Modern Life Is Lonely But Holding Absence Brings Everybody Together at Irving Plaza

2 hours ago

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On October 13th, 2026, Holding Absence and Arms Length brought their worlds together in New York City as part of their 2026 co-headline tour, joined by special guests Bloom and House & Home. Taking over Irving Plaza, the bands delivered an evening built around an emotional atmosphere; blending elements of post-hardcore, emo, and alternative rock.

Kicking off the night in New York City was Richmond based post-hardcore quartet House & Home. Comprised of Pat Williams (vocals, guitar), Joey Grammer (guitar), Collin Lassiter (bass), and Matt Stumpf (drums). The band brought their own style of post-hardcore to the stage. Since their debut in 2017, House & Home have continued to carve out their place in the scene, releasing a collection of records that showcase their raw intensities. Their latest album 'I Won't Look For You' was released in 2025 via Open Your Ears Records, giving fans a glimpse into their sound. The quartet wasted no time getting things started and getting the crowd moving; opening their set with "Swarm" from their latest album. They continue to amplify the room with their high-intense energy, leaving several fans crowdsurfing. Their set continued with standout tracks, including "Cellophane", "Filthy", and "Tempest", showcasing their dynamic range. Check our their setlist below.

Setlist:

Swarm
Tempest
Cellophane
Find Sense.
Oracle
Filthy
A Familiar Direction
Shrunken Head

Next to take the stage was Sydney based melodic hardcore band Bloom. Comprised of Jono Hawkey (vocals), Jarod McLaren (guitar, vocals), Oliver Butler (guitar), Andrew Martin (bass), and Jack Van Vliet (drums). Since forming in 2017, Bloom has continued to reach new audiences, including performing alongside Silverstein in Europe, and embarking their debut Japanese tour in support of Chelsea Grin and Currents. In 2025, the band released their latest album, 'The Light We Chase', via Pure Noise Records and features contributions from artists including Jack Bergin, Patrick Miranda, Mikaila Delgado.

I went into this band's set completely blind sighted and had no idea what to expect. I was completely left in shock with how heavy sounded this band is. Frontman Hawkey is such a talented vocalist and his screams blew me away in every best way possible. Opening with "Forget Me Not", Bloom immediately brought the heat with such powerful guitar and bass riffs, backed by Van Vliet's brutal drumming. The band's ability to alternate between harsh vocals and cleans takes so much talent and I am so glad I was able to catch these guys live. As the set progressed, Bloom continued to show New York City who was in charge; from having countless circle pits, insane mosh pits and wall of deaths, the atmosphere was insane. Bloom continued their set with standout tracks "Out Of Reach", "Cold", "Belrose", and "Life Moves On Without Us". For fans of bands like Underoath, Counterparts, and Static Dress, this is a band I would highly recommend adding to your radar. Their appearance at Irving Plaza served as a reminder of how the growing reach of Australia's heavy scene.

Setlist:

Forget Me Not
Out Of Reach
Keep You
Cold
Bound To Your Whispers
Belrose
Glen Street
Life Moves On Without Us
Withered

It was finally time for our first headliner to take the stage. After a long awaited time, Welsh alternative post-hardcore trio Holding Absence brought their Modern Life Is Lonely tour to New York City's Irving Plaza. Comprised of Lucas Woodland (vocals), Scott Carey (guitar), and Benjamin Elliott (bass). The band has built their identity around soaring melodies, and exploring themes of self reflection and human experience. Earlier this year, Holding Absence entered a new chapter in their career after signing with Sumerian Records, followed by the release of their highly anticipated fourth studio album, 'Modern Life Is Lonely' on September 18th, 2026. The record explores the difficulties of modern life, the desire for human connection and the isolation that can occur when surrounded by others.

The lights went dim and frontman Lucas Woodland took the stage and fans immediately cheered in excitement. Opening their set with "Whisper Of A Dream", the first track released following their signing with Sumerian Records. I couldn't tell who was louder.. Woodland or the fans in the crowd. If you have been to a Holding Absence show, you would know that Woodland loves to kick his leg in the air, and honestly I wish I was that flexible or not as clumsy. The song's atmospheric opening provided a fitting introduction, building so much anticipation for what was to come. With the weight of the album surrounding them, the trio brought it's themes to life, giving fans something to connect with.

As the set progressed, the band continued to perform tracks off their latest album, and one thing I would love to say is how incredible and surprising Scott Carey's backing vocals and screams are. Holding Absence proceeded to perform their title track "Modern Life Is Lonely". Carey's guitar work added another layer to the performance, with his backing and harsh vocals complimenting Woodland's soaring clean vocals. For the breakdown, Carey takes us away with his vocals and the pit was insane. I almost wanted to go in it but it was so insane. The band continued performing tracks such as "Gravity", "A Crooked Melody", "Kyoto Snow" and many more. As we neared the end of their set, the band performed "Afterlife". Voices began to fill the room and fans were screaming the lyrics back to Woodland. Towards the end of the song, the band called for the crowd to split the room down the middle for a wall of death. Holding Absence set a powerful tone for the evening and I cannot wait to catch this band again live and hope to have them come back to New York City again soon.