Sleeping With Sirens Bring Pop Punk To Country’s Capital
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MAY 8: Sleeping With Sirens perform at Marathon Music Works. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
It has been three long years since Sleeping With Sirens last headlined Nashville, so it is a no-brainer that they made short work of selling out the city’s largest club in Marathon Music Works. Out in support of their forthcoming album, An Ending In Itself, the band is eager as ever, closing in on two decades as a group.
Getting the night started in 2010’s emo fashion, the band launch into “Do It Now Remember It Later,” a pop punk anthem that is immediately recognizable by its opening riff and massive vocalization. Frontman Kellin Quinn is quick to hop into a rapid-fire opening verse, a position he is more than happy to share with the audience as they bounce back every word and interjection. It feels like a family affair, Quinn and the audience are immediately interlocked and sewn together at the hip; this is a crowd that came prepared.
Queued up next in the setlist was “Kick Me,” arguably the fastest and most high-octane song in the band’s discography. Once again, the song was instantly clocked by the fans, with Tony Pizzuti’s distinctive guitar opening being a dead giveaway. Matty Best is also looming on percussion, with a sharp, hollow beat snapping into a bombastic break as the song shifts into gear. Pizzuti and Best define a lot of the night’s instrumentation, with both musicians igniting into a fury when the time is right. Justin Hills on bass and Nick Martin on rhythm are just as present, but in a more subdued fashion, adding the necessary base for which the tracks are built upon.
Making its live debut, “An Ending In Itself” was truly spectacular. The lead single, title track, and opener from An Ending In Itself, fans weren’t fully sure what to expect. Only a few weeks old, one would expect a more subdued reaction compared to the staples the band started the night with. That was not the case. Even the band seemed taken aback as the audience once again joined in chorus, tackling the newly minted track with no problems. It is a wonderful reminder of the deep connection between a band and its fans.
Setlist
Do It Now Remember It Later
Kick Me
An Ending In Itself
The Bomb Dot Com V2.0
Leave It All Behind
Crosses
Tally it Up: Settle the Score
A Trophy Father’s Trophy Son
Better Off Dead
Scene Five: With Ears to See, and Eyes to Hear
Iris (Goo Goo Dolls cover)
Bloody Knuckles
If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn
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If You Can’t Hang
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MAY 8: Sleeping With Sirens perform at Marathon Music Works. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
Sleeping With Sirens only have a handful of dates on their 2026 calendar as of now, with just one sold out headline show left surrounding a spattering of festival dates, including a trio of Warped Tour performances.
Tickets to all of Sleeping With Sirens’ upcoming tour dates can be found here.
May 10 – Daytona, FL – Welcome To Rockville 2026
Jun 11 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz [SOLD OUT]
Jun 13 – Washington, DC – Vans Warped Tour 2026
Jul 11 – Las Vegas, NC – Fremont Street Experience
Jul 18 – Mansfield, OH – Inkcarceration 2026
Jul 25 – Long Beach, CA – Vans Warped Tour 2026
Sep 18 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life 2026
Oct 3 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock 2026
Nov 14 – Orlando, FL – Vans Warped Tour 2026
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MAY 8: Sleeping With Sirens perform at Marathon Music Works. (Photo by Dylan Basden for Pretty Nifty)
With twenty years as a band fast approaching, it is incredible to see Sleeping With Sirens not just maintain their success, but continue to push forward. The band has long been a staple of the 2000’s-2010’s pop punk and emo scene, a scene that has largely faded to the background in recent years, so a sellout show off the back of their forthcoming album is a stellar accomplishment. Not only this, but the band’s back catalog was not left in a vacuum, their fans have fully adopted the new releases into their embrace. Not many bands can say that at this point in their career, and I think that is truly telling of the kind of music Sleeping With Sirens make.
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