Ally Nicholas
Los Angeles-based Ally Nicholas shoegaze with metal. The set opened with a leisurely performance, easing the crowd into their indie rock groove. Ally, guitar and lead vocals, her voice moving between gritty rasp and clean, clear tone as she serenaded the room. Diego held down the bass with background vocals in sync with the rhythm’s subtle movement, while Grant’s steady, thrumming drums tied the whole thing together, building anticipation for what was still to come. During the set, they also debuted a new, unreleased song, and the crowd stood still, locked into the lyrics and sound.
Ally Nicholas dedicated the songs as love songs, with red and blue lighting casting an atmosphere of warmth and calm. The set closed with “All Summer Long,” which showed off Ally’s vulnerable vocals and slowed the crowd into a calm sway. A breakdown near the end revealed the metal edge underneath their sound, a preview of what they’re capable of.
Origami Angel
Two-Piece rock band Origami Angel from Washington, D.C., were up next. Made up of singer/guitarist Ryland Heagy and drummer Pat Doherty. Watching a two-man band pull off this much sound was genuinely impressive. Ryland paced and lunged across the stage, guitar in hand, barely standing still through the set. Their first song was “Zed Clarity,” and the crowd was ecstatic. During one guitar swap, a crew member stepped in to help him switch instruments mid-song without losing a beat.
Playing songs off their album “Somewhere City”, including the title track, highlighted Ryland’s vocals as he shifted between clean, melodic runs and rugged intensity. The crowd surged during drum breakdowns and bursts of screamed vocals. They closed with a soundboard-backed performance of “Wretched Trajectory.” Between songs, the band commented on the state of the world and admitted it had been a while since they’d played Kansas City, hyping the crowd for the acts still to come. Their last song of the set, a 2011 track called “Back to Life,” looks back on the past and on yourself.
Watching a two-piece deliver this much energy live raises the obvious question of how they manage it. Their technique behind it is hard to look away from. Origami Angel brought a genuine mix of pop punk and heavy rock to the stage, and the pit opened up as the set built toward its final guitar solos.
Silverstein
Going in, it wasn’t clear who’d be headlining, so it was a surprise to see Silverstein take the stage next, with Story of the Year closing out the night. Silverstein leaned into new material like “Stress” off 2025’s Antibloom. Their sound has shifted toward more singing pulled from their 2003/2005 material.
Hearing them live at the Voodoo Lounge was something else. An intro video kicked off their first time playing at Voodoo Lounge. The stage effects and costuming played into a summer-camp theme, reimagined for an emo crowd. From the band’s summer-camp/Boy Scout aesthetic to the Smokey the Bear clip that ran during a song about wildfirest, it brought back memories of Warp Tour, minus the outdoor heat. The venue’s sound production stood out: nothing overpowered the vocals, and the mix stayed clean whether I was up close by the stage or back near the merch booth. The sound carried evenly through the whole room. If you haven’t experienced the Voodoo Lounge’s sound setup, it’s worth the trip.
Story of the Year
Being from Missouri themselves, it made sense that Story of the Year closed out the night
Compared to their older songs and albums from the early 2000s post-hardcore emo era, their newer material — including their latest album, A.R.S.O.N. — has evolved into a mix of pop punk and metalcore. A lot of song references came from music videos playing on the screens behind them throughout the set. Lead vocals from Dan Marsala synced perfectly with the “Disconnected” music video as it played in the background.
Marsala, guitarist Ryan Phillips, and bassist Adam Russell brought the energy, moving up and down the ramps around drummer Josh Wills. It was obvious they were all having a blast throughout the evening. With every song, they gave it their all, leaving it all with the fans in the crowd.
They covered the iconic intro of Korn’s “Blind,” leading into Deftones’ “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away),” followed by “All the Small Things” from Blink-182. Then they closed the night with “Until the Day I Die,” a fitting end to a true emo rock night at the Voodoo Lounge.
