Eager chatter filled the sold-out venue of the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles as 2,300 fans waited for the post-hardcore band Hail the Sun to emerge on stage on April 4. A QR code drifted down over the curtain behind the stage, beckoning the audience to participate in voting for what would be on that night’s setlist. Quickly, phones began to spring out from the crowd, pointing towards the stage, as the audience scurried to get their votes in, choosing between 2023’s “Chunker,” 2021’s “Parasitic Cleanse” or 2023’s“60-Minute Session Blocks.”
Four opening bands performed before Hail the Sun’s set: Mella, rock duo Gold Necklace, progressive rock band Makari and Foxy Shazam. Each opener is under Kill Iconic Records, the same record label that the lead singer of Hail The Sun Donovan Melero is under. Foxy Shazam appeared to have a particular connection to both the crowd and Melero as well, with the vocalist expressing his admiration for them following their set, alongside how inspired he had been by them. By the end of Foxy Shazam’s set, the crowd was in an uproar, with fans in the upper seating leaving their seats to get as close as possible to seeing the band while thrusting their palms into the air. Lupita Villaseñor, one of the fans on the floor during the show, was blown away by the band’s performance.
“I loved Foxy Shazam’s presence,” Villaseñor told New University. “I love their crowd engagement, like, the pianist played in the crowd, and stuff. I love it. I love when bands enjoy what they’re doing. You could tell the crowd really ate it up too.”
Doors had opened for the night at 5:45 p.m., and each opener performed within 30-minute intervals of one another, until all went pitch black as the headliner Hail The Sun emerged from the side of the stage at 9:40 p.m. The crowd energy was through the roof after Foxy Shazam’s eruptive set and ear-piercing screams rang throughout the venue as Melero shouted, “You ready?”
Hail The Sun opened with the track “The Drooling Class” off of their most recent 2025 album, “cut. turn. fade. back.” Neon blue light filled the room, pulsing from the lights arranged onstage, before teal light shot from the sides of the platforms that drummer Allen Casillas and bassist John Stirratt had been playing atop of.
Their setlist was 16 tracks long, with Melero having a message for the audience right before the seventh track in their setlist “Human Target Practice.” A distorted sound effect played in the background, as Melero began to speak.
“Police brutality is still a very real issue in this country today, and we want to say, it’s never an excuse for cowardly ICE agents with masks on to kill our people, and kill American citizens. This song’s called ‘Human Target Practice.’ F**k ICE,” Melero shouted to the crowd.
Screams, claps and middle fingers rose up from the audience in support of Melero’s message.
Once the band had reached the end of their 15th track “Maladapted,” Melero ended with a short “thank you” before he, alongside the rest of the band, exited the stage and the stage lights shut off. The audience, however, had not been satisfied with such an abrupt ending, and began chanting in unison, “One more song! One more song!” Phone flashlights began pointing towards and illuminating the stage as the crowd cheered.
After three long minutes, the band walked back on stage, and the crowd cheered again.
“You’re on some LA-type-s**t aren’t you tonight?” Melero shouted when he reached the microphone. “We thought we were done, we just went away, and you’re all still here. Thank you so much. This is such a monumental show for us. And I truly want to dedicate this to our families here tonight, to my parents. Thank you for standing by my side through my relapse and through all the s**t I put you through and thank you for buying $20 tickets to our local shows where 40 people would show up 15 years ago.”
After the end of his heartwarming speech, Hail the Sun dove into their final track of the night, “Black Serotonin,” before officially ending their show at 11 p.m. The crowd was finally satisfied with the show’s ending. As attendees threw their hands in the air and cheered, the band turned their backs to the crowd and snapped a photo to forever document their first sold-out show at the Wiltern Theater. This is also their last show in Southern California for their Spring 2026 Tour. Melero is excited for what’s in store for the band’s future.
“L.A., it’s been our absolute pleasure. We are Hail the Sun. We can’t wait to come back. Let’s do the Hollywood Palladium next time. We should do that. Then, let’s do Shrine. Let’s do Crypto Arena! Thank you!” Melero said to the crowd as the concert came to an end.
The tour is to continue until early May as the band ventures throughout the United States to perform, with their next stop being at the Nile Theater in Mesa, Arizona on April 5.
Juliana Maldonado is an Arts and Entertainment Intern for the spring 2026 quarter. She can be reached at jrmaldo1@uci.edu.
Edited by Corinna Chin and Luis Ortiz
