Photo of Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil by Jen Ruff
I’ve learned one thing for sure: cutting close to when doors open at the Factory is going to affect parking (A LOT). Lesson learned and unfortunately missed Destroy Boys, as they surely appeared to leave everyone in a great mood and the venue buzzing.
Dayseeker is a post-hardcore band out of the OC in California formed in 2012. Rory Rodriguez has a great style and is a superb vocalist. He performed with heart and his emotions were felt throughout the Factory; almost every fan was engaged in the performance completely. It was fun to know that it was drummer Mike Karle’s birthday, and he got a great “Happy Birthday” song from the crowd. Guitarist Gino Sgambelluri really set the melodic tone whether it was for ballads or the more active songs, and bassist Ramone Valerio was a great match. Rodriguez addressed the crowd toward the end of the set, acknowledging his gratefulness for fans’ support as he admitted at times the band was unsure of their place in “the scene.” I’m glad they continue to create and perform, as were about 7,000 others.
Next in the lineup was LS Dunes which to most was confusing at first as they’re not a huge name on the surface, but they are no doubt a supergroup who are extremely – EPIC (all caps needed). First up are two members from Thursday, bassist Tim Payne and drummer Tucker Rule. From Coheed and Cambria is guitarist extraordinary Travis Stever. The band is fronted by the amazing vocalist Anthony Green, who previously fronted Circa Survive and Saosin. But for me the draw is a perfect guitarist I’ve admired for such a long time – My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero. Barely a band for a year, their past as musicians lets them look like they’ve been a band for decades. The crowd wasn’t at the singalong stage of fandom but more just shocked at the brilliance of the sonics. Starting the show with “Permanent Rebellion” and coasting through songs “Bombsquad,” “Grifter,” “2022,” “Past Lives,” and the comically titled “Benadryl Subreddit,” the show felt old school emo, even grunge like The Used, perhaps even Nirvana-esque due largely to Green’s absolute command of every inch and space of the stage. Later the headliners would sit down and reinforce that they wouldn’t have been (or still be) a band without these musicians having paved the way and that’s the absolute truth.
It was clear that the crowd was made up of what I view as “TikTok” kids—not in a disrespectful way, but when a band that I met in 2007 and have followed passionately ever since is currently being hyped as if they’re the new “it” thing, that just draws that parallel for me personally. Be that as it may, Pierce the Veil are now and have always been a band who doesn’t phone in a performance. They are touring in support of their fifth studio release, 2023’s Jaws of Life, the San Diego band’s first without vocalist Vic Fuentes’ brother Mike behind the drumkit. (For the album, Brad Hargreaves of Third Eye Blind recorded the drums, while Loniel Robinson from LetLive is drumming on the current tour.) The set started with a song off of that new release, “Death of an Executioner,” then rolled into “Caraphernelia” from 2010’s Selfish Machines, which was one of the first songs of theirs I ever loved so it was brilliant to see it after all of these years. Bassist Jaime Perciado still has the energy he had way back when—in fact, the whole band does. They feel so youthful and maybe that’s the current vibe carrying through.
A couple of songs into the set came my favorite off the new record. “Pass the Nirvana” is just a straight-up emo anthem and so fun to sing and dance to. I was really living like I don’t have chronic back pain, even just for the night. Music seems to have this ability to suspend disbelief if you let it. I let it.
Vic Fuentes has this unique vocal style which is kinda nasally but in the most perfect way. For this record, he wrote a song for his wife and new daughter called “Emergency Contact” that I swear touches everyone who hears it as you imagine the love you have for that emergency contact of yours and how you wished you could write the words to tell them what their existence means. Immediately after was “Hold On Till May,” which was kind of the apex of Pierce the Veil’s commercial success. The band really connected with the crowd throughout the song, trying to convey their appreciation for the love and support that still allows them to live out their dreams across the world. Mid-song, Vic selected a fan named Sid. He said that Sid was present at many shows, always upfront, always singing, and she joined the band onstage. Vic gave her a symbol of his gratitude: the guitar he was playing and she sat there the remainder of the song with the band interacting. When she got offstage, she looked like she’d not be able to stop smiling ever and was legitimately shook.
The highlight of the set was my favorite song of theirs, “Bulletproof Love,” which was performed acoustically and the first time I’ve heard it that way. I couldn’t have screamed louder, danced harder, or stopped the tears of sheer happiness for a song that means so much personally and that I still listen to at least once a week even after all of this time.
They’d continue with a few songs new and old, ending with the emo staple “King for a Day” and the loudest crowd I’ve heard since I took some family to see One Direction. After such a great evening, I’m thankful for those TikTok fans for appreciating musicians who are so worth lasting for a long time especially when those artists are as pure souls as each member of Pierce the Veil is. Now to soak that back pain away… | Diane Ruff
