By Julie Hoffman
originally published: 09/03/2025
Summer tours don’t get much more scene-defining than this one: Taking Back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria joined forces for a co-headlining run that gave fans a double dose of early 2000s emo/post-hardcore power, supported by Foxing setting the tone as a special guest opener. The tour came to the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel on August 29, 2025.
Foxing - St. Louis indie rockers Foxing kicked off the night with a genre-bending set that highlighted their ability to move seamlessly from fragile intimacy to explosive catharsis. Conor Murphy’s vocals—shifting between delicate falsetto and raw grit—rode waves of lush instrumentation from Eric Hudson’s shimmering guitar lines and Brett Torrence’s pulsing bass. Jon Hellwig’s drums locked everything into place while they pushed the sound beyond the typical emo framework. Songs like “Nearer My God” and “The Medic” resonated with the early crowd, proving why Foxing have become known for the experimental side of emo.
Taking Back Sunday - By the time Taking Back Sunday stormed the stage, the energy shifted from atmospheric to electric. Frontman Adam Lazzara remains one of the most magnetic presences in rock—whipping his mic cable, pacing with restless urgency, and pushing every lyric to the edge.
The setlist was a career-spanning reminder of why TBS became icons of the genre: “A Decade Under the Influence” and “You’re So Last Summer” drew some of the loudest singalongs of the night, while deeper cuts like “Error: Operator” and “Liar (It Takes One to Know One)” gave longtime fans their due. Of course, “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team)” and “MakeDamnSure” closed their portion of the night in a blaze of cathartic shouting.
What made this tour special, though, was the return of Fred Mascherino on guitar, filling in for John Nolan while he takes time with his family. Mascherino’s presence was instantly felt—his harmonies, riffs, and stage chemistry transported the crowd back to the Where You Want to Be and Louder Now eras. For fans who lived through that golden run of TBS, it was a goosebump-inducing homecoming.
Coheed and Cambria - Where TBS lean into chaos and catharsis, Coheed and Cambria brought pure spectacle. Claudio Sanchez and company arrived to a stage set flanked by a giant inflatable Blind Side Sonny, glowing under colored and gold lights, as if stepping directly out of their own Amory Wars comic universe.
Their set was both technically dazzling and emotionally crushing—moving from the angular riffs of “Blood Red Summer” and “Number City” to the prog epics like “The Continuum II: The Flood”. The encore featured a jaw-dropping stretch: “Corner My Confidence”, the fan-favorite “Welcome Home”, and a surprise cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”—with Adam Lazzara joining in to make the moment unforgettable.
Claudio’s soaring vocals, Travis Stever’s dynamic guitar work, and Josh Eppard’s drumming kept the entire amphitheater in awe, but it was the fusion of visuals (a glowing skull, shifting backdrops, lasers) and sonic storytelling that truly turned the show into an experience.
With Foxing’s experimental edge, Taking Back Sunday’s raw anthems, and Coheed and Cambria’s theatrical prog mastery, this tour is the rare package that hits on multiple generations of emo, post-hardcore, and rock fandom at once.
For longtime scene veterans, it’s a reunion of voices that defined their youth. For newer fans, it’s proof that these bands still evolve, still surprise, and still know how to command a stage.
One thing is certain: the pairing of Taking Back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria is more than just a nostalgic throwback—it’s a reminder that these bands remain vital, hungry, and still capable of blowing minds decades into their careers.
Julie Hoffman is a concert and live event photographer with a background in broadcasting. She started out in the newsroom at ABC News in NYC, and ended up as a Technical Director at Disney/ ABC TV studios in Los Angeles. She has since left broadcasting and moved back to the east coast, where she started up her photography business.
When she is not at a concert, she is shooting print/theatrical headshots out of her studio in Livingston, NJ. For more on her visit her website at www.juliehoffmanphotography.com or her Instagram accounts for Concerts/Live Events and Headshots.
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