Pierce The Veil brings hometown along a trip through memory lane at Petco Park with In Color and Julia Wolf
On the night of September 12th, San Diego witnessed a historical musical landmark as Pierce the Veil headlined their Homecoming show from the I Can’t Hear You World Tour at Petco Park, their first headlining stadium show. The atmosphere surrounding the venue was electric even long before the first chord echoed across the stadium, with thousands of dedicated fans lining up from the earliest hours of the day to grab a spot at the barricade and thousands more filling all the seats to celebrate the iconic local band. Marking this show as their biggest headlining audience of their entire career, the evening served as an emotional reunion with the public that supported them since the beginning and saw them grow into the highly beloved rock band that we all know, blending heavy nostagia, fiery production, and amazing punk rock, Pierce The Veil delivered their most ambitious show to date.
Kicking off the evening was In Color, who immediately set a fun, high-energy tone across the stadium. Bringing a fresh repertoire from their debut EP and recent single releases, the band captivated early arrivals with their vibrant sound while keeping an attentive eye on the crowd, even pausing between songs to ensure fans in the dense pit were doing alright after a few collapsed under the heat. A standout highlight of their set arrived during their penultimate song, when the group led a synchronized rhythm that prompted the entire floor to raise their palms, creating a stunning visual sea of hands stretching across the pit. This show perfectly preceded a night that will be on every attendant’s memory for the rest of their life.
Up next was Julia Wolf, who was greeted by roaring cheers from an incredibly receptive audience. Her 13 song set was packed with dynamic vocal energy and personal storytelling, kicking off with Kill You Off, Loser, Burning House, and Wishbone before sliding in an unreleased song: Deep End, to then finally jump into fan favorites like Jennifer’s Body, and Fingernails. Mid-set, she treated the crowd to a rare performance of her deep cut You’ve Lost A Lot of Blood, introducing the song by sharing how deeply personal it remains to her and expressing how surreal and amazing it felt to share it in front of such a massive stadium crowd, closing out the night after with Sunshine State, and closing out with In My Room.
Then, after a wait of almost 3 hours, the stadium was flooded with darkness before the main spectacle began. With a theatrical flair, Pierce the Veil made a grand entrance opening with a vibrant traditional mariachi trumpet intro and then emerging from a raised platform at the far end of the runway, All 3 members standing in an arrow formation with frontman Vic Fuentes holding a megaphone with a light in the middle, shouting the words to May These Noises Startle You in Your Sleep Tonight. Infusing their signature post-hardcore sound with rich Mexican arrangements, the performance featured stunning visual elements early on, including dancers dressed as elaborate Catrinas joining them on stage for Bulls in the Bronx. Shortly after, Vic Fuentes took a moment between songs to look out at the sea of faces, proudly announcing how incredible it felt to finally be back home in San Diego.
As the show progressed, the band took full advantage of their dynamic stage layout, taking the runway on multiple occasions with the elevated platform bringing a compact drum setup and the band for a second time to perform I Don’t Care If You’re Contagious in the middle of the crowd. Then during Wonderless the entire stadium united to sing the iconic bridge at the top of their lungs, creating a deafening choir of voices. Massive plumes of fire burst into the air throughout the whole set, complementing an array of dazzling lasers, fireworks and amazing stadium visuals across the whole stadium screens.
The night carried a deeply personal weight for Vic Fuentes, who gave heartfelt shoutouts to his wife and children watching proudly from the crowd. He expressed profound gratitude for the journey that brought them from playing small local venues to commanding the largest crowd they have ever played for as a band. The setlist thoughtfully honored every era of their career, seamlessly weaving tracks from their earliest beginnings right alongside modern fan favorites. With a Pixies cover of Where Is My Mind, Hold On Till May with Julia Wolf as guest and a tour debut of A Match Into Water, Pierce The Veil made sure fans from all their eras would be able to enjoy their favorites. You can find the whole setlist here.
To cap off the historic hometown celebration, Pierce the Veil closed the night with King For A Day marking the grand finale which was accompanied by a magnificent fireworks display that illuminated the sky above Petco Park while fans went crazy. The performance left the entire venue in absolute awe, marking a historic night in both the band’s and the legacy. We congratulate Pierce the Veil on an unforgettable homecoming, and we look forward to their next historic return to San Diego! To stay updated on future tour dates, behind-the-scenes content, and upcoming releases, be sure to follow Pierce the Veil, Julia Wolf, and In Color across their official social media platforms.
REVIEW BY: SERGIO TAPIA
FEATURED IMAGE BY: @mattyvogel
PHOTOS BY: @mattyvogel, @jasminedenisse (each credited below their photos)