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1. Las Vegas has always been emo. Pierce the Veil’s sold-out crowd at PH Live on June 29 came as no surprise. From the dusty heyday of the now-defunct Extreme Thing festival to Warped Tour’s former annual takeover, Las Vegas’ emo lineage runs deep. XPOZ, the anti-tobacco youth movement disguised as a thriving alt-music scene, once served as a launchpad for the region’s most determined screamers. These days, you can’t scroll through local events without stumbling upon another emo night. And the success of the When We Were Young festival has only cemented the city’s place as an emo capital.
2. Kellin Quinn’s vocals are still killer. Sleeping With Sirens opening for Pierce the Veil would have made 13-year-old me sob tears of joy. Even prior to the success of PTV’s “King for a Day,” featuring SWS’ vocalist Kellin Quinn, the two groups were one of the many musical heartthrobs of the alt-music scene. Now, over a decade later, their collaborative tour has been making many fans’ dreams come true. Seeing them would’ve been enough, but when Quinn belted out his signature high-range falsetto in a white tee and black blazer, practically levitating from one end of the stage to the other with the energy of a young band, we were undeniably impressed. “You guys have the best musical energy,” Quinn told the crowd, and judging by the screaming chorus of the standing fans, he meant it.
3. Pierce the Veil never shies away from its Mexican roots. Pierce the Veil originally formed in San Diego, California, a city that sits on the border of Mexico. And since the beginning, the band has embraced its heritage, sharing how its cultural background has shaped its music. The band’s fanbase, while diverse, has always connected with the Latino community. And on this current tour, the band emerged to Vicente Fernández’s “El Rey,” which nudged the audience to stand up, sing and let out their best grito. What followed was a long-awaited cacophony in the best way. The band bounced across the stage like they’d been bottled up for months, giving songs like “Bulls in the Bronx” and “Hell Above” a frantic new energy while meeting the expectations of fans. There was no sense of going through the motions, just a band still hungry to burn it down.
4. Vic Fuentes turned nostalgia into something personal. PTV’s frontman Vic Fuentes took a moment mid-set to reflect: “This tour is all about celebrating our roots and our history together over the last 18 years ... so let’s take it all the way back.” The band channeled that spirit when it opened with Pixies' “Where Is My Mind?” that bled into “Floral and Fading”—making the cover feel earned, not indulgent. And when PTV dedicated “Emergency Contact” to bassist Jaime Preciado’s relatives in the crowd, it grounded the night in something genuine and familial, tightening the theme of a decades-long relationship between fans and the band.
5. Pierce the Veil have aged—loudly and well. The closing song, “King for a Day” sounded and felt like a collective exorcism. Fueled by years of an internet-based resurgence, the track hit just as hard as it did a decade ago, maybe harder. People knew every word, new and old fans alike. No one held back. For a band that used to tour relentlessly, Pierce the Veil’s sound has held up remarkably. It sharpened its edges without losing its heart. In a genre obsessed with youth, this band has found power in survival.
English (US) ·