LIVE: PIERCE THE VEIL – Tampa, FL, USA – May 15, 2025

Venue: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

City: Tampa, FL

Date: May 15, 2025

Review and Photographs by: Kassidy Rae (https://kassidyraephoto.wixsite.com/mysite/projects-7)

On Thursday night, May 15th, the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater transformed into a cathedral of chaos with screaming fans tearing up at the sound of the first notes by Pierce the Veil. It was loud. It was heartfelt. It was pure, beautiful madness. As someone lucky enough to capture the show from the pit before settling into a review seat, I got a front-row lens of the carnage. From the very first riff, it was clear this wasn’t just another stop on the tour — it was a full-on emotional punk-rock exorcism, with the amps nearly blowing my ears out — respectfully.

Vic Fuentes, as always, played the part of ringmaster, guiding the crowd through a set that balanced the band’s signature post-hardcore aggression with moments of tenderness. Opening with the high-octane “Death of an Executioner,” the band launched straight into a relentless set that had the amphitheater shaking — not metaphorically, but literally. Songs like “Bulls in the Bronx” and “A Match Into Water” served as both catharsis and celebration. And when the first notes of “Hold On Till May” rang out, the sea of fans (many with eyes already welling up) swayed in collective release. It was a powerful moment — one that felt bigger than the music itself.

Visually, Pierce the Veil pulled no punches. Towering LED walls, pyrotechnics and smoke blasts timed to breakdowns — all of it added to the sensory overload. It wasn’t just a concert. It was theater for the emotionally wrecked, and we were here for every second of it. Behind the camera, I found myself running back and fourth in the pit, trying to keep up with the band members jumping and running all over the stage set. Don’t forget the flying tears and wailing arms reaching for Vic, but it was all worth it for the shots — That kind of electricity doesn’t just come from good production. It comes from connection, and Pierce the Veil have built theirs brick by brick over the past two decades. From rubber bracelets to knee-high Converse Chucks, the audience was locked in from start to finish. And when the band closed with the anthemic “King for a Day,” it was less of a finale and more of an eruption. Guitars soared, the pit exploded, and everyone — even the security guards — looked like they knew they were witnessing something special. Vic Fuentes and Kellin Quinn erupted the stage. Pierce the Veil may have evolved over the years, but the heart of their music still beats with the same raw urgency that first put them on the map. In a world constantly changing, their message — of survival, vulnerability, and not-so-quiet defiance — still hits exactly where it needs to. And in Tampa, on a muggy Thursday night in May, it hit hard.

SETLIST: Death of an Executioner – Bulls in the Bronx – Pass the Nirvana – I’m Low on Gas and You Need a Jacket – I’d Rather Die Than Be Famous – Floral & Fading – Circles – Yeah Boy and Doll Face – She Makes Dirty Words Sound Pretty – Today I Saw the Whole World – Kissing in Cars – Wonderless – May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight – Hell Above – Caraphernelia – Emergency Contact – Bulletproof Love – Disasterology – Hold On Till May – King for a Day

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries