Come Out to LA: Don Broco’s High-Energy Night at The Wiltern
january 31st, 2026 • the wiltern • los angeles, california
full gallery can be found here
On a warm, wind-swept Saturday night in Los Angeles, musicians and friends gathered on The Wiltern’s smoking patio between sets, reconnecting with old acquaintances and striking up conversations with new ones. Inside the historic venue—and just beyond its doors—the atmosphere crackled with anticipation. Everyone was there for the same reason: to witness great live music.
Originally from Long Island, New York, sace6 is an alternative group whose sound blends elements of emo, pop, shoegaze, and heavy rock. Sace cites bands such as Three Days Grace and Deftones among his core influences, channeling their emotional weight and atmospheric intensity into his own work. In 2021, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he began recording music from his apartment alongside his producer and longtime friend, Noah Thomas. The band consists of vocalist Sace, guitarist and unclean vocalist Noah Thomas, and drummer Tyler Saxz.
While sace6 has yet to release a full-length album, he has steadily built his catalog since 2021 through a series of singles and EPs. His debut single, “stomach aches,” arrived in July 2021, and his most recent release, “ego,” dropped in January 2026. To date, he has released three EPs, though two of them—Bled (2023) and Buried Again (2024)—are concise, two-track projects. His most expansive release so far, Limerence (2025), stands as his only full-length EP and features collaborations with jxdn and Rain City Drive.
For a listener encountering them for the first time, their performance on Friday was immediately captivating. The set seamlessly blended elements of nu metal, electronic textures, and both soft, melodic vocals and harsher, hardcore delivery, resulting in a sound that felt cohesive and intentional. At moments, their music echoed shades of artists like Sueco and HOLYWATR, while still maintaining a distinct identity of its own.
There was a dark, eerie undercurrent throughout the performance, but it never felt overwhelming or inaccessible. Instead, the atmosphere was surprisingly comforting—moody yet inviting. Their live rendition of the recent single “ego” stood out as a highlight of the night, showcasing the band’s dynamic range. The contrast between Sace’s delicate vocal lines and the heavy, distorted guitar riffs, paired with more aggressive vocal moments, created a visceral impact that lingered well after the song ended.
Though the project remains relatively new and has yet to release a full-length album, the strength of the live performance suggested significant potential. If Friday’s set was any indication, sace6 is an artist worth watching, and one whose future releases are well worth anticipating.
The second artist of the night was alternative and nu-metal outfit Dropout Kings, formerly known as Phoenix Down, hailing from Phoenix, Arizona. The band formed in 2016 and is currently signed to Suburban Noise Records. Dropout Kings emerged after the breakup of vocalist Adam Ramey’s previous project, following a vocal cover he recorded of Linkin Park’s “Lying From You.” The response to the cover inspired Ramey to reconnect with former bandmates Trevor Norgren, Staig Flynn, Rob Sebastian, Chucky Guzman, and Tre Scott to form a new group, initially operating under the name Phoenix Down before rebranding as Dropout Kings.
The band released their debut single, “NVM,” in early 2018, which was soon followed by their first full-length album, AudioDope, released in August of the same year. Since then, Dropout Kings have toured extensively, including a notable appearance on the Main Stage at the Gathering of the Juggalos in 2019. To date, the group has released three studio albums and one EP.
The current lineup consists of William “Black Cat Bill” Lauderdale (vocals), Rob Sebastian (vocals), Joe Lana Jr. (drums), and Chucky Guzman (bass). Founding vocalist Adam Ramey passed away in May 2025.
Dropout Kings’ set marked a sharp stylistic shift from the moody, introspective atmosphere established by sace6, diving headfirst into the band’s high-energy trap-metal sound. They opened with “Black Sheep” from their 2025 album Yokai, immediately setting the tone for the rest of the performance. The track begins with a dark, electronic pulse reminiscent of phonk, paired with a low, guttural vocal growl before erupting into heavy hardcore riffs driven by thick bass and pounding drums.
As the song unfolded, it transitioned seamlessly into trap-influenced beats, with rapid-fire rap vocals taking center stage. The chorus swung back toward heavier hardcore textures, layered with cleaner, alternative-leaning melodies. This constant push and pull between genres defined much of the set. While such abrupt shifts could easily feel disjointed in less capable hands, Dropout Kings executed them with precision, demonstrating a firm command of their hybrid sound.
Though unfamiliar with the band prior to the show, their performance proved immediately compelling, leaving a strong enough impression that several tracks quickly earned a place on my playlist.
Formed in 2008 while its members were still in secondary school, Don Broco is an alternative rock band from Bedford, England. The quartet consists of lead vocalist Rob Damiani, guitarist Simon Delaney, bassist Tom Doyle, and drummer/vocalist Matt Donnelly. Though they performed together during their school years, it wasn’t until studying at Nottingham University that they committed fully to the band. During that period, they cycled through several potential names—including Summer Fall, Club Sex, and Don Loco—before settling on Don Broco, a name adopted after Delaney broke his wrist in a football accident.
By 2017, Don Broco had built a strong reputation in the UK through extensive touring and festival appearances, supporting acts such as Four Year Strong, You Me at Six, and Mayday Parade. Their breakthrough in the United States came after touring alongside State Champs, Against the Current, and With Confidence. The band made their Warped Tour debut in the summer of 2018 and launched their first U.S. headlining tour in September 2019, beginning with a show at Brighton Music Hall in Boston.
Since the release of their debut album Priorities in 2012, Don Broco have steadily evolved their sound into something increasingly bold and distinctive. While primarily categorized as alternative rock, the band incorporates elements of electronic music, pop rock, post-hardcore, and nu metal. Priorities reflected the guitar-driven alternative sound of its era, drawing comparisons to contemporaries like Arctic Monkeys, and carried a youthful, DIY spirit that felt both authentic and energetic.
Their second album, Automatic, marked a shift toward heavier and more aggressive influences. Tracks like “Money Power Fame” introduced thicker guitar tones, prominent bass lines, and a more confrontational edge, while songs such as “Nerve” balanced intensity with melodic accessibility, cementing the band’s growing confidence and ambition.
The release of the single “Everybody” in 2016 proved to be a defining moment in Don Broco’s career. The track showcased the band’s refined identity, built around crushing bass lines, explosive drum patterns, and dramatic dynamic shifts—elements that would become signatures of their later work. Around this time, Don Broco also began leaning into darkly comedic and surreal visuals in their music videos. The unsettling cowboy figure introduced in “Everybody” would reappear in later releases, including “Pretty” and “Come Out to LA,” helping establish the band’s distinctive visual language alongside their sonic evolution.
Since 2022, Don Broco have continued to release a string of well-received singles, including “Fingernails,” “Birthday Party,” “Cellophane,” “Disappear,” and “Euphoria.” Each track reinforces the band’s ability to balance heaviness with accessibility, further solidifying their place within the modern alternative landscape.
One of the band’s most enduring live traditions centers on “T-Shirt Song” from their 2017 album Technology. The song addresses themes of mental health, resilience, and finding light during dark periods. Inspired by a moment Damiani experienced at a club night, the band encourages audiences to swing their shirts during live performances—a ritual that has become a cathartic and communal moment at Don Broco shows.
Don Broco opened their set with one of their newer singles, “Cellophane,” immediately establishing the night’s intensity. The track begins with jagged, scratching guitar riffs and echoing backing vocals that build toward the first beat drop, where Rob Damiani’s vocals enter alongside crushing bass and drums. Witnessing the buildup and eventual breakdown live was particularly striking—the low end was physically palpable, and the energy in the room surged instantly. From the moment the band stepped onstage, they commanded the audience’s full attention.
The momentum continued with “Pretty” from 2018, which drew an explosive response from the crowd the moment it began. As the chorus hit, the thunderous bass and drums had the room moving in unison, with the audience jumping in time to the beat. Damiani’s animated performance—arms flailing in rhythmic, almost choreographed motion—made it clear he was fully immersed in the music. The third song of the night, “Come Out to LA,” proved to be a standout moment. It opened gently, with Matt Donnelly’s soft vocals guiding the early verses before the song swelled into a powerful blend of heavy bass, driving drums, and layered melodic guitar lines.
The rest of the set maintained an impressively high level of intensity, matched equally by the crowd’s enthusiasm. Standout moments included “Disappear” and the long-awaited live performance of “Fingernails,” a highlight years in the making for me. Unsurprisingly, the band’s iconic “T-Shirt Song” closed one of the night’s most memorable scenes, as the entire room swung shirts overhead in unison.
Even having seen them recently, the performance left a lasting impression and only heightened anticipation for their return—and for the band’s forthcoming album. If their recent run of singles is any indication, Don Broco’s next release is poised to make a significant impact.
