by Viviana Mendoza
There’s something sacred about a summer show that takes you right back to your teenage bedroom—hairbrush mic in hand, eyeliner smudged, screaming into the void because someone just didn’t get you. That’s exactly what it felt like at the I Can’t Hear You tour stop in Concord. A three-band lineup—Beach Weather, Sleeping with Sirens, and Pierce the Veil—came through and gave everything. Nostalgia, catharsis, chaos. And it was perfect.
Beach Weather opened with a vibe that felt like windows down on the PCH at golden hour. Their set was smooth, warm, and dreamy but still had bite. “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” hit like a soft punch to the chest, and their stage presence felt loose but polished, like they were letting us in on a secret. Not too much, not too loud just enough to get our hearts open before the chaos to come.
Kellin Quinn walked out and immediately brought the crowd to life. That voice? Still insane live. Sleeping with Sirens tore through tracks like “Kick Me” and “If You Can’t Hang” and it felt like being 15 again, except this time the angst was communal, not isolating. The energy was explosive people were screaming, jumping, crying. It wasn’t just a performance, it was a purge.
And honestly, it felt like a gift to be in a crowd that knew every single word. Kellin didn’t need to sing entire verses he just pointed the mic at the sea of people, and we gave it right back. He danced around the stage, swinging the mic, just like he did at Warped Tour.
Then came the headliners. Pierce the Veil, who announced their set by playing a Mexican classic – “El Rey” by Vicente Fernandez, they walked out to a deafening roar, and from the first note of “Death of an Executioner”, it was clear: this was going to be an experience.
Vic Fuentes is somehow even more magnetic live he’s part frontman, part chaos conductor, part emo shaman. The visuals were wild, but it was the connection that hit hardest. Every song felt like it was being played for us. “Bulls in the Bronx”, “Floral & Fading”, an acoustic “Today I Saw the Whole World” & “Wonderless” each track hit differently. Raw. Nostalgic. Liberating.
And then came “King for a Day” with Kellin back on stage with Pierce the Veil, trading lines with Vic like they were born to do this. It was the scream-along moment everyone waited for, and when it finally dropped, it felt like the crowd became one giant, beating heart.
The crowd was magic. From the pit kids who drove across the state and waited in line since 7 am to be at the barricade to the back lawn 30-somethings reliving their MySpace glory days everyone was locked in. It didn’t feel like just a concert. It felt like a shared memory in real time.
This tour is for the ones who survived their sad girl summers and hot topic heartbreaks. For the ones who never quite let go of the eyeliner, the lyrics, the feeling. For anyone who needs to scream, cry, and feel everything again—even if just for a night.
Would I go again? In a heartbeat.
Would I cry again during Hold On Till May? Yeah, probably.
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