Pierce The Veil x Sleeping With Sirens shake the Kia Forum in LA

Pierce The Veil brought their much anticipated Can You Hear Me World Tour to the Kia Forum for three nights of sold-out mayhem. Night One went off without a hitch, with fans lining the block and packing the venue early for beloved openers Beach Weather and all time fan-favorites Sleeping with Sirens. The legendary venue was illuminated with Pierce The Veil’s five album logos to represent all eras of PTV. Vast amounts of veils, eyeliner, and Converse sneakers poured into the venue at doors and crowded the stage for the spiritual event that lay ahead.

Our first sermon was Beach Weather. 

Hailing from the opposite side of the country, these Boston boys came in with their own indie pop vibe, making the perfect appetizer for the evening. Up next was Sleeping with Sirens and, with the Forum completely full at this point, the room went berserk with excitement when they took the stage. See, the thing about SWS (and PTV) fans, is that they are hardcore: loud, early, dressed to impress, and ready to cry if necessary. Every person in the room was a diehard and it showed. One by one, the band crescendoed as frontman Kellin Quinn exploded into “Kick Me”. 

The way the audience reacted, you’d think an earthquake was happening; this set the tone for what was a chaotic, beautiful, intense set full of energy and execution. Each member kept their pace with kicks, jumps, and a little mic throwing, making each inch of the stage 100% entertaining. The thing about having fun, though, is that it goes fast. Before we knew it, the guys were closing out with their signature anthem “If You Can’t Hang”. We bid farewell to our beloved SWS… even though most people in the room knew we would be seeing Kellin again that evening…

We all know what happens when SWS and PTV are kinged on the same bill for the day. 

Finally after much anticipation, the time had come for Pierce The Veil to make their first headlining appearance at the Kia Forum. The crowd was ready to welcome the guys with open arms, chanting for “Pierce! The! Veil!” leading up to their set time. The band delivered on the dot, charging out of the gate with “Death of an Executioner”. The earthquake felt earlier was upgraded a few magnitudes as every single person in the room moved, jumped, or screamed so loud, it surely broke some sort of Forum record. Guitarist Tony Perry was full-force on his signature guitar work, while bassist Jaime Preciado came in bass swinging and face gleaming with expression. Drummer Lionel Robinson held down the energy’s center, with a wide smile and throwing hands up at any found moment. Then, there’s frontman Vic Fuentes, with his commanding force centerstage, nailing each guitar line underneath his trademark alto vocals. The quartet ensued chaos in perfect harmony and the audience had did their homework. The sing-along continued through deep cuts like “Wonderless” and fan-favorites “Disasterology” and “Bulls In The Bronx” as the band kept their promise of all PTV eras covered. 

After the standard band ‘fake exit’ followed by an encore, the guys closed their set off with “Hold On Til May”… but the audience knew there had to be more. The stage emptied again. And soon, silhouettes appeared of five guys… Kellin was back and it was time for “King For A Day”! I would be completely shocked if the foundation on the Forum was still 100% intact after that grand finale; the entire floor erupted into a giant mosh pit, followed by the loudest sing-along I’ve personally ever heard. The moment was nothing short of cathartic. As the final notes rang out, the crowd beamed with satisfaction on having witnessed the iconic song live with both vocalists. Night One, down. Two more to go. Then the tour will continue on their way across the globe. 

Photography by Franny Kovacs

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