PIERCE THE VEIL AT SANTANDER ARENA, READING PA
The start of a thrilling heat packed show took place at the Santander Arena Saturday Night in Reading, Pennsylvania. Side streets linking together this large city were flooded with Pierce The Veil fans. Some donned “Collide With The Sky” tops and others repped their newer “The Jaws Of Life” Tee’s, followed by PTV related makeup art, fan made clothing and accessories, and their very best pair of black jeans. You haven’t seen dedicated fans quite like Pierce The Veil’s. This particular fan base goes above and beyond to show all the love and support to their favorite band.
The announcement of “The Jaws Of Life” tour immediately caused excitement amongst the community. With special guests Dayseeker, Destroy Boys, and L.S.Dunes set to join, there was no doubt this would be a show to remember.
Destroy Boys is a 4 member punk rock band from Sacramento including members Alexia Roditis, Violet Mayugba, Narsai Malik, and David Orozco. DB opened their set strong playing a total of 7 songs, such as “Crybaby” and “Beg For The Torture”.
Dayseeker was next in line to share the stage. The post-hardcore band, formed in Orange County, set all the right vibes for this show. Dayseeker, consisting of members Rory Rodriguez, Gino Sgambelluri, Ramone Valerio, and Mike Karle opened with a 7 song setlist. Some songs performed included “Dreamstate”, “Burial Plot”, and “Homesick”.
L.S Dunes, the band full of friendship, and a lifetime love for Rock & Roll, had lost souls shaken. L.S. Dunes was the band that we didn’t realize we needed. Their music is an escape from reality, and a way to mend our desolation. L.S. Dunes consists of several well known artists from other projects, including lead vocalist Anothony Green, lead singer for Circa Survive, Frank Iero, guitarist for My Chemical Romance, Tucker Rule, drummer for Thursday, Tim Payne, bassist for Thursday, and Travis Stever, guitarist for Coheed and Cambria. They kicked off their lively energetic performance with “Permanent Rebellion”, a single they released in 2022 that was the start of it all. They played a total of 10 songs on the set, ending with “old wounds”, a new single released just this August.
At 9:10 pm, the stage darkened and the tempestuous crowd hinted that Pierce The Veil was making their entry to close the night. They fired up their set with “Death of an Executioner”, a song released on their newest album, and the headlining name of this tour, “The Jaws Of Life”. From there, they followed with “Caraphernelia” and “Circles”. These songs shot the energy through the roof and had fans exploding with excitement. The popular post-hardcore/pop punk band features vocalist and lead guitarist Vic Fuentes, lead guitarist Tony Perry, Bassist Jaime Preciado, and drummer Loniel Robinson. Released in 2012 off of their “Collide With The Sky” album, “King For A Day” became the band’s biggest hit growing the fandom.
It’s easy to say that the band is best known for their staggering guitar riffs or mesmerizing lyrics, but what the PTV community truly loves most about the group is how much they show their appreciation and respect to their fans’ loyalty and dedication. Not only do they honor their fans on social media platforms, they also pull stunts during fan favorite songs, like “Hold On Till May”. During this song, Vic pulled a random fan from the audience to join him on stage. Much to the fans excitement, Vic then honored the fan with his guitar to keep. An emotional wave flooded through as the crowd sang the famous line from the song, “Darling you’ll be okay” as confetti burst through the air.
The energy soared throughout the entirety of the show. The band performed a 15 song set, with 6 of those songs being off of “The Jaws Of Life” album. Pierce the Veil closed their show pushing a vast amount of “Collide With The Sky” songs, including “May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight” and “Hell above”, healing us all and leaving fans feeling blissfully nostalgic.
Pierce the Veil is currently wrapping up their U.S tour with 5 shows left, and will soon begin their 2024 Europe/UK tour. Find out more about “The Jaws Of Life”, purchase tickets, and keep up with the band www.piercetheveil.net
Photos and Review by Aryzona Kurtz
Special thanks Atom Splitter PR