Saint Patrick’s Day Gets Loud with Machine Girl at The Van Buren

Photojournalist: Sarah

I skipped the pub this Saint Patrick’s Day to go watch Machine Girl turn The Van Buren into a digital hardcore mosh pit.

On March 17th, 2026, Machine Girl’s show started out with the ever-colorful Lust Sick Puppy. They were followed by Show Me the Body who brought their unique use of banjo in their hip-hop influenced hardcore punk. Together, they paved the perfect path for the energy and chaos about to follow with Machine Girl’s rewarding visual and auditory assault. With music that punches you in the face, the crowd surprisingly did not.

Personally, I rate mosh pits on two scales: violence and chaos. My favorite pits are the ones with low violence but high chaos, and Machine Girl’s crowd did not disappoint. It felt more like a high-energy dance pit than a place I needed to watch for stray fists. And with all three bands providing perfect dance noise music, you’d expect nothing less.

There was a perfect and natural flow between the different but complimentary vibes of the three acts. The performances brought together a crowd of people in adorable, well-thought-out outfits who all seemed to have an absolute blast shaking it out all night.

Machine Girl is still on the road through April 6th. You can find all tour stops and ticket info at https://machin3gir1.com/pages/tour

MACHINE GIRL