Girl at the Rock Shows

I did the unthinkable this weekend: I went to two shows, one on Friday and one on Saturday, just as a spectator. It was weird and, truthfully, I don’t think I liked it. Not only did I not know what to do with my hands without my cameras, but I quickly realized just how much I hate crowds. I’ve definitely gotten spoiled over the past few years as I shift from a writer with a camera to a writer and photographer, and this weekend was a beautiful reminder of how far I’ve come, but when Sunday night finally rolled around, I just wanted to feel normal. I wanted a normal night, with my cameras strapped to my side and my head fully in the game so that I could write a full blog post for y’all. Although I definitely had my cameras hanging from my sides (and I have the sore shoulders and back to prove it), I feel like my head never got in the game because, throughout the four-act show, it was in the clouds in a beautiful way.

Texas-based Colorblind got things off to a great start on Sunday night at The Fillmore. I was a bit late getting through the doors because I didn’t expect the giant entrance line I had the honor of standing in. When I finally got through security and through the doors, it was a mad dash to the photo pit entrance. I fumbled around with my cameras, trying to get all ready and set up for the first song, and started freaking out. Call it a panic attack, call it stress, maybe frustration with myself, my poor planning, and the way this venue treats photographers, making you open every little thing that contains extra batteries to SD cards; I was a bit panicked. I didn’t want to miss my chance to photograph this band because, from the first song, I could tell I wanted to document them. By the end of the first song, I finally had myself together and started snapping pics as the band kicked into their second, but I quickly realized that I wasn’t just snapping pics of a band; I was snapping pics of passion. Obviously, opening acts have two jobs. First and most importantly – get the crowd amped up and ready for what is to follow. Secondly, to sell themselves. It’s not easy to be an opening band. You’re playing in front of a crowd that came for a reason other than you, and you have to figure out how to convince them you’re worth their attention. Colorblind did that with ease. Their alt-rock sound, glittered with post-hardcore angst, shone in the spotlight and blasted through the speakers, captivating the young audience. Colorblind isn’t a new band by any stretch of the imagination. They released their debut EP in 2022 and have been grinding ever since, but I think this tour will catapult them to the next level, and it may be the last time we see them as the first opener on a show. They hit the stage with power and passion, sold themselves to the audience, and warmed people up for what was to come.

When I saw Arankai (the next act to take the stage) at the super cozy and intimate 7th Street Entry back in December of 2025, I wrote, “…I think it’s safe to say that we can expect to see him on more stages, more frequently…” I was right (man, I love when that happens). When I saw Arankai and his band back in 2025, I admitted I didn’t quite understand the music and conceded it might not be for me. Truthfully, I still feel the same way after seeing him at The Fillmore on Sunday night, but like that fateful night back in 2025, I was instantly sold on this set. It’s the energy that this group puts off. It’s the fact that, although they have seen some insane growth over the years, going from stages like the super intimate 7th Street Entry to the more ginormous stage of The Fillmore, this band has everything to prove, nothing to lose, and I loved that you could still feel that on Sunday night. Bridging the gap between Death Grips-esque insanity and almost Underoath-sort-of tenderness, Arankai kept the entire audience on their toes as they powered through a quick set, trying to fit in as much as possible. Unfortunately, the band had to pause mid-set for what seemed like an emergency in the crowd. I have no clue whether something was actually wrong or if the lost cell phone being held up with the culprit caused the pause, but I know that, even with the short set, Arankai took the time to pause and make sure everything was okay. That’s what this show was like. It was intense, with people moshing and slamming themselves against the barriers separating the stage from the crowd, but it was also the kind of show where the acts actually gave a crap about what was happening in the audience, and I loved that.

The final support act of the night was TX2, a band from Fort Collins, Colorado, with its own sound and vibe. Before I tell you more about this band, I have to wish vocalist Evan Thomas a huge happy birthday. Yes, that’s right, we got to see this show on Evan’s birthday. Maybe that’s why this band’s spark shone so bright, or maybe they’re just that fun; either way, I was addicted. TX2 isn’t a band that stands around and gives you music; they run around and put on a show. From the epic jumps that left Evan landing on his knees (don’t worry, he had giant kneepads on) to the drummer often jumping off his throne to egg the crowd on, TX2 was all energy and no apologies. Stylistically, they fit the night perfectly. They definitely had a modern metalcore edge, but they also pulled from nu-metal and maybe even a little K-pop inspiration here and there. It was a fabulous show of energy, creativity, and talent, as the band powered through their set, keeping the spotlight on perfection while leaving room for a little drama and choreographed dance moves here and there. The connection between the audience and the band highlighted TX2’s set. Although a new name to me, it was not a new name to many in the audience, and I watched with my heart so very full as people in the front row completely lost their minds to every song the band chose to play. It wasn’t just an “I really like this band” kind of way; it had a more desperate vibe, which told me everything I needed to know. Although this band wasn’t much more to me than another act to add to my checklist, it was everything to some in the audience, and that was the icing on the cake for my introduction to TX2 and Sunday night in general.

That feeling between band and audience seemed to be amplified as headlining act Catch Your Breath took the stage. Within the first song, I realized Catch Your Breath isn’t just another band to many in the audience; it felt like a lifeline, and you could feel that in every word they performed. Their set started with a soothing, almost meditative song that laid the groundwork for what was to come, but it didn’t really let you in on all the tricks this band has up their sleeve. Although the set started cool, calm, and collected, it quickly spiraled into something much angrier and more energetic. From moments of sheer panic and chaos to glimmers of that more meditative vibe I picked up on in the opening track, Catch Your Breath was all over the place, and the audience was buckled in, ready to go wherever this band wanted. Although I was a bit turned off by the heavy backing tracks throughout the set, I loved that the audience’s power sometimes drowned them out. The band was giving me perfection on stage (which, as you may have caught on to, isn’t quite for me; I want to see bands be real and hear the nitty-grittiness of their sound), but the audience was giving me life. I saw people around me absolutely lose it to every one of the eighteen songs Catch Your Breath played on Sunday night, proving that, although the band may be trying a bit too hard to be perfectly, well, perfect, the audience wasn’t afraid to get down and dirty with it and let their emotions out, whether that came in the form of crying or screaming.

Sonically, Sunday night wasn’t quite my cup of tea, but I understood it. Honestly, I was just happy to get back to my normal photographer-and-writer self after spending the weekend feeling oddly bare and awkward and feel like Sunday night’s show was the perfect way to kick off yet another insane week of Rocktober.

Line Up:

Colorblind

Arankai

TX2

Catch Your Breath

Venue: Fillmore

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 23

Crowd Surfers- Lost count at 27

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- 7 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- A few bodies

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Colorblind – 0

Aranakai – 1

TX2 – 0

Catch Your Breath – 0

Show on Deck – The Rat Utopia Experiment / Gauze

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