Chiodos and Hawthorne Heights at Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge, North Kansas City MO (2025-12-08)

Some bands you think you might never see again,

…but then, All’s Well That Ends Well and that was the case with Michigan post-hardcore band Chiodos, who have returned in full force after years away (just in time to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of that debut album), on a current co-headlining tour with Hawthorne Heights that made a stop in North Kansas City at Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge.

Chiodos began their career with a bang in the early 2000’s but had slowly disconnected following their 2017 fourth album, Dirt, but co-founding lead singer Craig Owens re-discovered the itch beginning in late 2023 into 2024 playing a handful of shows with his band members from Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows, as well as drummer Nick Clemenson (from band Frail Body) which has all blossomed into a full-fledged tour this year and beyond.

The tour coincides with a new 20^th anniversary version of Chiodos’ album, which is a re-recording of their 2005 original debut (released in July via Sumerian Records and on Bandcamp), which updates the sound and production of the songs from two decades ago, but remains a bit controversial for the fans that prefer the original versions.

Regardless, this was a band that many had crossed off their scorecards, after their dissolution a decade ago, but Owens proved himself still the exerting and magnetic showman and had the crowd in his hands from the beginning. Most of “All’s Well…” was played, with a couple tracks from 2007’s “Bone Palace Ballet” worked in towards the end, but this would be mostly a trip back two decades to that first record.

Owens and band ended the night with 2005’s “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last a Minute on the Creek” singing “Never looking back, loving every second of it, we just walk away” which seemed a perfect closing verse for the set and the evening. Chiodos 2.0 is back to rock.

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Before all of that musical carnage. equally veteran Dayton, OH band Hawthorne Heights set the table for the headliner perfectly with a set many were the most excited to see, and themselves are set to celebrate the 20th year of their acclaimed album If Only You Were Lonely starting next month. 

The band is still made up of core members JT Woodruff– vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, keyboards; Matt Ridenour – bass; and Mark McMillon – guitars and unclean vocals, and are joined by newcomer Dango Cellan on drums, and did put out their Sandpaper and Silk EP out digitally, earlier this year.

Beginning with 2006’s “Pins and Needles” (from the celebrated album If Only You Were Lonely) the crowd was on board as the band’s fifth member and happy to take a trip back two decades.

Woodruff addressed the crowd after three songs, taking time to acknowledge the loyalty and longtime support from the fans, and also to ask that all leave behind any negativity for the evening-  both as a reflection of what may be going on currently in the world, as well as any personal feelings- to simply allow one’s self to immerse yourself in the music and the show.

Previous hits like “Saying Sorry” and “Nik FM” were strong and got great reactions but were nothing like the reception for the band’s closing, “Ohio is for Lovers” which shook the floor and had the crowd singing louder than the band.

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Rising LA alternative band HolyWatr played a short and moody, heavy cinematic set (sonically somewhat in the Deftones wheelhouse), in support of latest EP, red heifer, a follow-up to last year’s full-length, Psalms. The band grew from a solo project by singer-songwriter Holy in 2020, with members Z, Ice and Chandler, joining along the way (we need cool musician names like that).

They’ve got a big fan in Steve Aoki and have hit the stage at the resurrected Vans Warped Tour and seem to be getting more musically confident with every release like on single, “Burn the Witch”, so are worth keeping an eye on.