On the beautiful fall night of October 4, 2025, AFI and TR/ST performed for a sold-out crowd at The Bluestone in Columbus, Ohio.
TR/ST kicked off the night and were the perfect opener for AFI. Their music is the perfect blend of melancholy tones and dance-worthy drumbeats. Singer Robert Alfons seemed to be in a trance with the way he moved across the stage, pulling the audience along with him. Their set brought about nostalgic memories of goth night at the club while in college. All around, it was a fun and beautiful performance that I look forward to seeing again.
Now for the main event, AFI. Yes, Davey Havok’s new ‘do and ‘stache are just as glorious in person as you’d imagine. As is tradition, the guys blasted onto the stage with “Strength Through Wounding” as the crowd chanted, “Through our bleeding, we are one.” Much to my delight, the setlist included a decent amount of older hits beyond “Girls Not Grey” and “Days of the Phoenix.” We got “Westar,” “Sacrifice Theory,” and my favorite “God Called in Sick Today.” Sprinkled in were some amazing tunes off their new album “Silver Bleeds the Black Sun.” All through the performance, the crowd could be heard belting every lyric. No doubt some lost voices occurred the following day. Bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget moved about the stage like pinballs, and Havok was never more than a few inches from the front row. Not enough good things can be said about seeing these guys live. There are still plenty of dates left on this tour, so be sure to catch the fun yourself!
