Mention Turnstile around a hardcore kid and you’ll get a range of reactions. Some offer calm, measured takes like, “Good for those guys. They deserve the recognition, and I love the stylistic direction they’ve gone in.” Others immediately start vibrating with rage, insisting Turnstile either sold out, were never hardcore to begin with, or both.
If you’re in the first camp — someone who appreciates bold, all-caps expression in the spirit of GLOW ON and NEVER ENOUGH — consider following 67-year-old Boomer Gary Hendersen on Facebook. He’s not in a genre-defying hardcore band, but he is posting “KEEP GENDER IDEOLOGY OUT OF M&MS” under his grandson Derek’s Halloween pictures.
Those who love and appreciate Turnstile’s distinct visual presence will undoubtedly find a kindred spirit in Gary. His Facebook page is equally striking, featuring a muscled AI-generated image of President Trump planting the American flag at Iwo Jima, a profile picture of himself in a car wearing sunglasses, and a steady stream of Minion memes, including: “PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK WHY IM SO GRUMPY I TELL EM ITS CUZ THE WORLD WONT LEAVE ME ALONE” and “EVERY TIME I TRY TO ORDER PIZZA ONLINE I END UP BUYING SOMETHING FROM AMAZON SMH.”
Fans of Turnstile’s explosive live shows will absolutely love Gary’s equally explosive outbursts. Take for example his recent screed on the official Facebook page of Cold Stone Creamery. Who needs the frenetic energy of Turnstile playing Wyman Park Dell when you’ve got the same chaotic force in the form of this Gary Henderson comment: “I GAVE 2 DOLLARS TIP AT COLDSTONE AND THEY ONLY SANG ONCE… YOUR SUPPOSED TO SING A SONG FOR EVERY DOLLAR BUT I ONLY GOT ONE….JOE BIDEN DOESNT REALLY HAVE CANCER… HE WAS ARRESTED IN DEC 2020 AND EXECUTED AT GITMO IN FEB 2021…LOOK AT THE CLONES EARLOBES…DO YOUR RESEARCH.”
Like Turnstile, Gary’s enjoyed some surprising crossover success. He’s not playing international festivals or collaborating with the likes of Hayley Williams, Julien Baker, or Dev Hynes (yet). But his comment on a local news story about declining test scores in English and math — “THEY DONT EVEN TEACH CURSIVE IN SCHOOL ANYMORE” — racked up multiple reactions and drew replies like, “I don’t usually agree with what you post, Gary, but you’re spot on with this one.”
If you’re looking for the next Turnstile, look no further than following Gary Hendersen. Sure, he can’t match the groove of “HOLIDAY” or the communal energy of a Turnstile show, but he will post “I CANT BELEIVE MINNIE MOUSE IS TRANS” in all caps on your Facebook timeline.