On February 2nd, 2025, Silverstein took over The Wiltern in Los Angeles for a career-spanning set that was nothing short of incredible. With support from Split Chain, Arm’s Length, and Thursday, the night was destined to be a major success. While I didn’t photograph Split Chain or Arm’s Length, they both perfectly complemented the energy leading up to the final two sets of the night.
Thursday: A Standout Performance
Thursday’s set was everything I’d hoped for and more. Geoff Rickly’s stage presence was nothing short of insane, for lack of a better term. His energy was through the roof, making it a genuine challenge to keep up with him through my camera lens. The band sounded phenomenal, playing through some of their most iconic tracks like “Cross Out the Eyes,” “Understanding in a Car Crash,” and “War All the Time.”
One of the most striking moments of the set happened during “This Song Brought to You by a Falling Bomb.” Geoff knelt at center stage, solely illuminated by the stage lights, as he delivered every note with intense emotion. The entire crowd stood still, mesmerized by the power of the moment. It was a performance I had been waiting to see for a long time, and it was well worth the wait.
Silverstein: A Celebration of Time
Once Thursday wrapped up, the excitement in the room continued to build. Silverstein hit the stage and wasted no time, diving straight into their set with nonstop energy. In a move that caught a lot of people, myself included, by surprise, they played their setlist in reverse chronological order, starting with newer tracks and working their way back through their entire catalog—a genius way to showcase just how far they’ve come as artists.
Early in the night, they took a quick break to sing “Happy Birthday” to a fan in the crowd, dubbed “the girl with the pink hair.” Lead singer, Shane Told, then clarified, jokingly, that while it was her birthday, the real celebration was for the band turning 25. He made it clear that whether you had just discovered them last week or had been there since the beginning, you were part of the celebration. It was an honor, because despite being a long-time fan, this was my first Silverstein show, and what a show it was.
They continued to push through their set with tracks like “Bad Habits,” “The Afterglow,” and “Massachusetts,” before Shane paused to reflect on their history. He gave a nod to the album Short Songs before jumping into “One Last Dance,” pointing out that the song is now officially a teenager at 14 years old. Then came one of the biggest surprises of the night—he grabbed an acoustic guitar and started playing “The End.” A few moments in, Lights, whom is featured on the track, walked onto the stage to perform her part. Her voice was angelic, and the way she and Shane harmonized was unreal. The whole crowd was completely locked in, and you could feel just how much that moment meant to everyone in the room.
A Bit of Banter and LA Nostalgia
One of the best things about Shane as a frontman is how naturally he connects with the audience. At one point, he joked about being at the show instead of sitting at home watching the Grammys. Curious, he asked if Knocked Loose had won Metal Performance of the Year, and when the crowd replied with a disappointed “no,” he asked who did. A single person in the crowd yelled, “Gojira!” and overall, everyone still seemed relatively satisfied with that outcome.
He also shared a hilarious anecdote about Silverstein’s first-ever LA show at the Knitting Factory. He recalled that as soon as they pulled up to DTLA, the first person he saw was “Stifler’s mom,” which undoubtedly confirmed the popular notion that everyone in LA is famous. He then talked about how they had nowhere to stay that night, so they put up a sign at their merch table that read, “Can we crash?” A fan offered their place, but after driving way further than expected, they arrived only to have the fan’s mom, “horrified,” refuse to let them sleep inside, but instead offered up the RV in the driveway, “which was actually pretty sick if you think about it,” said Shane. He wrapped up the story by noting that every LA show since then had been a step up from the last, and that “tonight, I can say this is the best show we have ever played here.”
A Flawless Performance with Breathtaking Production
Silverstein is one of those bands that sound just as good—if not better—live than in the studio. Shane’s ability to switch between clean and unclean vocals so seamlessly is mind-blowing. His range is out of this world, and hearing it live left me in complete awe.
The rest of the band—Billy Hamilton on bass, Josh Bradford on rhythm guitar/backup vox, Paul Marc Rousseau on lead guitar, and Paul Koehler on drums—were just as locked in. They made everything look so effortless, yet so powerful and flawless, even though you know what you’re witnessing takes an unbelievable amount of skill. The entire set was smooth from start to finish, with no loss of momentum.
From a photographer’s standpoint, covering this performance was a dream. The gorgeous lighting and stage production were next-level, with large screens displaying eye-catching visuals behind them. Every moment felt cinematic, making it almost too easy to capture something incredible.
The Epic Finish
The set came to a climactic close with “Smashed Into Pieces,” as confetti rained down on the crowd, giving the already thrilling moment the most epic finish. Finally, they ended the night with “Bleeds No More,” giving their 25-year celebration the perfect sendoff.
Silverstein made sure to represent every era of their career, playing at least one song from each album. The crowd’s energy never waned—from nonstop moshing to an endless stream of crowd surfers, everyone stayed fully engaged until the very end.
This performance perfectly showcased their incomparable talent, and the kind of connection that keeps bands like this going strong for decades. If this show was any indication of Silverstein’s future, they’re nowhere near slowing down. With two new albums coming soon—Antibloom, set to release on February 21st, and Pink Moon later this year—their legacy is only growing stronger. Personally speaking, I cannot wait to see what is on the horizon. This may have been my first Silverstein show, but there’s not a chance it will be my last.
We’d like to thank Silverstein for having us out and allowing us to document such an incredible night.
GALLERY: Silverstein and Thursday at The Wiltern in Los Angeles (February 2, 2025)
