Silverstein has been making 25 years of noise yet I had never managed to see them live until now. I was one of the fortunate few in a sold-out crowd at the Vibes Event Center for their “25 Years of Noise Tour,” celebrating the longevity and the success the band has accomplished over all these years.
The band, consisting of Shane Told on vocals, Paul Koehler on drums, Josh Bradford on guitar, Billy Hamilton on bass, and Paul Marc Rousseau on guitar, approached this milestone show by playing their setlist in reverse chronological order. They started the show by playing their newest songs, as they’ve announced not one but two upcoming albums to release this year, with the first being “Antibloom” on February 21st.
The crowd was already excited to hear them play but by designing the setlist this way, the more the show went along, the more the songs went back in time. It was so special to feel the crowd relive their nostalgia as the band rewinded through their history.
They were moshing like they were back in the White Rabbit days, and Silverstein was so excited to see it, giving so much love to the San Antonio fans.
“When we think back to all the memories, so much of the time, it’s right here in San Antonio, Texas,” lead vocalist Shane Told said.
I saw quite a few younger fans who were also seeing Silverstein for the first time. I talked to a pair of friends, one of whom felt he couldn’t miss out on seeing a band that has stood the test of time like Silverstein.
“They’re like pretty legendary … you kind of have to see them if you love emo music.”
The other friend had discovered them through Spotify, with “The Afterglow” being the song that popped up for him. His favorite moment of the show was hearing them play that song live.
But most fans had been with them throughout their entire journey, such as Jacqueline, who drove from Austin for the show. When I asked her about her initial memories of seeing the band, she couldn’t remember when she first saw them or how many times she’d seen them. She just knew why she kept coming back.
“They just keep getting better, and I just love watching them live like they’re so good, “ she told me after the show. “Their energy is incredible … me and my best friend have been coming to see them since we were in high school, so it’s just like fun and so nostalgic.”
Nostalgia rippled through the entire venue, especially when they reached the part of the setlist that featured one of their most beloved albums, “Discovering the Waterfront.”
“Smile In Your Sleep” had the most electrifying energy from both the crowd and the band, with Told sounding just as great as he did on that 2005 record.
The encore began with an acoustic version of “My Heroine,” which I was initially disappointed with as that’s my favorite Silverstein song and I imagined hearing it live for the first time with the full band’s intensity. Once Told started singing and the crowd sang along with him in one of the loudest sing-alongs I’ve ever seen at a show, my mind was quickly changed. I can’t even describe the chills I felt when everyone’s voices filled that room—it was just unbelievable.
The last two songs had the crowd screaming excitedly when the cover of the band’s debut album, “When Broken Is Easily Fixed,” flashed on screen. They carried that excitement through as Silverstein finished their set with “Smashed Into Pieces” and “Bleeds No More.”
After finally having seen them once over their 25 years as a band, I can definitively say they sound as good as over and rock out as good as ever. With two albums coming out this year and more live shows to come this year, the band shows no signs of slowing down. At this rate, I’m already looking forward to their “50 Years of Noise Tour.”
