House of Music

Silverstein, Thursday

Emo’s

Austin, TX

December 11, 2025

Photos and Review by Roy Vergara

Fans filled the outdoor venue early, Radio/East, on a chilly Austin night. They claimed their spots and settled into a space that felt ready for lift off. Twenty-five years of Silverstein brought out every kind of listener. Old fans who grew up on these songs. Younger fans who found them later. All of us meeting in the middle for one night where nothing else mattered.

The Australian band, Bloom, stepped out at 7:00 pm and lit the fuse. They moved with focus and hit the crowd fast. The crowd came alive early with circle pits starting to activate. By the time they ended at 7:30 pm, the venue felt warm and charged.

Free Throw came in at 7:45 pm and added another layer of emotion. Their songs feel honest and lived in. You could see it in the crowd. People singing quietly to themselves. People pushing forward to feel each chorus wash over them. They played with a kind of vulnerability that made the room lock in.

At 8:30 pm, Thursday walked out to a roar that felt like a wave hitting the stage. Geoff Rickly carried a mix of gratitude and fire and the band fed off it. Each song pulled the crowd deeper. Near the end he joked that instead of four fathers the room had five tonight, and they were the fifth as they launched into “Car Crash.” The way the crowd’s voice shot up in that moment said everything. Thursday closed around 9:10 pm, leaving people lifted and ready for the night’s final climb.

Silverstein hit at 9:35 pm. A short video rolled through their early days in Canada and set the tone for what was coming. It felt like opening an old scrapbook before stepping into something bigger. From the first notes the band moved with purpose. Shane Told talked about traveling backward through their timeline and how the set would reflect that. Then he mentioned the year 2012 and smiled saying the emo time machine had dropped us off as the band jumped into “You Gotta Stay Positive.” The whole place sang. You could feel the years roll back for a moment.

The night shifted into its emotional center with a softer break. Shane stepped forward for an acoustic run of “The End,” carried only by a single guitar. The room stayed still and focused. A few songs later, right as the set began to rise again, he surprised everyone with a short cover of “Helena.” The crowd reacted instantly. You could feel a shared recognition move through the room. It was a quick but powerful nod to a song that shaped an entire era and still sits deep in the hearts of fans.

Later in the night Shane talked about the Texas shaped hole in their hearts from the early days at Emo’s. He smiled and said how good it felt to be back in this city on a Thursday night. The band kicked into “Already Dead” and the room jumped in an instant. That song hit hard and pulled everyone forward.

The main set ended at 10:45 pm with “Smile In Your Sleep,” a moment that felt both nostalgic and alive. The lights stayed low as the band returned at 10:47 pm. Shane stepped up with an acoustic guitar for “My Heroine,” and the room sang every word like it was muscle memory. It felt personal. It felt heavy. It felt right.

The full band trickled back in as an American Idol intro clip played before driving into “Smashed Into Pieces.” They closed the night with “Bleeds No More,” pushing the crowd into one final release. By 11:05 pm the night came to a close. Shane thanked everyone for the support and for the twenty five years that brought them here.

Walking into the Austin night you could feel the weight of it. Not sadness. Just the kind of weight that comes from knowing you shared something real with strangers who love the same sounds you do. This tour carries memory, gratitude, and the simple joy of growing up with a band that never stopped showing up.

Check out the gallery below to relive the night or see what you missed.

Bloom

Free Throw

Thursday

Silverstein