The "Scream Team" Tour Powered Through Raleigh, NC
By Fallon O'Neill
On November 18, 2025, Senses Fail performed at The Ritz in Raleigh, NC, on their co-headline “Scream Team” tour with Story of The Year, with special guest: Armor For Sleep. With this type of lineup, you already knew these bands have been friends for years, and what’s the best way to celebrate friendships? Do a tour together! The atmosphere of the night was filled with nostalgia and being around those who enjoy the same music as you.
Armor For Sleep
Opening the night was Armor For Sleep, and I honestly saw this band perform at this venue several times in the last two years. Every time I see this band, the performance has a deep emotional depth to it between the vocals and instrumentation. The amount of passion from the musicians to the attendees at the barricade shows that even on a Tuesday night, dedication is there. You could see in the attendees' eyes that this band was part of the era that helped them navigate through hardships and not understanding emotions while they were young. Watching the older and newer generation side by side singing songs is the reason why music has such a huge impact. Ben’s vocals radiate rawness and honesty. And the vocals remind us that we all made it through the years and that life is still full of surprises.
Story Of The Year
Next up was one of my favorite bands, Story of The Year. We were not expecting the band to come out onto the stage with scooters and waving at everyone. Out of all shows I’ve ever been to in the last two years, I was not expecting this band to come out in style. And once I saw the scooter, it brought back memories of the razor scooters and how they would constantly hit the back of your ankles. The last time I saw this band was when they were on tour with The Used, and I drove 5 hours for that show. Even though this band has been together for over 20 years, the amount of energy that erupted on stage within the first minute from all the musicians is the reason why this band is still my generation's favorite. The vocals were so punchy and energy-driven that it increased my adrenaline in my veins. The vocalist hopped off the stage during their set and gave fans high fives from one end of the barricade to the other. I haven’t listened to the band's newer music, but when they ended the night with “Until The Day I Die,” I sang my heart out. That is the one song that helped me through my high school years, and it holds such a deep meaning to me. You can see all the elder emo’s in the crowd going absolutely ballistic during this song, and it shows how much this song truly means to our generation.
Senses Fail
Last up was Senses Fail, and I personally had never seen this band before, even though this band shaped me throughout the years. When they hopped on the stage, I was not expecting this type of energy, and attendees at the barricade started to act like people at hardcore shows. The intensity that happened within seconds of their set starting honestly gave me whiplash because I could not keep track of any of the musicians on that stage. When they started “Calling All Cars,” a wave of nostalgia crashed into me and made me realize that, between the fast-paced and chaotic movements happening on stage that this band created music that resonated deeply with my generation as well. Their set kept me on my toes because they had crowd surfers consistently, the vocalist was constantly moving, and to capture the essence of their set was difficult because, as a photographer, our job is to capture those moments, but sometimes we get lost in those moments as well. Senses Fail filled the room with catharsis, and you can see that with the attendees in the crowd. Tears filled the room. You could smell the odor from those who were constantly moving and sweating. You saw couples singing to each other. And you saw friends hand and hand screaming along. What a set!
