Knocked Loose returns to Houston on Sunday, October 13th, supporting their critically acclaimed album You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, with special guests The Garden, DRAIN, and Militarie Gun.
2024 is Knocked Loose’s year, and we’re all experiencing the chaos as the genre-bending hardcore/metal outfit becomes a household name in metal. Their reputation as one of hardcore’s heaviest acts continues to grow, reaching new heights with fans as they push boundaries without compromising their intensity. Fresh off their tour with Slipknot, Knocked Loose brings an all-star lineup featuring West Coast bands from California The Garden, DRAIN, and Militarie Gun.
The night kicked off with Los Angeles, California act Militarie Gun. Coming off the 2023 release of their debut album Life Under the Gun, the band is no stranger to hardcore, with lead singer Ian Shelton also fronting the hardcore powerviolence band Regional Justice Center. The band played several hits from their debut album, including the widely known track ‘Do It Faster,’ which has gained mainstream attention. During the breakdown of one song, Ian Shelton even did a front flip toward the crowd, adding to the intensity of the performance. Militarie Gun was a fantastic opener, blending alternative and hardcore punk to set the tone for the night.
California’s cursed DRAIN followed with one of the most energetic and chaotic sets of the night. A giant banner displayed the message, ‘DRAIN is NOT responsible for anything you do in the next 30 minutes.’ Frontman Sammy Ciaramitaro immediately encouraged the crowd to go wild, urging everyone to start crowd surfing and singing along with him. Fans in shark-themed costumes emerged, as if they were rising out of water, making their way toward the band. DRAIN played several hits from their debut album and their latest release Living Proof. Sammy dove into the crowd, keeping security on high alert. His stage presence was exactly what a hardcore frontman should be—encouraging everyone to leave with a night to remember.
The Garden was up next. Despite not being a hardcore or metal outfit, fans of the band were everywhere, with court jester and clown makeup seen across the crowd. Composed of twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears, The Garden creates a raw, immersive experience for the audience. The duo blends punk rock, post-punk, noise rock, and electronic beats into their unique sound. Both brothers wore full clown makeup, adding to the surreal nature of their performance. The crowd often erupted into mosh pits, with kids pushing one another in a frenzy. The brothers delivered an avant-garde live performance that kept fans on their toes, eager to see what comes next in their ever-evolving journey.
As the clock hit 9:45 PM, Knocked Loose took the stage and tore the Houston crowd for the next 75 minutes. Known for their rowdy audiences, crushing guitars, visceral vocals, and breakdowns that feel like a wall of noise crashing through you, their live performances are nothing short of intense. The stage was initially draped in white robes, and as the echoing intro of their latest album opener, Thirst, filled the venue, the robes dropped to the ground, igniting the crowd into chaos. Fans immediately broke into mosh pits and started crowd surfing.The band’s stage setup featured a glowing cross, the only consistent source of light throughout the night, surrounded by trees resembling the forest from their new album’s cover art.
The drummer was positioned center stage, partially hidden by the trees, adding to the atmospheric vibe. Lead singer Bryan Garris’s screams stood out, unlike any other vocalist in the hardcore and metal scene. Guitarists Isaac Hale and Nico Calderon added earth-shattering backing vocals, especially in tracks like Blinding Faith, amplifying the raw energy in the room. You could see moments of terror in the eyes of fans as crowd surfers reached the stage, and mosh pits erupted across the floor.
The band performed nine tracks from their latest album, along with older fan favorites from their debut album Laugh Tracks, such as “Billy No Mates” and “Counting Worms.” During Everything Is Quiet Now, a “Wall of Death” was formed, a signature moment in which the crowd splits into two sides, only to crash into each other during the breakdown. Right before the breakdown, the fans separated, while those in the middle braced themselves for what was to come. As Garris screamed ‘Everything is quiet now’ and the guitars dropped into the breakdown, the two sides collided like a scene out of a war movie.
During the set, Garris gave a shoutout to the now-closed Walters, a famous Houston venue where the band used to perform. The night ended with the crushing closer “Sit and Mourn”, as Bryan encouraged fans to crowd surf and mosh one last time. The song left the crowd with themes of despair and grief as the band wrapped up their intense performance, leaving the venue and the fans utterly shattered, an experience they will never forget.
I am a Houston-based photographer who has been attending concerts since MP3 players were a thing. I graduated from the University of Houston in 2021 with a bachelor's degree in advertising. In my free time, you can find me headbanging at hardcore/rock shows, collecting movies, and training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu!
