Live music review: Pierce the Veil ignited Moody Center with sonic celebration
I thought I grew out of my Etnies and Vans years ago. That burned Underoath CD? Definitely warped by now. But on June 11, I was the personification of the Al Pacino meme where he yells, “Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in!” Pierce the Veil ignited the Moody Center with a sonic celebration of screamo that reaffirmed the band as a dominant force in post-hardcore.
From the first chords of “Death of an Executioner” to the climactic encore of “King for a Day” featuring Kellin Quinn, the show delivered a raw, communal catharsis. A full-arc evening featured support from up-and-comers Beach Weather and scene staples Sleeping With Sirens, making the show feel like a mini-festival of alt-emo on this I Can’t Hear You Tour.
A Storm Brewing with Beach Weather
Kicking things off was the Minneapolis-based, cowboy-hat sporting Beach Weather. Their set was tight and melodic. Songs blended ambient build-ups with guitar-driven payoffs. Even in a massive venue like Moody, the band made it feel like we were in a DIY space back in high school (complimentary!). It was a brief but powerful reminder that the next wave of post-emo is already here, and it sounds great.
Sleeping With Sirens: Crowd Control and Chaos
Next up was Sleeping With Sirens and from the moment Kellin Quinn stepped onstage, the energy shifted from anticipation to full-throttle chaos. Their set included a mix of fan favorites and newer cuts, with “If You Can’t Hang” and “Do It Now Remember It Later” drawing the loudest singalongs. With members of the group doing their best Pete Wentz impressions, the band is a study in controlled frenzy (spinning, sprinting, screaming) and crowd manipulation.
Their connection to the audience was electric. At one point, Quinn asked the entire crowd to light up their phones and within seconds, the Moody Center was a sea of LED-stars. For a “support” act, they felt like co-headliners.
Pierce the Veil Takes the Stage
When Pierce the Veil finally took the stage, the crowd was already in a frenzy and the band didn’t waste a moment. They launched right into “Death of an Executioner” with precision. The setlist was carefully curated, dipping into each era of their discography while highlighting The Jaws of Life.
Krysta Ayers at ATXConcert described the band as “breaking sound barriers,” and that’s not hyperbole. The band moved between lush, layered compositions and jagged breakdowns with veteran confidence. A standout moment came during the snippet of Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?” that bled into “Floral & Fading”. Though the Pixies’ hit came out long before most of the audience was born, it still landed. Maybe TikTok can make good songs go viral.
Mid-set, the lights dimmed and the acoustic guitars came out. “Today I Saw the Whole World” took on a respite from all the distortion, revealing the band’s songwriting chops beneath the noise. It was a rare, reflective moment where the crowd acted less like an audience and more like a choir, reciting every lyric. During “Hell Above,” it felt like the whole venue was releasing something. The phones mostly stayed down. This wasn’t about capturing the moment – it was about being in it. The scream-alongs were more of a collective exorcism.
The encore was euphoric, featuring “Disasterology” and “Hold On Till May”. But the true climax was “King for a Day.” When Kellin Quinn returned for the guest vocal, the place erupted. Confetti flew. Grown adults cried. Revelations were had. It was that kind of night.
What made this show special was the thoughtful local bookends: the night began with Vicente Fernández’s “El Rey” and closed with Selena’s “Amor Prohibido.” These weren’t just pandering nods to Austin – they felt like intentional tributes to a city that thrives on cultural fusion.
Pierce the Veil gets it. Whether you came for nostalgia or new anthems, you left with both. And when they return for ACL Music Festival this fall, there’s no doubt the city will be ready to scream again.
All photos by Drew Doggett
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