Concerts Photos
Letlive at the Wiltern in Los Angeles
Sometimes the best things are at the very end of their existence. Such as a Letlive show in 2025. Singer Jason Aalon Butler is a man of many talents and bands. Pressure Cracks and, most recently, Fever 333. and his former or current project Letlive. was finally saying it’s swan song and bringing the band’s retirement tour to the Wiltern in Los Angeles.
While I ran late to catch up on support acts, I was able to catch BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT. Born out of bedlam in Los Angeles, the band is a hodgepodge of differing personalities, with singer Cole Hutzler bringing out a maniacal side of himself on stage, giving off Ronnie James Dio meets Richard Ramirez vibes. Enough charm and suave and vocal pipes to swoon even the swarthiest of condescending music haters. The band is alternative rock meets 80’s vibes in a warm poppy blanket. Catchy and upbeat. Make sure to see them when they headline larger rooms in the near future.
To say Letlive. is a lively band onstage would be tarnishing how hard they work to put on a show for their fans. The band came out absolutely swinging, their sound, heavy and chuggy, came alive over the old days of the modern Wiltern. Jason is a maniac onstage. Bringing theatrics and hardcore energy to his set, wrapped in flowers and barb wire. After 23 years, the band was finally being sunsetted into pasture, but not without the chaos that is a Letlive. show. The band was absolutely firing on all cylinders, reminding myself of a day when bands had to not only sound great live, but also give every bit of their body into their performance. Jason and the boys in LL do that.
Make sure to catch Jason and whatever iteration of music he is doing in the future, most likely with Fever 333. But if you see Letlive playing anywhere near you, run to get a ticket, and bottle up all that chaos. You might just light the future with it.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
LETLIVE
BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT
All Photo Credit: John McCrary
Concerts Photos
Arlo Parks Brings Her ‘Desire Tour’ to the Pearl in Vancouver
Arlo Parks brought her Desire Tour to Vancouver’s The Pearl on September 22, turning the intimate venue into something much bigger than its walls suggested. In support of her third album, Ambiguous Desire, Parks delivered a set that traded some of her earlier introspection for movement, warmth and a genuine sense of connection.
She opened with “Heaven,” immediately filling the room with energy. Parks moved across the small stage with an ease that matched her soft vocals, while low lighting and haze created the kind of atmosphere that has become part of her live identity. By the time the chorus arrived, the crowd was fully in it.
That sense of connection became the defining feature of the night. Parks was joined by just two musicians, yet the stripped-down setup never felt too small. During “Get Go,” the audience took over the vocals.
The shift in energy reflects Ambiguous Desire, Parks’ third album and the follow-up to 2023’s My Soft Machine. Her Mercury Prize-winning debut, Collapsed in Sunbeams, captured isolation, young love and the uncertainty of growing up. The new record keeps that emotional honesty but gives those feelings somewhere to move.
“2SIDED” brought the set to a fitting close, capturing the album’s push and pull between giving love and wondering if it is being returned.
Arlo Parks had given Vancouver a dance party, but more than that, she created a room where people could simply feel close to one another.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
ARLO PARKS
BAIRD
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Concerts Photos
Citizen and a Stacked Lineup Bring Chaos to the Hollywood Palladium
Many assume Thursday nights are quiet in Los Angeles, but Citizen’s show at The Hollywood Palladium on September 17th proved otherwise. The venue was filled with an exceptional crowd. Featuring a lineup of three fantastic opening bands, the evening was sure to entertain everyone. Joining Citizen on their North American leg of the Halcyon Blues tour are Cryogeyser, Hotline TNT, and Anxious.
Cryogeyser, an LA-based band, opened the night with tracks like “Sorry,” “Stargirl,” “Angry,” and “Leach” from their self-titled second album, “Cryogeyser.” Led by Shawn Marom on vocals and guitar, with Zach Capitti-Fenton on drums and Samson Klitsner on bass, the album explores themes of personal reflection, growth, difficult adjustments, relationship struggles, and supporting your past self, highlighting the tension between heat and ice. Monster Children praised Cryogeyser as “a band you should know.”
Soon after Cryogeyser’s set, Hotline TNT took over the stage, injecting new energy into the night. The crowd’s excitement grew, turning into a mosh pit. Security shifted from assisting sluggish fans to catching those crowdsurfing over the barricade. Frontman Will Anderson said their latest album, “Raspberry Moon,” reflects a more mature sound. Unlike their earlier work focusing on youthful heartbreak, this album explores themes of falling in love, family, friendships, and understanding others’ perspectives.
Before Citizen could take the stage, one last band needed to perform: Anxious. This American emo-hardcore-pop group from Fairfield County, Connecticut, electrified The Palladium! With Grady Allen on vocals, Sam Allen on bass, Tommy Harte on guitar, and Jonny Camner on drums, the crowd was either in the mosh pit or crowd surfing. I was amazed I managed to capture in-focus photos of the band, despite their energetic jumping and running across the stage. Their set included songs from their 2022 debut album, Little Green House, and their latest album, Bambi, released in 2025.
How could the night get any better? Three incredible bands had just entertained the crowd, yet the restless crowd seemed to want even more! I soon realized that at 9:45 pm, the evening was only just commencing. As I stood in front of the stage, the room was filled with fans chanting “Citizen!Citizen!Citizen!Citizen!Citizen!” As the lights began to dim, Citizen
had finally taken the stage.
The band performed most of their new songs, such as “Good Fortune,” “I Can See You From Here,” and “Is It My Brain,” from their sixth album, Halcyon Blues. Fans crowded together, whether they knew each other or not. No matter how close they got to the stage, it still wasn’t close enough. Again, fans climbed on top of one another, passing along the tops of others, yearning to be as close to the band as possible.
While creating Halcyon Blues, lead singer Mat Kerekes and band members Nick Hamm (lead guitar), Eric Hamm (bass), Mason Mercer (rhythm guitar), and Ben Russon (drums) aimed to make it markedly different from their previous work. The album features a mature theme. Unlike their earlier records, which often show a youthful ignorance of life’s struggles, Halcyon Blues shifts from youthful frustration to a more sophisticated, mature perspective on life’s compromises. One of the album’s biggest takeaways is that peace can exist amid life’s discomfort. Discover tranquility through introspection within a tumultuous world.
Check out our favorite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
CITIZEN
ANXIOUS
HOTLINE TNT
CRYOGEYSER
All Photo Credit: Taylor Blazer