October 14th brought another beautiful day to San Antonio, Texas, as Chiodos made their way to The Espee for their "It's Not You, It's Me Tour," alongside Hail the Sun, Emery, and Evergreen Terrace. Thankfully, the weather was much more forgiving than the last time I was here for Camp Screamo. Fans had been waiting years to catch Evergreen Terrace again, Hail the Sun had been packing venues across Texas, and after catching Chiodos at Louder Than Life a few weeks earlier, I was more than ready for round two.
When I arrived, the line was stretching down the sidewalk. Unfortunately, my evening got off to a rocky start. I ran into issues at will call, and after already dropping $40 on parking, I was getting anxious. For a moment, I thought I'd have to turn around and head home. Thankfully, I got the green light at the last minute and made it inside just as Evergreen Terrace were getting into their second song. Talk about cutting it close!
Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1999, Evergreen Terrace helped shape the metalcore and melodic hardcore scene with their aggressive breakdowns, screamed vocals, and melodic hooks. They were one of the staples of hardcore music when I was growing up, so seeing them back onstage was something special.
After their third song, we were allowed to continue photographing from the crowd. Now, a reasonable person might have found a safe spot away from the action. Me? I thought shooting from the outskirts of the mosh pit sounded like a fantastic idea. (Famous last words, right?)
The hardcore dancers and crowd killers were out in full force, throwing fists, swinging limbs, and apparently making blood sacrifices to their favorite hardcore band. At one point, someone came charging toward me and my camera, but thankfully, I dodged him. Unfortunately, another person wasn't so lucky when a crowd killer struck her in the nose, leaving her bleeding. It was an ugly moment and a reminder that there's a difference between going hard in the pit and intentionally hurting people.
Despite the chaos, it was great seeing Evergreen Terrace back at it. They closed their set with "No Donnie, These Men Are Nihilist" and "Chaney Can't Quite Riff Like Helmet's Page Hamilton."
If you haven't checked out their latest single, "Bolt Cutter," do yourself a favor and give it a listen. These guys still have plenty of fight left in them!
Evergreen Terrace | Photo gallery by Ryan Cagle @stilltonecreative
Keeping the early-2000s nostalgia alive, Emery were up next, bringing fan favorites and newer material to The Espee. I had recently caught them at Louder Than Life and previously covered their San Antonio headlining show celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Question.
One thing I've always loved about Emery is how they blend their vocals. Between the melodies, harmonies, and screaming, there's so much happening in their music, yet everything has its place. Their lyrics can be downright poetic, and hearing those different vocal parts layered together live is something I've always appreciated.
Their set included "Edge of the World," "Studying Politics," and "The Ponytail Parades." I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing those last two songs live.
And let's talk about Josh Head for a second. His screams were absolutely nasty, in the best way possible. When he belted out "My eyes are open for the first time!" the power behind his voice hit hard.
The band mentioned they had a long drive ahead to the next tour stop but invited fans to hang out at their merch tent before leaving.
"You guys want to party?" Toby Morrell asked.
The drums kicked in, and "The Party Song" was underway. Fans were dancing, shouting along, and having the time of their lives. Different parts of the crowd sang back their favorite lines, and I couldn't help but join in.
The elder emo in me was thriving! I grew up listening to Emery on my iPod while walking to school and back home, never imagining I'd still be watching them perform all these years later.
They wrapped things up with "Walls," as crowd surfers made their way overhead, giving Emery one last burst of energy. And with that, another band from my teenage emo phase playlist (just kidding, it's not a phase) had officially made my night.
Emery | Photo gallery by Ryan Cagle @stilltonecreative
While waiting for Hail the Sun, Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" came on, and one of the security guards started pretending he was conducting a choir. He'd point to different sections of the crowd for their parts before getting everyone singing together. I'm not sure what was funnier, watching him take his new job as choir director so seriously or seeing everyone actually follow along.
It's no secret that Hail the Sun are beloved in San Antonio. From their early days at The White Rabbit to bringing Kill Iconic Fest to the city, they've built quite the relationship with the local music scene. Whenever they're playing within a 100-mile radius of me, you can pretty much count on seeing me there.
"San Antonio, it feels like we're home," vocalist Donovan Melero told the crowd before kicking things off with "Maladapted."
Donovan spun around with his microphone stand, tossing the mic into the air and catching it effortlessly. Meanwhile, drummer Allen Casillas was going to town behind the kit.
They continued with "War Crimes," and Donovan ended the song screaming, "Cut. Turn. Fade. Back."
He then addressed the crowd.
"Our hearts go out to the thousands of Palestinian children who are murdered every day."
After a brief pause, he screamed, "God, are you listening?" before launching into "Falling on Deaf Ears."
Friends and couples had their arms around each other, singing every word, while crowd surfers kept coming toward the stage. Security barely had time to catch one person before another was on their way.
Hail the Sun kept moving with "Made Your Mark," "The Drooling Class," "Missed Injections," and "Relapse Is a Love Affair." The first and last are two of my personal favorites, so hearing both in one set was a treat.
Then came "I Can Tell By the Scars," a song I was particularly excited to hear. Before performing it, Donovan shared something special.
"My goodness, San Antonio, it feels like we're home. We released an album in the last year called 'cut. turn. fade. back.' And I wrote lyrics to this song especially inspired by San Antonio, Texas."
He reminisced about their early touring days, packing into a van and trailer and driving out of San Antonio at dawn after some of the best shows of their early career. Finding out our city inspired one of my favorite songs made me appreciate it even more.
As the set wound down, he thanked Twin Productions for booking the band in San Antonio over the past twelve years and gave a shoutout to their friend Joe from Ice Nine Kills, who was filling in on bass.
"Thank you truly for your love, San Antonio, Texas. We have two more songs. I think I should just move here."
I don't think anyone would've complained!
The band slowed things down with "Relax / Divide," giving everyone a chance to sing along before finishing strong with "Human Target Practice." I've caught Hail the Sun plenty of times, but they always give me another reason to come back.
Hail the Sun | Photo gallery by Ryan Cagle @stilltonecreative
Finally, it was time for Chiodos. They wasted no time getting into "TAPDAT" and "There's No Penguins in Alaska," bringing out that chaotic, theatrical sound that made so many of us fall in love with them in the first place. Between the high-pitched vocals, screaming, and heavy breakdowns, Craig Owens sounded better than ever.
Before one of the breakdowns in "There's No Penguins in Alaska," Craig had a request.
"I usually ask everyone to get down for this song, but I see you all going nuts out here. I want to see all of you jump. San Antonio, turn the **** up right now!"
And when that breakdown hit, people were jumping, throwing their hands up, and screaming along.
The band continued with "No Hardcore Dancing in the Living Room," keeping the nostalgia going with a setlist packed with fan favorites.
Craig took a moment to thank Hail the Sun, Emery, and Evergreen Terrace before announcing their last deep cut, "One Day Women Will All Become Monsters."
"Are you all ready for some bangers?" he asked.
As if we weren't already getting enough of them!
They launched into "The Words 'Best Friend' Become Redefined," and hearing thousands of fans shouting along was something else. Looking across the crowd, people had their hands in the air, jumping and singing songs they'd probably spent years blasting through their headphones. Now here we were, still screaming along like no time had passed.
With the end approaching, Craig had one more question.
"How many of y'all have work tomorrow?"
Before anyone could worry about their morning alarms, he shouted, "Fuck that shit! Give me your energy right now!"
I mean, he had a point. Tomorrow's problems could wait a few more songs.
Chiodos closed their set with "Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered" and "Baby, You Wouldn't Last a Minute on the Creek." What a way to finish the night! Two songs that have been part of the band's history for years, and here we were in 2026, still singing along.
Chiodos | Photo gallery by Ryan Cagle @stilltonecreative
Looking back, this lineup was something special. Evergreen Terrace brought the hardcore chaos, Emery gave us plenty of reasons to embrace our inner elder emo, Hail the Sun reminded everyone why San Antonio feels like a second home, and Chiodos closed things out with songs that helped define an entire era of post-hardcore music.
From nearly missing the show entirely to singing along to music I've carried with me for years, this was one of those nights that made every bit of stress getting through the doors worth it.
Chiodos' "It's Not You, It's Me Tour," concluded this month, however if you ever get the chance to check out them out live, I highly recommend it! Until then, check out their new song "TAPDAT" on all streaming platforms!
More photos of Chiodos below!
