07 April 2025 | South Side Ballroom
Dallas, TX
On a nostalgic night charged with raw energy and emotion, Chiodos delivered a stunning performance at South Side Ballroom in Dallas, Texas, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their album All’s Well That Ends Well. With a stacked lineup of openers and a setlist that pulled deep into their beloved discography, fans were treated to an unforgettable night of emo and post-hardcore.
The night opened with the explosive energy of The Callous Daoboys, and honestly, they were badass. Their chaotic, genre-hopping set felt like being hit by a wall of sound in the best way possible. Two of the band’s standouts were Maddie Caffrey on guitar and Amber Christman on electric violin—seeing them rip through the set with so much power and precision was a total highlight.
Next up, Emmure brought the heaviness. Frankie Palmeri's relentless vocals and the crushing breakdowns got the pit moving instantly. They didn’t let up for a second, and the energy never dipped.
Hawthorne Heights followed with a perfect wave of emo nostalgia. The crowd lit up for every chorus, especially during “Ohio Is for Lovers.” It felt like being back in a bedroom plastered with band posters and scrawled lyrics on notebook paper. A true throwback to black eyeliner and burned CDs. JT Woodruff thanked the crowd several times and said how much seeing kids at the show warmed his heart, emos raising a whole new generation of emos.
A sweet moment in the crowd stood out—a young kid on his dad’s shoulders in a white Chiodos shirt that read “This is my first concert” on the back. Watching him take it all in reminded me just how much this music shaped us and why Forever The Scene Media was created.
And right at the barricade, one dedicated fan held up hand-made signs for every band with simple yet creative requests for guitar picks. Many fans crowd-surfed and moshed the night away. It was the kind of wholesome passion that reminds you why live music is so special.
Then came Chiodos, and the crowd was ready. With Craig Owens front and center, supported by Mitch Rogers (guitar/keys), Blake Hardman (guitar/vocals), Nick Ventimiglia (bass), and Nick Clemenson (drums), they launched into All’s Well That Ends Well in full. Every track hit like a time capsule, but “There’s No Penguins in Alaska” especially brought me back—it was one of my favorite songs on my Myspace profile back in the day. Hearing it live again after all these years was surreal. Craig’s voice soared and snarled with the same urgency as it did two decades ago, and the crowd matched his energy word for word. Chiodos surprised fans with a few additional tracks, including “The Undertaker’s Thirst for Revenge Is Unquenchable. (The Final Battle)”, “Thermacare,” “Two Birds Stoned at Once,” and “Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered.” The night came to a thunderous close with “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last a Minute on the Creek,” a fitting finale to a show that felt more like a victory lap than a reunion.
For longtime fans, this wasn’t just a concert—it was a time capsule, a celebration, and a reaffirmation of why Chiodos still matters. Twenty years on, All’s Well That Ends Well still hits just as hard.
