Pierce the Veil Destroy The Armory
After what felt like one of the longest weeks at work in a long time, I was feeling extremely relieved to know a show was in store for me to kick off the weekend. While it is very rare for me to do more than one show per week these days, there are times when I have to make an exception, and Pierce the Veil was one of those exceptions. I have been loosely following this band since “Collide With the Sky,” the album that arguably set them on a huge trajectory, and was excited to see them once again at one of my favorite venues, The Armory.
First up for the night was Massachusetts indie rock band Beach Weather, fronted by former A Rocket To The Moon frontman Nick Santino. Fresh off of the fall release of their sophomore album, Beach Weather sauntered on stage and set a moody rock tone leading with “Chit Chat.” The band’s eight song set was full of mini anthemic vocal highs and moody instrumentals, and felt like a great way to ease into what was sure to be a very chaotic evening for the crowd. What I was impressed with most about Beach Weather, this being my first love exposure to this group, was how much passion they all put into their performance. It was clear from beginning to end that Beach Weather was on a mission for their set to showcase their abundant talent and musical prowess and it landed well with the Minneapolis crowd.
Next up for the evening was Florida based rockers Sleeping with Sirens. The last time I saw Sleeping with Sirens was when the band opened for The Used at the Fillmore, and I was excited to be able to catch them in a bigger venue. Within milliseconds after the lights dimmed to signal the start of a new set, the crowd was sent into a frenzy, with nonstop screaming and singing along to every word of all eleven songs of Sleeping with Siren’s set. I could have been fooled a few songs into their set that Sleeping with Sirens was the headliner of the evening; it felt like every person in attendance was signing and dancing along to every moment. It was refreshing to see this band in a larger venue, especially in the summertime; it brought me right back to Warped Tour and being able to catch this band playing to a massive crowd. Even though the band cut their set short (due to a member of the crowd needing help), Sleeping with Sirens out on a fantastic high energy show and set the stage nicely for Pierce the Veil.
At long last it was time for Pierce the Veil, the headliners of the night, to take the stage. The crowd reaction to Sleeping with Sirens was tame in comparison to the onslaught of noise the crowd made for the duration of Pierce the Veil’s set. There truly was never a quiet moment in The Armory during the band’s own version of an Era’s tour. It felt like folks of all ages in attendance were screaming, ing and dancing along to the band’s eighteen song journey of their musical career. I felt as though the setlist was fairly balanced and showcased their best over the course of their career, albeit a little skewed towards their breakout album “Collide With the Sky.” However, a true highlight for me was being able to hear “I’m Low On Gas and You Need a Jacket” live for the very first time, one of my favorite Pierce the Veil songs, along with getting to see “King for a Day” performed with Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens for the first time since 2012 at The Cabooze. I had the pleasure of being able to catch this band the last time they came through Minneapolis in 2023 at the very same venue and while their performance then blew me away back then, it felt as through the Pierce the Veil leveled up and brought a very tight knit, high energy, and absolutely fun and cathartic experience for both themselves and the fans this time around.
