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“Houston, Texas,”  yelled Vic Fuentes into the microphone, climbing on a riser. “Did you come here to forget about all the drama, all the bullshit?”

The crowd yelled in agreement, closing what little space they could find between them and the stage with another surge forward. 

“Well sing this with us; We will bring the tidal wave, we will bring the tidal wave, we will bring the tidal wave, WE WILL BRING THE TIDAL WAVE!” 

Photo by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

Setting the scene

Pierce the Veil played White Oak Music Hall in support of I Prevail on Sunday night. It was the first time they played in Houston since 2017. 

Houstonians poured into the lawn at White Oak hours before the band was set to perform. Fans happily stood for Fit For a King and Yours Truly while they waited. 

At 7:05, the brassy, opening notes of “El rey” by Vicente Fernandes began to play. Fans stood up a little straighter, looking around at each other in excitement. One young lady passed out a fist full of tiny  Mexican flags to those at the front. A grito could be heard on the right side of the audience before being drowned out by a chorus of people singing along to El Chente. 

The song changed again, and the band filed on stage, jumping into a fiery rendition of “Hell Above.”

Photo by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

The show begins

Hailing from San Diego, the pop-punk/post-hardcore trio hadn’t put out new music since their fourth studio album, Misadventures, in 2016. That all changed on the first of September earlier this year when they dropped a new single, “Pass The Nirvana.”  

The song was among the first played. Not even a month old, fans were already able to sing along to every word. Someone threw a Mexican flag on stage, and bassist Jaime Preciado was quick to scoop it up. He paraded it up and down the stage before tying it to his mic stand. 

Photo by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

“Caraphenalia” came next, a fan favorite for which the crowd went wild. All sound stopped from the band for the line “talking to my mom about a little first from Texas,” so that the audience could sing it at the top of their lungs. Near the end of the song,  Eric Vanlerberghe of I Prevail joined PVT on stage to sing in place of A Day To Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon. 

The band took things back to their third studio album, Collide With The Sky, with “Bulls in the Bronx.” The song has taken on a life of its own in recent years as the alternative Latin American community has taken it on as a sort of anthem of their two most prominent identities. 

Para la gente

Photo by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

The song’s accompanying music video features a traditional Mexican dancer flaunting her elaborate skirts during an iconic instrumental portion. Many have taken to reenacting the bit on TikTok, adding their own personal flair. One such person is Kenya Reyes

For the breakdown, she was introduced to the audience by Fuentes. Then she took center stage for a dance that had those in attendance going wild. Fuentes bowed to her at the end of it, giving her a nod of appreciation before the crowd sent her off with thunderous applause. 

Photo by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

“It’s an honor to be part of your life”

Pierce The Veil was just as excited to be back on the stage as the fans were to have them. Frontman Vic Fuentes grinned at those in attendance, marveling at how long it had been since the band had played in Houston. 

“It’s an honor to be part of your life,” he finished before diving into “Circles.” 

The band played a setlist full of heavy hitters. “A Match Into Water” drove the crowd insane. The band matched their energy, jumping all over the stage as they played. They introduced “Hold On Till May” as a song written for a friend that felt neglected and undervalued by her family as she grew up. 

The band closed with “King For A Day,” inspiring White Oak to give their all for one last song. 
Pierce The Veil is still on tour with I Prevail. Catch them in a city near you.

Photo by Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

@cynthia_zelaya _ | Executive Editor 2022-2023 | Assistant Editor 2021-2022

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