Holding Absence
09.19.26, 7:00pm | The Sovereign, 3306 Washington Blvd. | All ages | $30
If you need a good cry or a good scream (or a little of both), the upcoming double bill of Holding Absence and Arm’s Length is a show sure to offer plenty of emotional catharsis, not to mention a barrage of heavy guitars. The show is Saturday, September 19 at The Sovereign (3306 Washington Blvd.), the new venue just east of Grand Center from your friends at the Old Rock House.
Tickets are $30 and are available now via eTix, but your friends at The Sovereign wants to send you and a friend to see Holding Absence and Arm’s Length for free. Enter between now and Friday, September 11th at 5:00pm at this link for your chance to win:
https://app.hive.co/contests/contest/37022/spotlight
Holding Absence arrives in town the day after the release of Modern Life Is Lonely, the Welsh band’s first new album in three years. The four singles released to preview the record show a continuation of the band’s “dreamcore” sound, a blend of the massive guitars and emotive singing of post-hardcore with lighter, dreamier synth-driven moments. As the album title implies, their disposition hasn’t brightened much in the years since 2023’s The Noble Art of Self Destruction, as on the song “Whisper of a Dream” when singer Lucas Woodland sings “Being a human’s more of a burden than I was hoping.”
Ditto that for co-headliners Arm’s Length, touring in support of their 2025 sophomore effort There’s a Whole World Out There. The Ontario quartet push their post-hardcore sound more into the emo end of the spectrum, but they share enough stylistic similarities to make their touring with Holding Absence a no-brainer. Rounding out the bill are Australian melodic hardcore band Bloom and Richmond, VA, foursome House & Home. For more information, visit oldrockhousestl.com. | Jason Green
