AFI Brought “Holy Visions” to Sayreville NJ

12 hours ago

4 min read

October 10th 2026, The fourth time in twenty years, cult alt-post-punk rockers AFI took the stage at Sayreville’s own Starland Ballroom, bringing “Holy Visions” and a career-spanning setlist for the first night of the tour. Joining them was Utah-based synth-pop band Choir Boy. Prior to doors opening, everyone was buzzing with excitement. Security was giddy, with many being fans who grew up listening to AFI. The fans in line were a sea of black shirts and, for many, Converse sneakers. The line wrapped around the building. Tonight was a sellout. For Starland Ballroom, that meant absolute chaos in the best way possible. Not only was the venue’s parking lot at capacity, but the VFW across the street was overflowing. Cars were parked along the side of Jernee Mill Road, stretching about a mile in each direction.

Choir Boy

Choir Boy started the epic night off, opening for AFI. This SLC dream-pop synth band was no stranger to AFI, having previously opened for them during the “Sing the Sorrow” 20th anniversary tour in 2023. Being a relatively newer band in comparison, they fit in perfectly with the genre the headliner brought. It was a slightly slower-paced set, but the crowd was already packed in and engaged. When the band hit the stage, your first thought probably wouldn’t have been that this was a dream-pop synth-wave band reminiscent of Kate Bush, Tears for Fears, or even The Cure. Vocalist Adam Klopp’s high, crooning voice swayed with the tempo. Keyboardist Jeff Kleinman’s soothing saxophone playing tied everything together with the synths, while bassist Chaz Costello stood out on stage as the backbone of much of the set. The set featured tracks from their 2016 debut album, “Passive with Desire,” their 2020 release, “Gathering Swans,” and their latest single, “I’ll Always Let You Down.” All were released via Dais Records.

Choir Boy Setlist:

Blood Moon

Leave Me Be

Two Lips

Nites Like This

I’ll Always Let You Down

Complainer

Choir Boy Is:

Adam Klopp- Vocalist / Guitar / keyboard

Michael Paulsen- Guitars

Chaz Costello- Bassist

Jeff Kleinman - Keyboard / Saxophone

AFI

You could feel the energy from the crowd radiating into the photo pit. The crowd was still buzzing. You could tell this wasn’t just another concert on a Friday night in Jersey. Overheard conversations revealed that people had traveled and even taken flights to see this show. The excitement among the photographers was just as palpable. For some, it was their first time photographing AFI, while others had photographed the band many times before. You could tell AFI was engraved into many of our musical DNA’s. Then the lights dimmed.

Fog billowed slowly. Ember lights created a blinding wall of light against the crowd. Drummer Adam Carson emerged behind his drum kit, followed by Hunter Burgan and Jade Puget. When I said career spanning earlier, it might even have been considered career defining. The set crossed through nine albums and EPs, taking us back to 1998’s “Black Sails in the Sunset.” The opening chords of “Strength Through Wounding” echoed through the venue. Vocalist Davey Havok slowly crept onto the stage, deliberately locking eyes with the crowd.

“Through our bleeding, we are one,” Havok and the crowd chanted, building up to the drum intro of “Girls Not Grey” from “Sing the Sorrow.” Havok leapt off his riser and spun midair with the mic stand as the crowd continued singing every. Single. Word. Havok isn’t just a frontman or even a musician. He’s a storyteller. His raw emotion permeated the room and infected the crowd.

Cold blue lights took over the stage, fitting for “Love Like Winter.” If you’re in a similar age category, you would have been just as excited to hear this as if it were the first of its 40 straight days in heavy rotation on MTV’s TRL. The crowd wasn’t slowing down, either. Burgan matched not only Havok’s energy but also the crowd’s, flailing his bass guitar, running from left to right, and bouncing off the drum risers, really locking in the groove, While guitarist Jade Puget also delivered a masterclass in punk riffs. There were moments when Havok knelt in front of the photographers and reached out his hand to the front row, like an extension of his heart. It truly embodied wearing your heart on your sleeve.

Later in the set, Havok announced to the crowd that this tour marked the final stretch of the “Silver Bleeds the Black Sun” era before launching into “Behind the Clock” and “Marguerite.” The band had been touring for nearly a full year in support of the album, which was released last September via Run for Cover Records. One of the standout moments of the set (pun intended) came during “I Hope You Suffer,” when Havok walked out onto the crowd and was held high above them as he sang. He even handed the mic to eager fans who wanted to belt out the words. Havok later walked onto the bar top.

Closing out the set was supposed to be “Silver and Cold” or was it? That was at least what the finalized setlist on stage and the one given to security indicated. But what would an AFI show in October be without a few tricks or treats? A surprise for many fans came with “Totalimmortal” from the “All Hallows” EP, released in 1999 via Nitro Records. It was an appropriate surprise with Halloween just three weeks away!