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Bad Omens perform during Aftershock Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif. on Oct. 4, 2025.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tBad Omens perform during Aftershock Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento, Calif. on Oct. 4, 2025.<\/p>\n
OAKLAND \u2014 It was a rousing finale for metalcore heavyweights Bad Omens, who closed out their DO YOU FEEL LOVE North American tour Friday night at Oakland Arena.<\/p>\n
The run marked the band\u2019s biggest tour to date, both in venue size and production. Vocalist Noah Sebastian took a seat at the front of the stage near the end of the band\u2019s 90-minute set, addressing a near-capacity crowd and reflecting on the journey that led there.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe we pulled this off and I can\u2019t believe so many people want to see us,\u201d Sebastian said. \u201cWe don\u2019t come from a scene that plays music like this in arenas.\u201d<\/p>\n
The band has come a long way since its last Bay Area stop \u2014 a 2022 opening slot for Underoath<\/a> at the Warfield. Since then, Sebastian, bassist Nicholas Ruffilo, guitarist Joakim Karlsson and drummer Nick Folio have become regulars on the hard rock festival circuit, including multiple appearances at Aftershock in Sacramento.<\/p>\n \u201cI was wondering the amount of shows we could do before getting worn down,\u201d Sebastian said. \u201cI guess we found out this is exactly the perfect amount.\u201d<\/p>\n Even so, he acknowledged the toll of the road.<\/p>\n \u201cYou may get a tired, dialed-back Bad Omens, but you also get to be here for a special night,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The scale of Friday\u2019s show was sneakily striking. Pyramid-shaped video screens stacked toward the rafters, while strobe lights stretched across the stage. Hidden within the setup were bursts of fire, smoke, lasers and confetti \u2014 all deployed with precision to match each track\u2019s intensity.<\/p>\n Though the band hasn\u2019t released a full-length follow-up to 2022\u2019s The Death of Peace of Mind, it had plenty of newer material to draw from, including the Concrete Jungle compilation and recent singles like the anthemic opener \u201cSpecter.\u201d<\/p>\n Dressed in all black, Sebastian emerged under stark white lighting, delivering the haunting opening lines. The track highlighted his range, moving from ferocity to restraint. The set unfolded in distinct segments. Each three- to four-song act was broken up by a cinematic cut scenes with a narrator setting the emotional tone for what came next.<\/p>\n Red lighting washed over the stage for the brooding title track and the aggressive \u201cGlass Houses,\u201d while a crumbling cityscape backdrop underscored the intensity of \u201cCONCRETE JUNGLE.\u201d<\/p>\n Sebastian kept banter minimal for much of the night but opened up toward the end, taking time to thank the crew.<\/p>\n \u201cSo much work has gone into this moment,\u201d he said. \u201cEvery day our crews build all this shit from the ground up.\u201d<\/p>\n Beartooth vocalist Caleb Shomo joined the band for \u201cNowhere to Go,\u201d adding both vocals and high-energy crowd work. Collab track \u201cV.A.N.\u201d took on a heavier feel live, with Sebastian\u2019s vocals pushed more to the forefront.<\/p>\n Newer songs like \u201cDying to Love,\u201d \u201cLeft for Good\u201d and especially \u201cImpose\u201d translated well onstage, the latter leaning into electronic elements that paired with a dramatic laser and smoke display.<\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, \u201cJust Pretend\u201d drew one of the night\u2019s biggest reactions, with fans singing along as phones lit up the arena \u2014 a reminder of the track\u2019s viral rise and role in pushing the band to a new level.<\/p>\n After chants and a sea of phone lights coaxed them back, Bad Omens returned for a heavy encore, closing with \u201cDethrone.\u201d<\/p>\n Fellow metalcore rockers Beartooth provided direct support, delivering a 45-minute set that leaned into the band\u2019s increasingly melodic direction. Shomo was a constant presence, driving energy from the stage. He has come under some fire recently over the band\u2019s latest single \u201cFree,\u201d which takes on a poppier tone to match his decidedly more flamboyant look. But that sort of looseness tied the band\u2019s set together.<\/p>\n Opening with \u201cMight Love Myself,\u201d the band powered through \u201cDoubt Me\u201d and \u201cATTN.,\u201d with Shomo rarely pausing for breath. \u201cThe Lines,\u201d new single \u201cFree\u201d and \u201cYou Never Know\u201d pulled from a cross-section of records.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the last show of this tour and I\u2019m not leaving here with my fucking voice,\u201d Shomo said before dropping the mic and leading a crowd-wide a cappella singalong.<\/p>\n Still without amplification, he thanked the audience.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are Beartooth, and it\u2019s been an honor to play for you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n U.K. act President opened the night with a sharp 30-minute set. The masked band, once labeled an \u201cindustry plant\u201d by skeptics, appears to be gaining traction.<\/p>\n Opening with \u201cFearless,\u201d the group moved through \u201cRage\u201d and \u201cAngel\u2019s Song,\u201d with its enigmatic frontman \u2014 known simply as The President \u2014 stalking the stage and delivering speeches from a podium between songs. A glowing red cross anchored the visual aesthetic.<\/p>\n President closed with \u201cConclave,\u201d \u201cDestroy Me\u201d and \u201cIn the Name of the Father.\u201d<\/p>\n Follow writer Mike DeWald at mikedewald.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n About The Author<\/p>\n ![\"Bad](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_4411-scaled-e1774673895841-200x300.jpeg\")
<\/a>President perform at Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif. on March 27, 2026.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Mike-D-bio-150x150.jpg\")
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