As we move into the new year of 2025, tours are starting to kick off. One of the biggest post-hardcore tours to probably happen this year has to be Silverstein’s 25 Years of Noise tour. The band has been going strong since the year 2000, and only continue to get bigger and bigger over the years. For this tour they decided to make a stop at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA to remind the SoCalians how crazy their shows can get. Bringing with them other post-hadcore founders known as Thursday, as well as Arms’ Length and Split Chain. Before the doors could even open, the line to get in was humongous with fans ready to rock out with the best bands the genre has to offer.

Up first was a Bristol based band known for their nu-gaze sound, known as Split Chain. Vocalist Roberto Matinez-Cowles was determined to get the crowd rocking out to the band. Frequently calling for a bigger mosh pit. Guitarists Oli Bowles and Jake Reid infused their tone with mixes of shoegaze, grunge, and nu-metal. Even for the fans hearing them for the first time, they found a way to connect with the music while bopping in the crowd. Bassist Tom Davie and Drummer Aaron Black carried the back beat and allowed all the people in attendance to vibe and bounce with the music. Playing songs like “Haven,“ ”Get Inside,” “Chalk,” “I’m not Dying To Be Here,” “Fade,” “Future,” and ending with “(Re)-Extract,” Split Chain made their presence known to the people on Anaheim, and even created some new fans this night.

Up next was Canadian emo’s known as Arm’s Length. Right when the band hit the stage, a handful of fans raised a huge Canadian flag in the crowd, showing their love for this band. Vocalist and guitarist Allen Steinberg has a captivating voice that carries a bit of dreary passion along with a commanding presence. While guitarists Jeremy Whyte and Marty Hacker-Mullen manifest some of the catchiest riffs of the night. Bassist Benjamin Greenblatt looked like a hardcore kid ready to wreck things on the stage. While drummer Jeff Whyte appeared to be the doppelganger of Russel Brand, but instead of comedy, let his limbs do the talking as he banged away behind the kit. Arm’s Length played songs like “In loving Memory,” “Funny Face,” “Object Permanence,” “Tough Love,” and ending with “Overture.” Post-Hardcore eventually evolved into emo, and Arm’s Length was the perfect blend of both to bring on this tour.

The next band to hit the stage was one I have always associated with the beginning of the post-hardcore genre, or at least one of the earliest contributors to it. That being the legendary Thursday. Kicking things off with “The Other Side of the Crash/Over and Out (Of Control),” lead singer Geoff Rickly was a mad man on stage. Never allowing himself to be confined to one spot on stage, and instead constantly moving around. In moments when he wasn’t singing, you could see him playing to the crowd to hype them up even more. Rhythm Guitarist Steve Pedulla kept the melodies moving and maintained the flow of the songs. Thursday has a unique line up for this tour, as some members are off performing with L.S. Dunes. So, filling in for them was guitarist Wade MacNeil of Alexisonfire, bassist Stuart Richardson of No Devotion, and drummer Jeff Gensterblum, who all fit into the band as if they were original members. Thursdsy was also the band to get the crowd surfers up on the shoulders of the ebbing fans. With bodies coming over the barricade for songs like “Cross Out the Eyes,” “Signals Ove the Air,” “Jet Black New Year,” “The Song Brought to you by a Falling Bomb,” ”Fast to End,” “Taking Inventory of a Frozen Lake,” “The Lovesong Writer,” “Understanding in a Car Crash,” and ending with “War All the Time.” This was my first time experiencing Thursday and their chaotic presence, but they truly made a fan out of me with this performance. And I know there are others who have become diehard fans just from this 45 minute set.

To kick off 25 Years of Silverstein Noise, the band played a short home made video showcasing their rise from garage band to where they are today, and honoring all the fans that have found them over the years. Kicking things off with “Skin & Bones,” the crowd was ready to lose themselves in the frenzy of the music. Vocalist Shane Told performs with nothing but passion, getting right down to the foot of the stage to sing at the crowd. Rhythm guitarist Josh Bradford is all smiles as he works his way around the stage. You can tell how much he loves performing his music, as a huge grin never leaves his face through the show. While lead guitarist Paul Marc Rousseau is pulling double duty on guitars and helping Told with the backing vocals. Bassist Billy Hamilton and drummer Paul Koehler carry the heaviness of the bands music. The low end allows the fans to headbang and break their necks as they rock back and forth. A unique moment Anaheim got to experience was for the song “The End,” as we were honored by Lights coming out to perform the song as a duet with Shane Told. The song on the album is a duet with Lights already, but getting to experience it live took the song to a magical new level. Silverstein curated a setlist that transported fans across their entire discography featuring the very best songs like “Confession,” “The Altar/Mary,” “Infinite,” “Bad Habits,” “The Afterglow,” “Aquamarine,” “A Midwestern State of Emergency,” “Massachusetts,” “One Last Dance,” “Sacrifice,” “Vices,” “My Disaster,” “Your Sword Versus My Dagger,” “Call it Karma,” “Smile in Your Sleep,” and a three song encore of “My Heroine,” “Smashed Into Pieces,” and “Bleeds No More.” For nearly two hours Silverstein was the ultimate band in the world to every person in attendance and could not be stopped.

25 Years of Noise is an oversimplification of what Silverstein has meant to people over the last two decades. Throughout their set, fans could be seen singing in with unbridled passion to every single song. Even the crowd surfers had their own ferocity in their eyes to get as close to their heroes as physically possible. Silverstein fans packed in the House of Blues so much that the mosh pit could not open up more than 10ft, but moshers still made the most of the room they managed to claim. We are halfway through the tour, but Silverstein has already announced a few extra dates that will take them into March. If you have the opportunity to see this tour yourself still, you would be doing yourself a disservice by choosing not to attend.