Sleeping With Sirens: Fellowship at the “An Ending In Itself” Tour

Design by Sophie Parrish

By Andy Brown

On November 3, 2026, at Boston’s House of Blues, the iconic post-hardcore band Sleeping With Sirens prepared to headline their sold out show on the An Ending In Itself tour. The tour started in early October, the perfect beginning for emo music season. Since the release of their first album in 2009, Sleeping With Sirens quickly became a staple of 2010s emo, with their hit song “If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn,” which features lead singer Kellin Quinn’s unique high-pitched vocals. Their newest album An Ending In Itself, released in June of this year, is described as a “different outlook on life” by Kellin Quinn, a reflection on a world very different from when the band first began creating music, and channels a more positive perspective. 

I arrived at Citizens House of Blues, being in the minority of people under 21 in attendance, as I was surrounded by older college students and millennials. The entrance line was a sea of black and red clothing, with Pierce The Veil merch, a close collaborator with Sleeping With Sirens, being a staple in the concert goers wardrobe. Seeing the excited elder millennials discuss frontman Kellin Quinn with awe and fan girl affection brought how strong the emo community’s roots are to my attention. For a band that has been making music for 17 years, they still managed to sell out a show to thousands of adoring fans, who are continuously connecting and bonding over their music.

The North American leg of the tour features two openers: Shyeye and Rainy City Drive. Shyeye entered the stage at around seven, kicking off the night with her song “Falling.” Shyeye’s music is reminiscent of Paramore, carrying that female-led 2000s emo sound with a heavier edge. The music was loud, leaning into the post-hardcore genre with pounding bass and percussion, and utilizing screaming, fried vocals to create her intense sound. The energy of the crowd, since the beginning of the show, was electric. Halfway though Shyeye’s set, the pit opened up, people throwing themselves into the mosh, bodies were lifted into the mob to crowd surf towards the stage. Much like early Sleeping With Sirens shows, the crowd was exhilarating, full of excitement and ready to dance. Shyeye’s long blonde hair whipped around the stage as she headbanged, the intoxicating energy leaking into the crowd as she asked the crowd to jump with her. Her moody, grungy vocals were intoxicating to listen to, and I found myself enjoying the newcomer to the music scene. 

Rainy City Drive entered the stage, the crowd already buzzing, at 7:50, starting with “Frozen.” The band consists of members of former post hardcore band, “Slaves” and introduces electronic influences into the classic post hardcore sound. The lead vocalist, Matt McAndrew, continuously asked the crowd to clap their hands along with the beat, as the bass reverberated through concert goers bones. Rainy City Drive, while popular with the crowd, had a very generic sound, with nothing particularly compelling or unique about the vocals or instrumentals, other than the electronic influences that didn’t quite seem to fit. The crowd, however, managed to maintain their energy throughout their set, continuously moshing as McAndrew cheered on and encouraged the moshers. 

The energy had already flourished by the time Rainy City Drive closed their set and by 8:50, as Sleeping With Sirens took to the stage, the crowd was insatiable. An intense, droning bass overtook the venue as bright red lights illuminated the stage. Tony Pizzuti (lead guitar), Matty Best (drums), Nick Martin (guitar), Justin Hill (bass), and Kellin Quinn (lead vocalist) entered from stage left, kicking off their set right away with “Kick Me.” Immediately, the pit was open and fans were flying over the crowd. A few songs later, the band introduced the title track of their most recent release, “An Ending in Itself.” Its guitar and percussion are very reminiscent of their older albums, leaning into the 2000s nostalgia. The sound draws in the metal and post hardcore inspired guitar riffs and heavy breakdowns that the band first garnered popularity for. At this point, crowd surfers were sailing above my head, drunk millenial limbs were flying into my face, and the energy had yet to dim.

Kellin Quinn addressed the crowd at several points, first to thank the audience and comment on the incredible work ethic of Bostonians. Another one of Quinn’s speeches, prior to “A Trophy Father’s Trophy Son,” claimed that you can choose your family, and that the people you choose to surround yourself with can be more important than those blood related to you. The song is an emotional personal piece on how Quinn’s stepchildren were treated before he entered their life. Many listeners resonate with the song’s emotional reconciliation with a man unfit to be a father. The song repeats “is this what you call a family?,” which struck me in the moment as I watched the crowd bond over the music. A catharsis settled over the crowd as they screamed the lyrics, a collective expression of frustration with family and life. By the band’s eighth song, “Go Go Go,” Quinn enlisted the audience to chant the three-word chorus back at him. I watched as friends clung to each other, an alternative mother and her alternative child held onto each other as they hollered the lyrics back at Quinn. Noticeably, there were very few phones obstructing my view, compared to many concerts I’ve attended, and I wasn’t forced to watch it through a screen. I got the sense that the crowd was there to fully experience and enjoy their night.

Their fourteenth song “Do It Now Remember It Later,” acted as participatory send off, the crowd singing the intro vocals along with Quinn, serving as a powerful send off as Sleeping With Sirens walked off stage. Fans cheered for “one more song” at the empty stage until the band returned, preparing for two more encore songs. “If You’re James Dean, I’m Audrey Hepburn,” the song that rocketed their career from the start began with an acoustic version before picking up its heaving guitar and percussion. The room echoed with the lyrics “They say that love is forever / Your forever is all that I need / Please stay as long as you need.” Following this, Sleeping with Sirens ended their encore with “If You Can’t Hang,” sparking the crowd’s energy one last time as the venue erupted into voices. “If you can’t hang then, there’s the door, baby,” rang throughout House of Blues, a finale bursting with spirit and residual anger that every emo fan channeled. 

Outside of the palpable energy, what struck me most was the crowd’s apparent desire to live in the moment. There were very few phones in the sea of general admission, a notion I was very pleased by. Drunk millennials screamed lyrics into the space, threw themselves around dancing, and everyone was visibly having a good time. The community and energy throughout the building fascinated me and reminded me of what I love most about emo culture and music in general. It brings community, commonality, and togetherness through a single common interest.