Rising pop-punk band Belmont has been making waves recently, having toured with major acts such as Dance Gavin Dance, This Wild Life, and Rain City Drive within the past year. Starting in mid-November, the band hit the road yet again to embark on their US headliner tour, visiting major cities across the country. In addition, the band released their newest EP, Last to Love, in September, so fans had many new songs to look forward to hearing live for the first time. On December 4, Belmont stopped at Philadelphia’s Theater of Living Arts, which was an upgrade from their originally planned venue due to so many ticket sales. That night, both Belmont and the Philly fans brought insurmountable energy, making it a show to remember.
The first opener to hit the stage was San Diego pop-punk band Super Sometimes, who mentioned that this show was their first time ever performing in Philadelphia. The band recently released their debut album, From Then & Now, and performed a few tracks from it, along with a cover of a Boxcar Racer song. With a fun, high-energy sound that would appeal to any 2000s pop-punk fan, along with the palpable enthusiasm from the band members, Super Sometimes immediately pumped up the crowd. Although many people in the room were hearing them for the first time, there were in fact a few super fans; the band even pointed out one fan at the barricade who sang along to every lyric during the whole set! The audience was jumping and moshing throughout the set, and even a circle pit formed towards the end. Despite many people in the room being introduced to Super Sometimes that night for the first time, many of them certainly became new fans.
SUPER SOMETIMES: Website | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok
The second band to perform was Detroit-based hard rock band UNWELL. The band recently released their newest album, Allegoria, on November 7, giving them the opportunity to play several new songs. UNWELL’s energy was contagious as each member jumped and kicked along the stage, instantly raising the crowd’s enthusiasm. The band combines elements of metalcore, pop-punk, and alt-rock, creating a unique soundscape that any rock fan would enjoy. With catchy choruses and heavy riffs and breakdowns, the audience never stopped moving for a second. UNWELL finished their set with a bang as the first crowdsurfers of the night came through during their final song, all while a circle pit formed in the middle of the room.
UNWELL: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube
The final opener to perform was AVOID, a rising metalcore band from Seattle. From the very beginning of their set, crowdsurfers were already moving through the room in droves. Having released their newest EP Creature of Habit on November 14, the band performed a few tracks from it, including “The Song of the Summer” which they said was their second time ever performing it live. The band also performed a cover of Blur’s “Song 2”, which excited everyone in the crowd. Throughout the set, the band utilized a lot of crowd interaction, such as having everyone in the room crouch down on the floor and then jump when the breakdown hit. They also called for crowdsurfers towards the end of the set, and the fans certainly listened as people started soaring through the room one after another during the entire song. With the set ending with a massive circle pit as well as a continuous surge of crowdsurfers, AVOID made a clear impact on the audience and effectively hyped the crowd up for the headlining act.
AVOID: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
At around 9:30pm, the lights dimmed for the final time that night as the crowd cheered, anticipating the headliner. Soon enough, Belmont hit the stage, opening with the punchy first track of Last to Love, “In the Sky”. Belmont’s combination of pop-punk and metal is able to instantly invigorate anyone, which was evident by the amount of fans that started crowdsurfing once the set began. Vocalist Taz Johnson quickly switched from melodic cleans to heavy screams, while guitarist Jason Inguagiato delivered dynamic riffs and intense breakdowns that got the crowd continuously moshing. Drummer Brian Lada brought the lively rhythms through his drum lines, ensuring that the audience would never stand still for a second. Each member of the band displayed a clear enthusiasm for performing, especially Johnson as he kept jumping and running across the stage, encouraging the audience to move and sing even more.
Along with newer tracks from Last to Love, the band performed several older tracks for longtime fans, such as “Hollowed Out” from their 2018 self-titled debut album, and “Bowser’s Castle” from their 2022 album Aftermath. “Hollowed Out” received some of the most crowdsurfers of the night, with tons of people surfing one after another throughout the whole song. The band also performed several songs from their 2024 album Liminal, their most recent full-length album. As the show continued, the fans’ energy never wavered; a permanent mosh pit formed in the middle of the room from the very beginning of the set. Halfway through the set, the band asked for a circle pit, and the crowd certainly delivered as tons of fans joined the pit, and kept running until the end of the song. Crowdsurfing continued as well, with several surfers moving through the venue during each song.
At the end of the night, Belmont performed the fan-favorite “Overstepping” from their 2016 EP Between You & Me, and the fans continued moshing and crowdsurfing until the last note. The band briefly left the stage, and the crowd started chanting for “one more song”. Soon enough, Belmont returned to the stage to give them an encore, performing their 2018 hit “Pushing Daisies”. Evidently, the Philly fans still had much more energy to give, as nearly every fan in the audience jumped, moshed, or crowdsurfed. The voices of the crowd boomed throughout the venue as they sang along to every lyric, overall ending the night on a high note. Belmont delivered a performance to remember that night in Philly, and the fans made sure it was a memorable night for the band as well.
