Blog — Page 2 of 281

Texas is the Reason just finished out a scattering of reunion shows leading up to their appearance at Best Friends Forever Fest in Vegas. I had the pleasure of catching their performance at The Observatory in Orange County with support from Ted Leo (sans The Pharmacists) and Dallas solo artist, Slow Joy. 

The room began to fill up as Esteban Flores took the stage with his bandmates to fill out the solo project he deems Slow Joy. The authenticity in his performance was felt, and I wish the crowd had been more receptive. He melds together alt-rock and emo to produce a sound booming with honesty. The audience didn't seem very lively. Maybe it was the middle-of-the-week slump or the results of an aging fanbase, but even calls for cheers for Texas is the Reason resulted in a dull response. 

When the time came for Ted Leo to take the stage, the crowd was still passive. Ted Leo's one-man show was oozing lots of passion and energy, but even he couldn't liven up the crowd. He took a moment to acknowledge the "tough crowd" and recognize that he was aware that it wasn't his job to "win" the onlookers over. The notable fan favorites "The High Party" and "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone" weren't getting the job done. A cover of Agnostic Front's "Power" got someone on the floor a little excited. Even the hail-mary cover of "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" wasn't enough to get the crowd to wake up.

Texas is the Reason walked out to cheers and excitement. The audience was alive again. The attendees were bobbing and shifting as the band ran through "every song [they] know," which consisted of the entirety of their full-length, Do You Know Who You Are?, including the bonus tracks from the re-release, and topped it off with a cover of Sugar's "Changes" with help from Ted Leo. The crowd seemed to be more responsive to Ted Leo this time around. 

Texas is the Reason didn't waste time walking off just to walk back out for an encore. Instead, they opted to stay on the stage and keep playing through their last two tracks of the night. The band seemed to be having a blast celebrating 30 years together. Who knows if they'll be heading back into hibernation or if they'll ever come back if they do? They have a couple more shows lined up supporting Jawbreaker and their own headlining show in December in their hometown of New York City. Show up and give them all the love and appreciation you can muster.

Cursive are currently rounding out a year of touring on their 2024 release, Devourer. Between supporting slots for Sunny Day Real Estate, Cursive have been headlining their own shows across the western United States. They recently headlined a show at Santa Ana's Constellation Room with The Appleseed Cast's Chris Crisci along for the ride. Crisci ran through a short acoustic set of solo songs, with much of the crowd on board with the subdued performance.

Cursive walked out to the small room to cheers. Kasher walked to the end of the stage, giving high fives to fans as well as greeting a child who was in attendance with their parent before the band jumped into Devourer's "What the Fuck?" It was only slightly comical. The band has really gotten good at balancing out a varied set of deep cuts with fan favorites. Between Devourer songs like "Botch Job" and "Dead End Days," the band was throwing out "Bloody Murderer" from The Ugly Organ and Burst & Bloom's "Tell Tales, Telltales." They even took it back to their first release with the track, "A Disruption in the Normal Swing of Things" upon reminiscing about playing the area in their early days. However, they still made time for the usual setlist staples like "From the Hips" and "The Martyr."

Cursive were in high spirits and the house was alive. I can't even remember the last time I saw Cursive in a venue that wasn't Pomona's Glass House, but the change of venue and city made for a refreshing experience. The smaller room with everyone packed in made for a louder crowd response and sing-alongs. There are only a few shows left in this run of dates with Sunny Day Real Estate before heading back to Omaha and Vegas to perform The Ugly Organ and Domestica together. The band will then be finishing out 2025 on the eastern half of the country with AJJ this December. Don't miss it!

Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, Foxing

Budweiser Stage

Toronto, Canada

August 24, 2025

What a treat catching two great bands Taking Back Sunday and  Coheed and Cambria co-headlining on their 2025 North American tour.

Special guest Foxing, from St. Louis, Missouri, opened the night with a 30 minute set, weaving delicate melodies into explosive waves of emotion that filled the amphitheater.

Frontman Conor Murphy, commanded the night with a voice that seemed to carry both fragility and fire. The rest of the band matched that same intensity!

Next up, as the sun set and the stage lights cut through the thick fog, Taking Back Sunday emerged, sharp in their semi-formal attire and ready to own the night.

The whole mood shifted, suddenly the crowd was on their feet, arms in the air, and singing before Adam Lazzara even opened his mouth. From the first strummed guitar note, Toronto knew they were about to be pulled straight back into the early-2000s heart of emo.

Adam’s stage presence was magnetic, pacing with restless energy, tossing his mic in wide arcs, along with his fancy footwork, never pausing for a single breath.

The setlist was a nostalgia trip stacked with anthems: “You’re So Last Summer,” “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut from the Team),” and “MakeDamnSure” lit up the amphitheater. Each chorus turned into a crowd-wide choir, voices echoing all the way to the back of the lawn.

Adam mentioned to the crowd how this is the biggest show of the tour, and the energy in the amphitheater proved he’s not exaggerating.

Final impressions: Taking Back Sunday’s set was unfiltered energy. Nostalgic, loud, and totally heartfelt, it reminded everyone why these songs mean so much and why hearing them live still hits just as hard. Toronto was completely satisfied!

Set list: Taking Back Sunday

1. A Decade Under the Influence
2. What’s It Feel Like to Be a Ghost?
3. S’Old
4. Error: Operator
5. Set Phasers to Stun
6. The One
7. Liar (It Takes One to Know One)
8. Amphetamine Smiles
9. You’re So Last Summer
10. My Blue Heaven
11. Timberwolves at New Jersey
12. You Can’t Look Back
13. This Photograph Is Proof (I Know You Know)
14. Flicker, Fade
15. Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team)
16. MakeDamnSure

By the time Coheed and Cambria hit the stage, the night was fully alive. Claudio Sanchez stepped forward, guitar in hand and immediately the crowd was glued to every move.

By the fifth or sixth song, a giant inflatable skull with spikes appeared on stage, sporting light-up digital sunglasses and flashing animated visuals for the rest of the night.

Headbanging with a wild mane of hair and ripping through insane guitar licks, their set jumped from epic prog-rock epics to tight, emotionally charged tracks, mixing old favorites like “Welcome Home” and “The Suffering” with songs from The Father of Make Believe. Every song felt like it had a story to tell, and Claudio’s stage presence made it impossible to look away.

Coheed surprised everyone with a cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.” The crowd went absolutely nuts, singing along, jumping, and screaming every word. The band put their own epic twist on it, turning a beloved indie-rock anthem into a soaring, full-on Coheed-style rock moment that had the whole venue buzzing.

Set list: Coheed and Cambria

1. Goodbye, Sunshine
2. Shoulders
3. Blood Red Summer
4. Blind Side Sonny
5. Everything Evil
6. Number City
7. The Suffering
8. Searching for Tomorrow
9. The Continuum II: The Flood
10. A Favor House Atlantic
11. The Liars Club
12. In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Encore
13. Mr. Brightside (The Killers cover)
14. Welcome Home

Three incredible bands, one amazing night—Foxing, Taking Back Sunday, and Coheed left the crowd completely blown away.

All photos by @front.row.fans

Chevelle @ Great Canadian Casino Resort

Toronto, Canada

August 20, 2025

That feeling, when you’re having the best experience ever, and you don’t want it to end!

Chevelle delivered a powerful headlining performance marking a high-energy stop on their 38-date North American Bright as Blasphemy tour, with supporting acts Dead Poet Society and Asking Alexandria setting the stage.

A wall of sound, red lights and moody backdrops, Chevelle lit up Toronto with heavy riffs!

Not just a performance, it felt like an immersive journey, offering fans both what they love and what they’ve been waiting to hear.

Pete Loeffler proves that one guitar and one voice can sound massive, along with his brother Sam driving it all from behind the kit!

The band performed a great set, covering their long career, from early hits like “Send the Pain Below" and “The Red", to tracks off their new album Bright as Blasphemy, including “Rabbit Hole – Cowards, Pt. 1", “Pale Horse” and “Jim Jones (Cowards, Pt. 2)”, just released August 15, 2025.

Click Here for a live show recap reel, incase you missed it.

Chevelle closed the night the best way possible—by meeting the fans who had waited to see them off, myself included.

________________

Setlist
1. Family System
2. Self Destructor
3. Rabbit Hole – Cowards, Pt. 1
4. An Island
5. Joyride (Omen)
6. Face to the Floor
7. Pale Horse
8. Jars
9. Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)
10. Hats Off to the Bull
11. Jim Jones (Cowards, Pt. 2)
12. The Clincher
13. Send the Pain Below
14. Prove to You
15. The Red
16. Comfortable Liar
17. I Get It
18. Mars Simula

________________

Special thanks to Atom Splitter PR for the photo pass.

All photos by @front.row.fans

The circus is in town. Less Than Jake are currently on their Summer Circus Tour promoting their latest EP, Uncharted. They've brought along ska and punk legends Fishbone and The Suicide Machines and ska newcomers, Catbite. Together, they've melded a perfect mish-mash of bands suitable for all ages. Riverside was in for a good night!

The young guns of the show, Catbite, opened the night. Opting for synths instead of horns to fill the space, the band gains its distinguishable ska merits from their catchy melodies and strong rhythm section. Vocalist, Brittany Luna, is no slouch on the microphone either. A true performer who knew how to get the crowd excited for the night just by simply jumping in and singing from the pit. The band has a new EP out entitled Doom Garden. Be sure to check it out!

The Suicide Machines followed. The Ska-Core group managed to draw enough of their own fans despite being billed second on the line-up. Many in the crowd sang along or found themselves circle-pitting as the band ran through an array of songs from their debut album, Destruction by Definition, while sprinkling in tracks from the rest of their catalog. 

Direct support and ska-punk/funk-metal legends, Fishbone, took to the stage with a strong presence. While third-wave Emoheads have been fawning over My Chemical Romance's Black Parade tour in full costume, punk rockers were skanking along with Angelo Moore donning his own marching band outfit. The last time I saw Fishbone was over a decade ago, and nothing has changed. Their entire set felt like one big party, and everyone was having a good time. Especially once someone broke out the beach balls. Fishbone is out promoting their own new album, Stockholm Syndrome, which came out earlier this summer.

The time had finally come for Less Than Jake. A pseudo ringmaster began to speak over the house speakers to welcome everyone to the circus. The band walked out and jumped right into "Gainesville Rock City." The band was all smiles. Fog blasters were blaring. The audience was cheering. There is a unique level of happiness that can only be found at a Less Than Jake show. Trombonist and hype-man, Buddy Schaub, seemed to never run out of breath between tooting his horn and running end-to-end across the stage to get the crowd going. The stage antics heightened as Less Than Jake versions of those "wacky-inflatable" guys plumed on stage, and toilet paper was shot into the audience.

It's very endearing when a band takes the time to acknowledge and share their appreciation for their fans. Not every band does it, and they certainly don't need to, but the sentiment is not lost on Less Than Jake. The band continues to sell out their VIP tickets that include meet and greets and photo-ops, but it also allows for a possibility of being chosen to stand on stage for the show and be a part of "the circus," which is such a great and unique perk to their VIP packages. Sometimes they even just call on fans to come on stage for no real reason at all. Tonight, they pulled a fan on stage simply for being 20 years old. That's it. That was the only prerequisite for making this fan's experience even better. Roger expressed it best after they played a cover of the Animaniacs theme when he said something along the lines of "the fact that we can play that. Be goofy. You guys are smiling, and that's how I'm gonna pay my rent bill next month is amazing."

Between all the zaniness, the band continued to run through classics and fan favorites like "All My Best Friends are Metalheads," "Automatic," and "The Science of Selling Yourself Short" while promoting Uncharted with tracks "Brand New Day," "Sunny Side" and "Walking Pipebomb." During the encore, the band did an impromptu performance of "Anchor" from Fat's 1999 compilation, Short Music for Short People, when someone threw out the request.

Less Than Jake continues to put on one of the best shows just by being genuine and putting an emphasis on having fun. The goofiness of their sets is what makes their punk rock shows distinct from the rest. I can't imagine anyone walked out at the end of the night unhappy or without a smile on their face. The entire Summer Circus Tour is stacked with a great bill and one of the best shows I've seen this year. Following the Summer Circus will be a Winter Circus in the UK. If the circus is coming to town, grab a ticket and bring the whole family. It's sure to be a blast!