Chiodos’ It’s Not You, It’s Me tour stop at The Concert Hall on August 19 felt like a concentrated trip through the band’s most influential era, with the setlist leaning heavily on the material that made them such a distinctive force in post-hardcore. What an absolute treat for longtime fans as well as newer ones that might’ve missed them back during the peak of their legendary debut and sophomore studio albums. With that said, this tour feels like a rare chance for Canadian fans to experience that mid-2000s era and scratch that nostalgic itch while also ushering in a new chapter in the band’s legacy that all fans can be a part of from the start. If you weren’t a Chiodos fan before, 2026 isn’t a bad time to start.
Kicking things off was Montréal’s Second Harbour who got the night started with a solid mix of energy and melody. They were a good fit for the lineup, warming up the crowd without trying to overshadow what was still to come. If anything, their post-hardcore sound with Xavier Morency’s vocals was so complimentary to the rest of the bill, their set offered a chance for the Toronto crowd to discover a good emerging Canadian act before the night got heavier than people expected it to be. Next up was sace6 from NJ/NY who brought a noticeably heavier and darker sound to the room. Their set helped turn the energy up another notch, while keeping the crowd hot and ready. The combination of sace and Noah Thomas was like a one-two punch that had Toronto bobbing and weaving to their unique metalcore sound and production. Lots of character and emotionally-driven so their music easily found a home in a show like this one. Hailing from Steel City came 156/Silence after that, who might’ve delivered the heaviest set of the night before Chiodos took the stage. Their mix of crushing metalcore riffs, huge breakdowns and more moody moments hit hard in The Concert Hall while blending in sections offered lots of catchy melodies and vocals from Jack Murray that added a special layer to their sound. If there was a throughline across the openers, it’s easy to lean on “hardcore” to keep it simple, but more than that, it just feels like these bands just don’t seem to have any room for compromise when it comes to honing in on each of their distinct sounds within the very broad genre. Of course, the same rings true with the act the crowd’s been waiting for.
Chiodos opening with the Prelude / All Nereids Beware / One Day Women Will All Become Monsters combination was an straight divebomb into All’s Well That Ends Well, with All Nereids Beware starting things off strong for Toronto, already creating a big crowd moment and the show had just started. Its dramatic arrangement and Craig Owens’ theatrical vocal style just sets the stage for the emotional intensity that would define the rest of the performance. It’s also just a killer track to open with in general to really hit fans with that familiar album nostalgia while setting expectations for the listeners like the song did for the 2005 release.
The set then jumped forward to the brand-new TAPDAT, released at the end of July 2026 just weeks before this downtown performance. Its placement so early in the set made was nice to highlight new work right after hard-hitting oldies but was also a good underscore that Chiodos are still capable of adding to their celebrated legacy. After a pleasant rendition of Interlude Pt. 1 from Mitch Rogers, the show moved into There’s No Penguins in Alaska following the cadence of the album once more before moving into No Hardcore Dancing in the Living Room, and The Words ‘Best Friend’ Become Redefined that just slammed into Toronto like a bulldozer. Simon Martinez’s guitar work was a huge part of this driving force that Best Friends needs to have in a live performance. Overall, the main set drew heavily from the band’s 2005 debut and made it feel like a time machine through that early period most closely associated with Chiodos’ classic sound with a quick glimpse of what could come next for the five-piece. 20 years later and the band was making nostalgia feel new again.
After a quick walk-off and mini-rave interlude, the encore made sure that nostalgia continued to peak. Chiodos went straight for the jugular right into The Undertaker’s Thirst for Revenge Is Unquenchable (The Final Battle) that really kicked things off with one of the band’s most dramatic pieces, before arguably the deepest cut of the night in the form of Thermacare and then A Letter From Janelle brought two of the most emotionally recognizable songs in the catalogue back into the spotlight. Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered capped off the Bone Palace Ballet section of the night that kept intensity high before Baby, You Wouldn’t Last a Minute on the Creek delivered the obvious grand finale. As arguably Chiodos’ most recognizable song and one of the defining tracks of the mid-2000s post-hardcore era, it was the perfect closer: A massive singalong and an emphatic reminder of why these songs have remained so important to the band’s fanbase. So literally, for another night of this tour, all was well and did in fact, end well too.
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