Saosin Celebrates 20 Years of "Self-Titled" in Raleigh

Twenty long years ago, a small post-hardcore band from the streets of Orange County, California, released their first studio album to the world and shook the digital halls of MySpace. It was a much different scene back then - social media was still in its infancy, and it was the new hot way for any band to get big without landing a big radio hit or paying their way to popularity. Bands in the punk and emo scene could build a community outside of their localities just by posting on the internet, cultivating their following through posts and interactions to make fans feel like more than just spectators on a forum. A spectacular new band, Saosin, made waves across cyberspace in 2003 with just their first EP, and kept gaining momentum throughout the decade. With the release of the first album, Saosin, and it instantly becoming a hit, the band had proven that social media promotion worked wonders. And just like they did in ‘06, they’ve brought this energy back to the stage in Raleigh for this anniversary tour!

As one of the formative bands of the mainstream post-hardcore scene alongside Story of the Year and Silverstein, Saosin introduced not only a new sound to the rapidly evolving punk scene but also a new way of marketing music through social media. It may sound obvious now, but the social aspect of the internet as we know it was brand new to most of the world back then! The same strategy worked for their next EP and album, until lead singer Cove Reber’s departure from the band led to a multi-year hiatus. 2016 brought a brand-new album from Saosin, Along the Shadow, and the band has continued to tour since their reunion. 

This past Wednesday night, halfway through their tour, Saosin stopped in Raleigh with Silent Planet, Like Moths to Flames, and Save Us in tow for a four-hour chaos fest at The Ritz! Each band brought a different side of heavy rock to the stage, and between Save Us’s first-ever tour, LMTF’s incredible crowdwork, and Silent Planet’s unstoppable 50-person crowdsufer wave, fans were beyond warmed up for the headlining act. Saosin took the stage with “I Can Tell There Was an Accident Here Earlier,” kicking things into high gear with their last single from just before the pandemic. With powerful chords and vocals strong enough to pierce the room, the band put on a spectacle with their guitar flips, headbanging, and platforms to jump off before the chorus. None of the five musicians stayed in the same spot for long (except for drummer Alex Rodriguez, of course), flying across the stage with an enthusiasm that can only be described as “damn, it feels good to be back on tour.”

A few songs into this rager of a set, founding member Beau Burchell and lead vocalist Cove Reber took a moment to thank everyone for coming out and state just how good it was to be back in Raleigh. They could already tell this was one of the wildest shows of the tour, and for the fans that had been around since the beginning when they were kids, they cracked a joke about how those same fans probably had kids of their own now. They’re right about that, though, as a few elder emos brought their own kids to the barricade! One of my favorite parts about this album anniversary tour was that Saosin truly played EVERY song from their self-titled album, albeit out of order, with the energy-packed setlist only including their three latest singles and two tracks off of their debut EP Translating the Name. 

The rest of the show flew by with dozens of crowdsurfers, and almost continuous moshing in the center pit before its grand finale. Two of Saosin’s biggest tracks, “Seven Years” and “You’re Not Alone,” were played back-to-back to give the fans what they had been waiting all night for. “You’re Not Alone” was certified gold by the RIAA in 2023, a massive achievement for a post-hardcore band, and the self-titled album later followed suit earlier this year. These last two tracks felt like such a full-circle moment both for Saosin and its fans, combining 23 years of music and achievements into a glorious 7-minute-long segment to conclude the night. A final wave of cheers erupted from every inch of the venue as Saosin gave one last “thank you” to everyone, and the crackling of the stage amps died down for the final time on this foggy Wednesday night.

With this monumental anniversary tour halfway through and Saosin working on a new album, there’s no doubt that we’ll see them for another tour. The first two singles, “Starting Over Again” and “Just Be Honest,” end a decade-long dry spell without a new record from the band, and man, does it sound good so far! While no title or release date has been announced yet, fans anticipate a 2027 release ahead of another tour. Given how incredible this tour has been so far, I personally can’t wait to catch them again in NC when it happens and hear the new record with my own two ears!