Sleeping With Sirens brought their An Ending in Itself tour to Maplewood, Minnesota, alongside Rain City Drive and Shyeye. The bill mixed a rising opener, a steady support act and a headliner with a long history, and the night showed how the band's older catalog and newer material can share a single set.
Shyeye Wins Over an Early Crowd
Shyeye opened the night. The project was started two years ago by vocalist Destiny Keller, and its sound draws on the spirit of early-2000s alternative rock and emo without simply repeating that era. Opening sets often struggle as the room is still filling, but the band drew attention from its first song. The crowd was fully engaged by the time the set closed with "Knot," the project's most popular single, which was recently re-released with a feature from Showing Teeth.
Rain City Drive Warms the Room for the Headliner
Rain City Drive followed and opened with "Frozen." Their set moved between heavy instrumentals, powerful vocals and emotionally driven lyrics, and the shifts between heavier and more reflective songs felt smooth rather than abrupt. By the end of their set, the venue was ready for the headliner.
Sleeping With Sirens Mixes Throwbacks and New Songs
Sleeping With Sirens opened with "Kick Me," and the room's energy changed almost immediately. Each member stayed in motion through the performance: bassist Justin Hills played while doing the splits, guitarists Nick Martin and Jack Fowler jumped and moved across the stage, and Kellin Quinn switched the microphone between hands while keeping his vocals precise.
The setlist covered several eras. Older fans heard "If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn" and "The Bomb Dot Com V2.0," while songs from An Ending in Itself, including "Forever / Always," "House of Matches" and the title track, held up alongside the older material. The pairing suggested that the band's recent songs are meant to sit beside its earlier hits rather than replace them.