Anniversary tours have become a major part of today’s concert scene, but sometimes the right lineup comes together and creates something that feels bigger than simple nostalgia. That was the case on May 28, 2026, when Anberlin, Emery, and Watashi Wa stopped at The Senate in Columbia, South Carolina.

I attended the show with Joshua Gilmore, Joshua Thomas, Joey Noyes, and my son Max, which made the night even more memorable. Concerts are always about the music, but they are also tied to the people you experience them with and the memories attached to them years later.

Watashi Wa opened the evening and immediately reminded fans why their return matters. This was the band’s first tour in a long time, and there was a noticeable excitement from the crowd to see them active again. Fans sang along throughout the set, showing that the band’s music has continued to connect with listeners even during their long absence from touring. The performance carried a positive and heartfelt energy that set the tone for the rest of the night.

Emery followed with a shorter but high-energy set that quickly turned the venue into controlled chaos. The band has always balanced melody and aggression well, and that chemistry was on full display live. Their closing song, “Walls,” became one of the biggest moments of the night. The crowd instantly erupted into a massive mosh pit, creating more pit action during that one song than the entire rest of the concert combined. Fans screamed every word while bodies collided across the floor in classic post-hardcore fashion.

The night closed with Anberlin performing on the twentieth anniversary tour for Never Take Friendship Personal. Surprisingly, this was my first time ever seeing the band live, and they did not disappoint. Much of the attention surrounding the current version of Anberlin has centered around Matty Mullins taking over vocal duties, and after seeing the performance firsthand, it is easy to understand why he was chosen.

Mullins faces the difficult task of stepping into a role strongly associated with Stephen Christian, but he handled it extremely well. What stood out most was his vocal versatility. He has the range necessary for the melodic and harmonized style of Anberlin while still maintaining the intensity fans know from his work with Memphis May Fire. Rather than feeling like a replacement trying to imitate the past, Mullins helped the performance feel both respectful to Anberlin’s history and fresh at the same time.

During the show, I also found myself reflecting on The Senate itself and how certain venues become connected to different seasons of life. This was the third memorable concert I can remember attending there. The first was Stretch Arm Strong performing the twentieth anniversary tour for Rituals of Life. The second was P.O.D.’s twentieth anniversary tour for Satellite. Now this Anberlin anniversary tour joins that list. It is interesting how venues can quietly become part of your personal music history over time.

Overall, this was an outstanding night of live music filled with nostalgia, energy, and appreciation from both the bands and the audience. Watashi Wa’s long-awaited return, Emery’s explosive ending with “Walls,” and Anberlin’s anniversary celebration all combined to create a concert experience that reminded fans why these bands still continue to matter decades later.

The 1990s Christian alternative scene produced its share of influential bands, but few family connections ran as deep as the one between brothers Joel Hanson and Jade Hanson. Through PFR and Believable Picnic, the Hanson brothers helped shape an era that blended melodic alternative rock with emotional honesty and artistic creativity.

While both musicians eventually moved in different directions, their music still carries weight with longtime fans who continue rediscovering those records decades later.

Joel Hanson and the Return of PFR

Joel Hanson remains the more publicly active of the two brothers. Best known as the voice and guitarist behind PFR, he has spent the last several years reconnecting with fans and revisiting the band’s catalog.

A major turning point came in late 2024 when Joel helped spearhead a successful Kickstarter campaign to remaster and re-release Disappear. That momentum has continued into new recording sessions for an upcoming PFR project reportedly titled Target & The Arrow.

Fans following Joel on Instagram at @pfrist have seen updates from the studio, live acoustic performances, and occasional behind-the-scenes glimpses into the creative process.

Beyond PFR, Joel’s musical history stretches into projects and collaborations connected to bands such as Inside Out and Takehold, along with years spent creating worship music and performing solo material.

Even after all these years, Joel still sounds passionate about songwriting and the connection those albums continue to have with listeners.

Jade Hanson and the Cult Following of Believable Picnic

While Joel stayed closer to the public eye, Jade Hanson took a quieter route.

Believable Picnic became a hidden gem of late 90s Christian alternative music, combining melodic rock with introspective lyrics and strong pop sensibilities. Though the band never reached massive commercial success, albums like Famous earned a loyal underground following that still talks about the band today.

After Believable Picnic ended, Jade moved into a different musical direction with the Nashville-based power pop group The Luxury Stars. The band stepped away from the Christian music label and explored a broader indie and alternative sound.

Jade has also been tied to collaborative projects connected to the wider PFR circle, including Takehold and other studio contributions over the years.

Unlike many artists from that era who disappeared completely, the Hanson brothers still remain connected to music in different ways. Joel continues recording and performing, while Jade’s work continues gaining appreciation through online fan communities revisiting the overlooked corners of 90s Christian alternative rock.

A Legacy That Still Matters

PFR and Believable Picnic may not have dominated mainstream charts, but their impact runs deeper than sales numbers. Their songs connected with fans searching for authenticity, vulnerability, and creativity during a unique season of alternative rock.

Today, vinyl reissues, streaming rediscoveries, and social media nostalgia have introduced both bands to younger listeners who missed them the first time around.

For longtime fans, the music never really went away.

Philadelphia chaotic hardcore band Pipe Bomb just dropped one of the coolest underground vinyl releases I have seen in a while with Hell Hole through Resuscitation Records. This is the debut full length LP from the band and the physical presentation alone makes this feel like much more than just another vinyl pressing.

Limited to only 150 “Chaotic Cobalt” copies, the 180 gram vinyl instantly stands out visually with its opaque blue finish matching the dark atmosphere of the album perfectly. The artwork by Jonathan Zboray grabs your attention immediately and feels chaotic, uncomfortable, and thought provoking in all the right ways.

The album was mixed and mastered by John Naclerio of Nada Recording while Rob Colwell handled the vinyl mastering. The result is a record that sounds huge, raw, and alive spinning on wax. The bass feels warmer, the feedback breathes naturally, and the chaos feels more immersive than streaming the album digitally.

Musically, fans of The Chariot, Norma Jean, Project 86, Botch, and Every Time I Die will immediately connect with the band’s blend of metallic hardcore, chaotic mathcore, punk energy, and emotionally heavy lyrics.

What really separates this release though is the packaging. The deluxe 12 page lyric booklet is loaded with high quality photos, lyrics, and personal comments from Mitchell Layton explaining the meaning behind many of the songs. Those reflections add an entirely new layer to the listening experience.

“Under God’s Heel” hits especially hard once reading Mitchell’s comments about struggling with hopelessness and learning to fight through it. “Choke” tackles compromise and distorted truth while “Hell Hole,” featuring former No Treaty vocalist Danny Thomas, explores mental illness, destruction, and broken relationships with brutal honesty.

Mitchell handles all vocals, guitar, and bass duties on the album while Steven “Bean” Layton absolutely crushes it on drums. The chemistry between the two creates an intense wall of panic driven aggression and emotional tension from start to finish.

Executive production for the vinyl release was handled by Erick Lee, founder of Resuscitation Records, along with Jonathan Calderon from Empty Grave Parade. Their attention to detail is obvious throughout the entire release.

This is the kind of vinyl release collectors and hardcore fans appreciate because it feels personal and intentional instead of mass produced. Hell Hole is chaotic, emotional, spiritually honest, and physically packaged in a way that actually enhances the music itself.

For contact:
https://linktr.ee/pipebomb

The Masquerade in Atlanta hosted a powerful lineup as Demon Hunter, Convictions, and Cultist brought the “There Was A Light Here” tour through Georgia. This was my first time seeing both Demon Hunter and Cultist live, and I got to experience the night with my sons Leo and Max along with my friends Steve Morse and Trey.

Cultist kicked things off with nonstop energy. Having two lead vocalists could easily feel overcrowded, but they made it work perfectly. Both singers stayed in constant motion, engaging the crowd and bringing intensity to every song. Even as the newer band on the tour package, they definitely gained new fans that night.

Convictions kept the momentum rolling with crushing breakdowns and a crowd that clearly knew every word. Their frontman did an incredible job keeping the audience hyped from beginning to end. One of the coolest moments personally was watching my son Leo experience his first mosh pit during their set. By the end of the night, he walked away with both a Convictions and Demon Hunter setlist.

When Demon Hunter took the stage, the atmosphere completely shifted. Their lighting setup relied heavily on dark red, white, and blue backlighting that created an intense visual experience throughout most of the set. Spotlights only appeared between songs and during the acoustic moments, making those sections stand out even more.

The band performed “The Brink” acoustically along with another stripped down song later in the set. Those moments added variety to the massive 20 song performance and almost felt like intentional breathers during such a long and demanding show.

Ryan Clark’s stage presence was impossible to ignore. During the acoustic songs, the lighting finally revealed more details including his tattooed torso, hand painted overcoat, and customized microphone stand featuring a metal cross attachment.

After 25 years, Demon Hunter continues proving why they remain one of the most respected bands in heavy music. Hearing the crowd sing nearly every word showed just how much their music still connects with fans today.

I was also excited to leave the venue with a Cultist vinyl in hand to remember an unforgettable night of music.

The 2026 lineup featured longtime members Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen alongside drummer Glen Sobel and new guitarist Anna Cara, who is filling in for Nita Strauss during maternity leave. Cara absolutely crushed it. Her playing brought fresh energy to the show while still fitting perfectly into the classic Cooper sound and stage production.

The setlist balanced classics with surprises perfectly. Songs like “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “I’m Eighteen,” “Feed My Frankenstein,” and “Poison” kept the crowd fully engaged all night. The production featured everything fans expect from Cooper including horror-inspired theatrics, giant stage props, costume changes, and appearances from Sheryl Cooper during the theatrical dance segments.

One of the coolest moments came during “School’s Out,” which included a snippet of Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 woven into the performance. The addition fit the song perfectly and gave the classic anthem a fresh twist live.

What really surprised me was that this was the first time I have seen Alice Cooper not end the show with “School’s Out.” I actually loved that they kept going and played more songs after everyone expected the concert to end. I have never personally seen Cooper do an encore before, so it caught the crowd completely off guard.

Then came the biggest surprise of the night: a cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Taking on such an iconic song is risky, but the band absolutely nailed it. The performance felt edgy, energetic, and became one of the highlights of the night.

I took my oldest son Max to the show, and we met up with Steve Morse, Brandon Weeks, and several other friends there. We have all seen Cooper multiple times, but we kept saying afterward that this may have been one of the best Cooper shows we have seen.

Max summed it up perfectly. He said the concert was “awesome and fun,” loved the Nirvana cover, called it his favorite Cooper show, and ranked it among the top five concerts he has ever seen.

At 78 years old, Alice Cooper still knows exactly how to entertain an audience. The “Alice’s Attic” tour proves that Cooper is not simply relying on nostalgia. He continues to evolve while still delivering everything fans love about classic shock rock.