and brought that great nu-metal sound that I grew up listening to. Between Adam’s guitar solos, Josh’s stage presence, The Protest put on one heck of a show.
Afterwards we got a chance to talk to Miggy from Relent and even got a brief chance to talk about professional wrestling. We’re certainly looking forward to more music from those guys. It was great catching up with The Protest and each band made sure they made time to meet with each fan who wanted to talk. We’re lucky because we get to see The Protest and Mawcore again next month at Uprise Festival. If you get a chance to see any of these bands in the future, please do yourself a favor and go! You won’t be disappointed.
Relent
Remember Me
Bodies
Low
World War Me
Soldier
Suffer
Holy Forever
The Protest
Intro
Take It Back
What Else You Got
Paper Tiger
Griefcase
Dying Breath
Bad Self
Cloudwalker
Show Up to the Showdown
Greater
Chains are for Breaking
ENCORE
Legacy
Noise Revolution
