The Story So Far sends Santa Ana into crowd-surfing frenzy

Santa Ana’s Observatory Festival Grounds was fired up as The Story So Far wrapped up their fall tour, bringing along a stacked lineup featuring Pain of Truth, Origami Angel, and Neck Deep. From hardcore breakdowns to crowd-surfing chaos, the night showed up with the full spectrum of modern pop punk and the crowd definitely matched each band’s energy to a ‘T’.

Pain of Truth kicked off with a brutality and attitude only a hardcore band could deliver. Their set was pure aggression: heavy drums, abrasive vocals, and breakdowns that had the pit throwing hands. Tracks from albums such as “Not Through Blood” and “NO BLAME…JUST FACTS” slapped so hard, immediately getting the crowd sweaty, holding fists up, and stage diving. This LINYHC band brought east coast beatdown to the west coast, turning the party up several notches.

Origami Angel then switched the mood, but not the fire.

The D.C. duo — consisting of Ryland Heagy and Pat Doherty — proved that two people can make just as much noise as a five-plus-person band. Their technical guitar work, drumming, and upbeat pop punk tunes had the crowd belting lyrics and crowd-surfing from back to front. Tracks like “The Title Track” and their latest release “Back To Life” captured Origami Angel‘s quirky, emo charm, earning respect from those who hadn’t heard of them before, as well as from longtime fans.

Next was Neck Deep, the pop punk icons from Wrexham, Wales. Waves of fans were coming from far back in the crowd up past the barricades like clockwork, while the band ripped through favorites like “Wish You Were Here”, “In Bloom”, and some from their latest self-titled album. They brought out that classic ‘Warped Tour sound’ with a new-age feel.

And then, it was the moment everyone had been waited for.

The Story So Far hit the stage and the festival grounds went insane. The Walnut Creek icons tore straight into a mix of old anthems and new tracks from their latest release, I Want To Disappear In The USA. The crowd sang along to every word of “Clairvoyant”, “Nerve”, and “Empty Spaces”, while newer tracks kept the show at peak energy.

For anyone who wasn’t at The Observatory this night or never seen The Story So Far perform live, their latest album is the perfect introduction — highly recommended! As the final stop of the band’s tour, make sure to follow The Story So Far to be the first to know where they’re going next.

Photography by Celeste Basich

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