Haywire’s Video for ‘Flex Your Head’ Documents Their Times Square Siege

Haywire, a burgeoning hardcore outfit from Boston, recently orchestrated an impromptu performance in New York City’s Times Square, turning the bustling tourist hub into a spontaneous punk stage. The band’s guerrilla-style show, centered on their track "Flex Your Head" from the latest album I Don’t Want to Say Goodbye, was recorded by a collaborative camera team and unveiled in a raw, high-energy video.

The performance, which also featured the track “Haywire” from their 2024 repertoire, captured the essence of hardcore’s underground ethos by taking place amidst the chaos and crowds of one of the most commercialized public spaces in the world. This unconventional venue choice reflects the band’s affinity for nontraditional settings, often opting for locations like bridges and urban underpasses to create a sense of detachment from societal norms.

The video’s production involved direction by Luis Hernandez and cinematography from Wes Knoll, Anthony Ryan Tripoli, and Stephen Michael Simon, who together documented both the fervor of the band and the spontaneous energy of the assembled fans. As the show unfolded outside the M&M’s World store, fans transformed the area into a vibrant pit, illustrating the communal spirit at the heart of Haywire’s music.

The event, however, was cut short by law enforcement intervention, underscoring the tension between spontaneous artistic expression and public order in heavily trafficked urban settings. Despite the shutdown, the gathering epitomized the band’s persistent challenge to conventional performance spaces and the music industry’s expectations.

Central to “Flex Your Head” is a critique of subcultural participation and authenticity. The song interrogates the phenomenon of individuals who superficially adopt elements of music scenes or subcultures without genuine engagement or understanding, a dynamic amplified by internet culture. The band’s frontman articulates concerns about how digital exposure can create a false sense of expertise or belonging, contrasting with the deeper connections formed through firsthand experience and community involvement.

Formed in 2023, Haywire swiftly established themselves as tireless performers, completing an intense summer tour in 2025 that encompassed 96 shows across all 50 states within just over three months. This rigorous schedule reflects the band’s commitment to immersing themselves fully in the hardcore scene and reaching diverse audiences nationwide.

Haywire’s approach to music and performance can be seen as a deliberate response to the commodification and dilution of punk and hardcore subcultures. By staging performances in unexpected public spaces and emphasizing direct interaction with their audience, they reinforce the genre’s roots in rebellion and community cohesion.

The Times Square video serves as a document of this ethos, capturing the visceral energy of live hardcore music against a backdrop of urban spectacle. It also raises questions about the boundaries of public space, artistic freedom, and the evolving nature of subcultural identity in an age dominated by online presence.

While details beyond the Times Square event and the band’s recent touring achievements remain limited, Haywire’s trajectory suggests an ongoing commitment to exploring the intersections of performance, subculture, and community in their work. Their strategy of blending intense touring with bold, unorthodox performances continues to define their emerging identity within the hardcore scene.

This recent video release not only showcases Haywire’s musical intensity but also highlights their broader commentary on authenticity and belonging within contemporary subcultures, capturing a moment that is as much about the music as it is about the spaces and communities that sustain it.