HardLore Podcast: S.S. Neverender – HardLore Recaps the Coheed & Cambria Cruise

Host: Colin Young & Bo Lueders
Date: November 20, 2025
Episode Theme:
A deep-dive, laughter-laden recap of the S.S. Neverender—the third official Coheed & Cambria cruise—through the lens of two hardcore musicians. Colin and Bo recount stories from their band's sets, cruise adventures, surreal fan moments, and in-depth chats with fellow artists and friends, capturing both the musical curation and the cruise culture.

Episode Overview

The episode revolves around Colin and Bo’s firsthand experiences as performers and observers on the S.S. Neverender cruise. It features hilarious mishaps, heartfelt exchanges with Coheed & Cambria, camaraderie among bands, surreal encounters, and insights into cruise life, all peppered with memorable interviews and signature HardLore humor.

1. Setting Sail: Pre-Cruise Happenings & Japan Tour (00:00–11:21)

• Bo’s Japan Tour: Bo recounts wrapping up a tour with Harms Way in Japan (Halloween arrival, Tokyo adventures, capsule hotel naps, wild vending machines, and a 37-hour day due to time zones).

  • Notable quote: “It is white Wakanda. It is true what they say. Can’t wait to go back.” (04:02 – Colin)
  • Winning moment: Intercultural celebration after Ohtani wins the Dodgers Game 7 – strangers in Tokyo bonding over baseball (06:00)

• Transition to the Cruise: Both hosts land in Miami on November 7, coincidentally Taylor Young’s birthday.

  • “We landed at the same time. November 7th. Taylor Young’s birthday. Your birthday was right when we got home.” (11:24)

2. All Aboard: The Mystery & Magic of the S.S. Neverender (12:00–16:10)

• Pre-show Nerves: Both hosts talk about entering the cruise with zero expectations and being blown away by hospitality, logistics, and community spirit.
  • “Mystery is a great way to put it… Blaze, who manages Coheed… got us on there. He’s the best. Thank you, Blaze.” (12:08)
• Meeting Anthony Green: Early encounter with Anthony Green (Circa Survive/LS Dunes) becomes a cruise-long comfort.
• Cruise Culture:
  • Navigating ‘gen pop,’ being relatively unknown while Anthony Green is mobbed by fans.
  • Excitement for casino opening and dealing with 24-hour free buffets and artist lounges.

3. The First Night: Bands, Buffet & Casino Calamity (13:12–17:49)

• Code Seven & LS Dunes: Opening bands set a high bar; packed pool deck within hours.
• Casino Losses:
  • “By 7:45 I was down $1500. We’ll talk later.” (15:15 – Colin)
  • Alec from Twitching Tongues destroys at the craps table.
• Pool Kids & Surprises: Band discoveries; Pool Kids described as “Indie with gratuitous shredding” (16:22)
• Remarkable Calm:
  • “These first two days, no chop. Smoothest sailing.” (16:48 – Bo)

4. Settling in: Sleeping, Singing, & the Reality of Cruise Gigs (17:50–29:56)

• Seasickness Strikes:
  • “Day three, I was doubled over in agony… The sea does not forgive. It was angry and it does not forget.” (17:19 – Colin)
• Stage Placement & Set Times: Twitching Tongues plays first set at 1:15pm on a sun-baked sports court cage (“inside of the sun”) to an unfamiliar crowd, buoyed by new supporters.
• Audience Vibes: Coheed ‘Children of the Fence’ are incredibly open-minded and welcoming.
  • “Some of the most welcoming, accepting, supportive people we’ve ever played to.” (30:17 – Colin)
• Soft Cult Discovery:
  • “Found my new favorite band.” (31:47 – Colin)

5. Mid-Episode Highlight: Artist Mini-Interviews (31:42–46:47)

Soft Cult (Mercedes & Phoenix) [31:42 - 38:47]:

• Pandemic-born, self-taught, and fiercely DIY.
• “You can’t grow and flourish in an environment that is confining you or oppressing you.” (36:17 – Mercedes)
• “Our hardcore brothers.” (35:35 – Phoenix)

Soft Cult (Phil & Brent) [38:54 - 46:05]:

• Nerding out on gear, tunings, and hardcore records.
• Brent displays astonishing perfect pitch on-air.
• Hardcore faves: Nails, Have Heart, Backtrack, Comeback Kid.

Kanashi (Peter Rono) [46:24 - 52:29]:

• On returning to the cruise, casino wins, random backstage moments with Claudio, and the surreal sense of community.
• Hardcore staples: Foundation, Trash Talk, Ceremony, Rotting Out.

Kalis Dow Boys (Carson & Jackie) [69:41 - 74:46]:

• Honest talk about seasickness, incredible curation, and discovering open-minded audiences.
• Hardcore favorites & wrestler picks; stories of electric violin spin-kicking and getting accosted by cruise security.

Foxing (Connor Murphy) [86:17 - 91:44]:

• On taking a break after 12 years, the emotional resonance of the cruise community.
• “It’s just getting hard to like write together and tour together so much. Like, we need time to grow as people.” (86:57)
• Fave hardcore/adjacent records include Cursed, Code Orange Kids, Kiss it Goodbye, The Body.

Twitching Tongues (Mike Cesario & Sean Martin) [101:39 - 106:44]:

• Mike’s Magic: Gaming with his deck, striking up games across the ship, even earning gifts from strangers.
• Cruise highlights: magic, bands, Soft Cult, Thursday, celebrating anniversaries.
• Favorite hardcore records: Master Trailer, In Cold Blood, Satisfaction is the Death of Desire, Bad Brains, Crowbar.
• Sean’s picks: Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Crumbsuckers, Ludichrist, Murphy’s Law.

6. The Musical Experience: New Fans, Tributes & Sets (53:00–68:03)

• Coheed Theatre Show:
  • “They played all of Good Apollo… the real breakout record. Everybody knows ‘Welcome Home’ from Fortnite and Guitar Hero.” (53:31 – Colin)
  • “20% of the room is weeping.” (54:33 – Bo)
• Camaraderie:
  • Watching Thursday for the first time, wild video of Alec’s singalong.
• Day in Mexico:
  • Bo’s scooter jungle adventures, taco runs, petting cats, brushes with Matt Pinfield (“Matt Pinfield certified. That’s all it takes.” [61:21])
  • Colin preps for a monumental 2+ hour interview with Claudio Sanchez.
• Legendary Artist Chats: Two major podcast episodes captured: one with Claudio Sanchez, another with Anthony Green.
  • “Next week, Claudio. Week after that, Anthony. Surprise, motherfuckers.” (63:12)

7. Legendary Covers & Nighttime Carnage (63:28–68:26)

• Twitch Fits – Misfits Set:
  • “Witness the beauty that is Glenn Danzig’s Misfits plus Twitching Tongues.” (63:48 – Bo)
  • Makeup mishap: Hand sanitizer-thinned face paint leads Colin to experience temporary blindness.
    • “I can only see sheets of white… I’m seeing clouds. Like Jack the Ripper fog.” (65:50 – Colin)
  • “Set was awesome… The cruise was buzzing for the tongue, dude.” (68:03 – Colin)

8. Last Stretch: More Sets, Cruise Life, & Reflections (68:03–95:10)

• Casino Floor Near the Stage: Last set played on a deck adjoining casino, hibachi, and open balconies—drawing a huge, rowdy but well-behaved crowd for Twitching Tongues.
  • “Packed house before we start, packed by people who have never heard us…” (95:10 – Colin)
  • “The drummer of Pool Kids was crowd surfing… climbed to the second floor with a broken ankle.” (96:11)
• Friends & Legends:
  • Sean Martin returns as guest; Mike’s wife Britt highlighted; Mike’s Magic: “He was whipping deck all over the place.” (99:37)

9. Cruise Culture: The Weird, Wonderful, & Mundane (107:41–132:58)

• Ship Cleanliness and Cabin Mishaps:
  • “Incredibly clean ship… except for the time our block’s plumbing failed and an all-night Roto-Rooter session left everything smelling crazy” (107:43–110:54)
• Music Everywhere:
  • Shipwide PA only plays Coheed and cruise artist songs on repeat.
• Seasickness & Disembarkation:
  • “Going back to land and feeling like you were moving… In the airport, I was like, oh, it’s like, holy…” (118:24)
• Highlight Meals:
  • Hibachi and steakhouse nights are best; eating healthy on tour is possible according to the guys.
• Audience Response:
  • Hardcore sets met with open-mindedness, skanking, and curious normies. “It was like a case study of how to manage something you’ve never experienced before. Just let it happen and enjoy.” (126:32)

10. Final Reflections & FAQ (121:03–134:47)

• Band Discoveries & Friendships:
  • New tight-knit friendships with Soft Cult, Kalis Dow Boys, Anthony Green, and others.
• Twitching Tongues Reception:
  • “Did Twitching get over as the heaviest band on the boat? Yeah, I’d say so by the end.” (121:05)
• Venue & Production Praise:
  • Production teams’ preparedness on par/better than most clubs—“Venues could only get on the Norwegian Jewel's level.” (26:24)
• Would You Recommend a Cruise?:
  • Yes, with caveats. For music fans and the right curation (like S.S. Neverender), it's magical. For generic cruises or those who hate live music, maybe not.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “It is white Wakanda. It is true what they say. Can’t wait to go back.” (04:02 – Colin, on Tokyo)
• “By 7:45 I was down $1500. We’ll talk later.” (15:15 – Colin, on casino losses)
• “Some of the most welcoming, accepting, supportive people we’ve ever played to.” (30:17 – Colin, on Coheed fans)
• “Music is unbelievable. Sometimes it’s the band you started when you were 18… You just keep grinding and people get it eventually…” (80:18 – Colin, on the surreal Coheed moment)
• “Hardcore is the only one like it. The sense of community… there’s nothing else like that in the world.” (44:51 – Soft Cult, Phil)
• “We’re on a fucking cruise. It’s insane.” (34:24 – Soft Cult, Mercedes)
• “Just let it happen and enjoy.” (126:32 – Colin, on crowd open-mindedness)

Key Takeaways

• Surreal Fan-Artist Interactions: Bands like Twitching Tongues are reminded of music’s power—Claudio Sanchez notices Colin in the crowd and shouts out HardLore on stage.
• New Bonds & Respect:
  • Artists form tight friendships and mutual admiration (Soft Cult, Kalis Down Boys, Foxing, Kanashi, LS Dunes).
• Cruise Logistics:
  • Pristine production and staff, clean ship, some plumbing issues, wild PA music choices, memorable meals, and 24/7 musical vibes.
• Artist Challenges:
  • Physical limits tested (sun-baked sets, seasickness, casino heartbreak, jet lag, voice loss, impromptu Misfits covers with face paint gone awry).
• Community Spirit:
  • Coheed’s “Children of the Fence” cultivates a supportive, open-minded scene welcoming to hardcore and alt bands unfamiliar to many.
• Unforgettable Moments:
  • Soft Cult's self-taught artistry and on-ship interviews, Coheed’s breakout sets, Twitch Fits’ surprise Misfits set, casino legends, summer camp/DIY vibes, and cruise-lore bathrooms.
• Would Do Again:
  • "If we got the offer again, I would absolutely do it again." (133:18 – Bo)

Recommended Listening Points

• Soft Cult interview: 31:42–38:47
• Kanashi (Peter Rono): 46:24–52:29
• Kalis Dow Boys chats: 69:41–74:46
• Foxing with Connor: 86:17–91:44
• Sean Martin & Mike Cesario: 101:39–106:44
• Casino Saga: 15:24–23:31, 113:33–114:18
• Claudio Sanchez surreal onstage shoutout: 80:09

Final Words:
A heart-on-sleeve tour diary and festival recap, powerfully funny, unexpectedly touching—documenting not just a cruise, but what happens when hardcore, punk, and prog worlds are drafted onto a ship of open-armed music fans.

Next Week:
Claudio Sanchez interview drops (episode teaser at 61:32, 63:12, 124:07)
Week following: Anthony Green (Circa Survive/LS Dunes)