Written By Caleigh May
Photo via @ozarkmusichall
Chiodos, a post-hardore/screamo band from the middle of Michigan, the band has been active since 2001 and have released four full length albums.The band hasn’t released anything since 2014, and from 2016 to 2024 they only appeared on stage a handful of times, so this tour has been long awaited for their younger fans or people around my age (19). Before the tour which started around March of 2025 they appeared in dozens of punk/emo festivals. This specific show was the 2nd leg of their “All’s Well That Ends Well” tour for the album’s 20th anniversary. When the album was released it reached #3 on the billboard heatseekers chart
The show was at Ozark Music Hall, and this was the first time I actually saw how beautiful the venue is. I don’t know why I just noticed this but all venues like OMH tend to have an industrial aesthetic. Maybe it is because I am reminded of places back home in Dallas, like the bomb factory in Deep Ellum and Trees or south side ballroom in south Dallas. Ozark Music Hall, if you haven’t been there, has a huge mural on the wall corresponding with the stage that has some music legends. It is genuinely strikingly symbolic to watch someone perform on stage with other artists who made it big on the wall behind you.
A great thing that I noticed at the show was the younger emo scene. While emmure and BAT are two newer bands, Chiodos and Hawthorne Heights have been making music for over 2 decades! I joined the ‘emo’ scene when my older brother who happens to be a little bit more than 10 years older than me had introduced me to the music he listened/listens to. I will forever be jealous that he got to experience some of my favorite bands now in their prime. It was one of the first times I had ever seen someone bring their child who genuinely could not have been older than 4 months to a live show. No hate all love, but do they have to buy a ticket for them too? Or do yall think it’s just one of those things they can easily get away with?
Big A** Truck and Emmure were the first openers for the show and definitely set the scene for the rest of the night. Big A** Truck is a very new addition to the hardcore mix, they only have one EP that was released in 2024 and have been touring with chidodos since right after that basically. As the first opener their job typically has been to get the crowd excited or riled up for the following acts, they definitely did. They played some pretty heavy songs. Emmure, the second opening act, I am not going to lie, I did jump when the first note was played. I was on my phone writing stuff down for this exact review and I didn’t see them come onstage and I very visibly jumped. Emmure plays the very distinct heavy/hardcore genre. One of the best types of music to see live. My favorite aspect of heavy hardcore music is the feeling of the beat, whether it’s playing through a speaker or both headphones in with noise cancellation on. During the Emmure set I looked over and saw one of the sound managers having literally the time of his life! I gained so many endorphins watching him and so many other people having so much fun while listening to heavy metal music. For both Emmure and BAT there was a guy in a Fortnite Peely (the banana) costume moshing for both whole sets
Hawthorne Heights was the final opener for the show and the one I was honestly most excited for. I did only know about a handful of songs but the band is just one of the staples of the genre. Hawthorne Heights to emo music is what All American Rejects is to pop punk. I even had the chance to meet J.T. Woodruff the lead singer, he is such a big teddy bear! You can just tell how passionate he is about reaching people with his music. During their set he brought up how it feels to listen to songs and how powerful it is that we find music that understands us. How we can relate to them and understand that others go through what we are and that we are not alone. I am not going to lie, he kinda had me tearing up, I mean music has touched me and others in so many ways, it’s what connects us all!
Finally, we have come to the main act Chiodos, hearing Craig Owens live is something I will never forget. If you have never heard the band he was swancore before there were names for every type of genre, very like high pitched and fast. The setlist was heavily influenced with their early work of course, “The Words ‘Best Friend’ Become Redefined” and “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last a Minute on the Creek” were the final songs of course being their biggest. Owens and the rest of the band put on a great show, the rapid drum fills, unforgettable guitar riffs and Owens’ piercing screams brought the intensity everyone who bought a ticket was looking for. Overall Chiodos music has clearly aged well, with people from all generations going to see them. Rather than having the feeling of being outdated, the show exhibited just how meaningful and strong the band is. I can definitely say without a doubt that it is one of my favorite post hardcore bands and shows that I have seen!