Written by Krysta Ayers

📍Moody Center, June 11—Post-hardcore, screamo pop-punk is not dead. It indeed was not a phase, mom! Pierce the Veil, with opener Sleeping with Sirens, broke sound barriers on Wednesday in front of the most enthusiastic crowd if ever seen at the venue (outside of Kendrick Lamar and Harry Styles). It was a sold out show.

The band covered their entire career with the I Can’t Hear You World Tour setlist and the energy from the crowd was palpable. From 2007’s A Flair for the Dramatic to 2023’s The Jaws of Life, the band’s five studio albums, which have been anthropic to the genre of post-hardcore punk, united the venue into a scream-singing, head-banging assemblage.

Before the band stepped foot on stage the tone was set by both Sleeping with Sirens—who played an animated set to one of the biggest crowds for an opener—and “El Rey,” the song made popular by Mexican artist Vincente Fernandez, playing through the speakers in between bands.

They kicked things off with “Death of an Executioner,” an apt follow-up to the off-stage “El Rey” and (though the setlist was probably solidified months in advance) maybe a subtle commentary in the wake of the protests happening in LA. The San Diego-based band then went into “Bulls in the Bronx” from their 2012 album, Collide with the Sky, and see-sawed between that album and Jaws of Life for a few tracks, which worked the crowd into a nostalgic frenzy. Hands were in the air moving from front to back, eyes were locked on the stage, and voices were at full volume to sing along or wail with enthusiasm.

A snippet of “Where is My Mind?” from the Pixies led into “Floral and Fading” with Vic Fuentes’ voice coming out crisp and powerful.

An acoustic rendition of “Today I Saw the Whole World” from their 2016 album, Misadventures, saw the band gathered tightly on stage—the slowed-downed melody washed over the crowd like an old familiar blanket. The rest of the show consisted of other favorites like, “Wonderless,” “Hell Above,” and “Caraphernelia.” Loniel Robinson (drums) and Jamie Preciado (bass) kept impeccable time, the soul of each track, as Tony Perry (lead guitar) threaded emo-heavy, alternative chords with effortless savvy. Each chord, wail, and kick drum pounded into our bodies for a holistic experience. And…my favorite indicator of a great time: no phones in sight for the majority of the show.

The crowd played into the frenzy happening on stage like a supporting character in an action movie. They knew exactly how to play their part just as much as the band members they came to see. It cannot be stressed enough how high-spirited, rousing, and overall fun the relationship between artists and crowd was.

Bookending the show, “Amor Prohibido” by Tejano artist Selena played through the speakers as the band took their final bows, threw guitar picks and drumsticks into the crowd, and bid us goodnight. They had played “Disasterlogy,” “Hold On Till May,” and “King for the Day” for their encore, bringing out Kellin Quinn from Sleeping with Sirens to close out with the latter and now it was time for the crowd to go home. The ringing in our ears was an extra souvenir as we filed out of the venue and spit out into the streets from where we came. Every bit of it was savored.

You can catch Pierce the Veil in Austin again later this year when they bring their raucous progressive sounds to Austin City Limits in October. You truly don’t want to miss it.