2025 Live Review
Recapping every show/party I attended this past year |
| 1 |  | Hodge and Simo Cell
Drums From the West
Date: 02/08
Lineup: Hodge + Darwin + local support
First show of the year was a rave hosted by my favorite crew in town. I pretty much hit any show these guys throw that I can due to the vibes/curation. Hodge of course never misses and threw down a trippy and percussive heavy techno set with no shortage of bass to get the crowd moving at peak time. Darwin after then brought us into the late night with a wonderful hybrid of 140 dubstep and D&B sounds. Loved feeling the bass reverberate through my body this night. Also was surprised when Darwin told us her right headphone went out during her set. GF and I told her is sounded great! |
| 2 |  | Coalesce
0:12 Revolution in Just Listening
Date: 03/14
Lineup: Coalesce + local support
Long time metalcore legends now back together and playing shows. For a band who has been on hiatus for so long, they do not sound like they have missed the beat. Varied setlist across all eras and their stage presence is still immense. You can tell how influential Sean Ingram is on the stage presence of folks like Josh Scogin. Surprisingly the only pit was during You Can't Kill Us All at the end. Great show, def see them if they come near you |
| 3 |  | Deftones
White Pony
Date: 03/24
Lineup: Deftones + The Mars Volta + Fleshwater
Went home to Ft Lauderdale see this tour with one of my best friends. Great lineup and sets from all bands. Fleshwater started the night strong and even got a solid pit started which was awesome to see. Loved seeing the Mars Volta saying fuck your expectations and jamming the new record in full, it sounded great to my ears and I loved the vocal play of Cedric and Teri. Deftones were amazing and I was happy they focused on their classics as opposed to solely new songs as I prefer their older material. Only complaint of this show is that the sound in the Panthers' arena honks |
| 4 |  | Meshuggah
Nothing
Date: 04/04
Lineup: Meshuggah + Cannibal Corpse + Carcass
Arguably one of the best metal lineups I have ever seen. Three death metal legends coming together to show us all how it's done. Carcass started the night off right blasting through classics like Buried Dreams and No Love Lost to a ravenous crowd. Then Cannibal Corpse brought up the energy and went through their own set of classics. I'm convinced Corpsegrinder is the best frontman of all time. Finally, Meshuggah was on a whole other level entirely. They had a well rounded setlist of old and new material with an insane laser show to accompany the chaos. I had seen them before at Bonnaroo 2014 at 2:30 am but was not quite the fan I am now. Having jammed every album of theirs before this gig made me appreciate it so much more and I finally understand what the band is about now |
| 5 |  | Poison the Well
The Opposite of December
Date: 04/12
Lineup: Poison the Well + Better Lovers + Teenage Wrist
As a Floridian, Poison the Well is pretty much like The Beatles of our local hardcore scene. My wonderful gf hooked me up with a ticket to this gig because she understands their impact on me. Teenage Wrist was hc guys doing altgazecore, not really my thing but it was cool they brought out David from Fear Before for a song. Better Lovers also hasn't wowed me on record but live they were absolutely monstrous. Greg still has that unhinged Dillinger energy on stage and the rest of the band sounded great. Poison the Well stole the show though and was a spiritual experience for me. I appreciate them not sticking to Opposite of December's sequencing and throwing in songs from different eras to keep the set fresh. Another unc mosh classic for me |
| 6 |  | Darkside
Psychic
Date: 04/17
Lineup: Darkside + Patrick Shiroshi
If you have ever seen Nicolas Jaar in any of his projects, you know he is an amazing performer. Missed the opener so I can't comment how it was. Darkside was unreal though giving us 2 hours of improvised jams of all their different material. I think this band really thrives in a live environment as they combine ambient, techno, and psychedelic rock into an engaging and fun experience for the crowd. With a drummer now in the band, I feel these guys are in peak form right now and I hope they continue to develop their sound further |
| 7 |  | re:ni
Revenge Body
Date: 05/11
Lineup: re:ni b2b Laksa (re:lax) + local support
One of my all time favorite DJ sets this year. During Covid, I went into a deep rabbit hole with online radio like NTS/Rinse FM and learned a ton about international DJs and dance music. The re:lax show was one of my favorites as they connected the dots between UK bass music and UK techno. This set was everything I could ask for and more as these two have a lot of chemistry DJing. They bounced through different genres, tempos and vibes without compromising the flow of the set and you can tell they were having a blast the whole time. So happy I got to see them play almost 4 hours as this was a real treat. |
| 8 |  | Objekt
Objekt #4
Date: 05/16
Lineup: Objekt + local support
Worst night I had out in 2025, not because of the music but because I had a bad trip on some mushies beforehand and the crowd was not typical ravers which threw off my vibe. That said, Objekt laid down some proper techno and insane mixing that really saved the night from being a total bust. Really hope I get to see him under better circumstances soon. |
| 9 |  | Joy Orbison
Hyph Mngo/Wet Look
Date: 05/22
Lineup: Joy Orbison + local support
Fun two hour set of UK garage from the legend. Perfect for a random Thursday night out w friends |
| 10 |  | DJ Nobu
Terraforma 2019
Date: 05/24
Lineup: DJ Nobu + local support
Was lucky that one of my friends opened for Nobu and got us guest list. This set was proof that hard techno can still be groovy and stick to the foundations of the genre. Nobu laid down a nice psychedelic techno set that had the crowd moving and was refreshing compared to the more monotonous hard techno being pushed by the mainstream these days |
| 11 |  | Haywire (USA-MA)
Conditioned For Demolition
Date: 07/07
Lineup: Haywire + local support
If you have kept up with the recent hardcore punk scene, the rise of this band cannot be ignored. They toured all 50 states in 2025 which is an impressive feat for any DIY band. Sold out a DIY space with 400 paid tickets and had the crowd absolutely losing it. This show brought me back to my days of seeing punk and hardcore shows in my late teens early 20s, unreal energy from both the band and crowd. Also props to them for raising over $2,000 for the venue to get a new sound system through an exclusive shirt for the show. |
| 12 |  | Primus
The Brown Album
Date: 07/09
Lineup: Primus + Ty Segall
My favorite band of all time. Recently, Primus and long time drummer Herb parted ways and a younger guy named John Hoffman joined the band. I'm happy to report he is a great fit for the band in its current state and I'm excited to see their progression. They even busted out 7 Brown Album tracks in a row for Hoff's first show at Red Rocks along with rare cuts like Bob and classics like Jerry Was A Racecar Driver. Great show for both old and new fans alike and I'm happy I pushed through an illness to see this whole set |
| 13 |  | The Dillinger Escape Plan
Calculating Infinity
Date: 07/26
Lineup: The Dillinger Escape Plan + Converge + Sanguisugabogg + Khemmis
Khemmis' doom metal stylings were cool but did not really resonate with me on a more personal level. Bogg really set the night off for me. My third time seeing them and arguably the best yet since we got to hear some of their new tracks early. I'm still in awe they can sound so heavy without a bassist and Devin only seems to be getting better vocally. Straight up beast mode.
Converge honestly stole the night for me. After being a fan for over 15 years, this was my first time seeing them and they crushed. Loved the variance in song choices and they played just about everything I could want in a non-headlining set. Highlight for me was Hell to Pay which I did not expect to go so hard
Dillinger was great but I have to say Dmitri doesn't come close to the Greg era. Was great to hear all the Calculating Infinity tracks tho and the Aphex Twin cover slapped. Converge just really blew my mind lol |
| 14 |  | Nine Inch Nails
Year Zero
Date: 08/14
Lineup: Nine Inch Nails + Boys Noize
Best live band ever and I'm not sure anyone comes close. Boys Noize starting night off with some of his classic acid techno then instantly transitioning to the NIN set was so cool. Unreal production this time and the Nine Inch Noize jam exceeded any and all expectations I could have had. I loved how they ended the show with all their hits show as we all left on a massive high. I really hope NIN and Noize continue to push this collaboration further |
| 15 |  | The Callous Daoboys
I Don't Want to See You in Heaven
Date: 09/24
Lineup: The Callous Daoboys + UnityTX + Your Spirit Dies + Crush++
Love that I got to see these guys and gals in a 200 cap venue as they are having a moment and I don't see this happening again any time soon. Amazing set and stage presence and I was worried since Carson was ill the night before but he delivered beyond my expectations. Even got to meet him after the show and he signed my setlist which was sick. Lovely gent! |
| 16 |  | Autechre
NTS Sessions 1-4
Date: 10/01
Lineup: Autechre + Mark Broom
This was probably my favorite overall show this year as Autechre has been on my bucket list for years. Holy cow did this blow my mind. Mark Broom started the night off proper mixing in UK bass, grime, hip hop and techno into a very unique set that we couldn't stop talking about after. Autechre then shortly took the stage after and played 90 minutes of improvised electronic music afterward. Maybe it was the weed soda but I felt like I melted into place and transcended during this set. Weird and abrasive but somehow the noise found some very danceable 4x4 techno type pockets in the chaos which was very rewarding and I could not stop moving. Was interesting seeing the difference in opinions after the show online, but I found this to be one of the most rewarding live experiences this year |
| 17 |  | Special Request
FabricLive.91
Date: 10/11
Lineup: Special Request + Homemade Weapons + Soeniedo + local support
Denver's local DnB crew celebrated 22 years with this show and I am so happy I attended. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing older ravers out there crushing it and having a good time. Music was exceptional all night too going through all different flavors of jungle and D&B. Homemade Weapons set in particular was very dark, brooding jungle techno that really exposed me to a new side of the genre I hadn't heard. Special Request also brought the energy up insanely after and I did not know he would cook that hard. Definitely tied with Sully for the best jungle set I've ever seen and his mixing is straight up unreal |
| 18 |  | Aurora Halal
Liquidity
Date: 10/24
Lineup: Aurora Halal + local support
Random night out since a buddy got me a ticket and a great warm up for Halloween. Aurora Halal imo is one of the best techno DJs doing as like Nobu, she understands the balance of trippy, grooviness and aggression in her presentation of techno. Very fun set and was well worth waiting 6 years following the last time I saw her in Miami. |
| 19 |  | AFI
Silver Bleeds the Black Sun
Date: 10/31
Lineup: AFI + TR/ST
AFI was my most listened band of 2025 and number one on my Apple Music replay. Jammed almost every album leading up to this show and I am happy to report these guys still got it. Nice balance of old and new material and they even blessed us playing Fall Children on Halloween (first time since 03!!). This exceeded my expectations and I am so happy we could score a signed poster after the show. Honestly, goated band |
| 20 |  | Zenker Brothers
Illusion
Date: 11/16
Lineup: Zenker Brothers + Ayesha + Batu + more
As mentioned in my first post, my favorite crew threw this party and celebrated 10 years by throwing a 14 hour rave. They collabed with the label Timedance who also celebrated 10 years and co-curated the show. I pulled up in the second half of the night 4:30am-noon and stayed til close. Here is a review of the sets I saw
Batu: Saw most of his set (5ish to 7am). Total mindfuck of genre blending, multi track mixing and unpredictability that was perfect for this peak time of the night. At times it did feel overwhelming but I felt that he landed at a nice pace leading into the morning. Highlight for me was him playing Zoomies by Pearson Sound which went so hard
Ayesha: After the genre bending madness of Batu, this was so appreciated as it bouncy techno that really brought our spirits up. Really grounded me for the remainder of the evening.
Zenker Brothers: Wow.... maybe the best techno set I've ever seen |
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