Touché Amoré’s Ode to “Stage Four”

A 10th anniversary tour passing through Hollywood, California

Photojournalist: Paul “Sal” Salazar

The Hollywood Palladium was teeming with energy as the house lights dimmed to announce the final act of the night. It was a homecoming for the Los Angeles-based post-hardcore band Touché Amoré, which has been breathing life into screamo and emo rock since 2007. 

Led by vocalist Jeremy Bolm, the five-piece band performed the entirety of their fourth album, Stage Four, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its release. Stage Four takes on a bittersweet double-meaning, as it serves as the band’s remembrance of Bolm’s mother, who died of cancer in 2014. Since its release, Stage Four has gathered a following of fans who have been affected by the stages of grief that cancer and its ailments bring. This sense of shared grief, sadness, and the journey of remembrance of those who we lost is what makes Touché Amoré’s messaging so authentic and soulful. 

Clayton Stevens grooves through both lead guitar riffs and aesthetics as he hit the stage that Saturday night. I recall the moments the harmonies began to ring differently in my mind, and the melodies of the bass hit differently the day I lost my best friend, Edgar, to cancer. Shared loss and grief can indeed bring a community together through art and music. I’m forever inspired by the opportunity to witness great artists like Touché Amoré perform songs that honor their loved ones and the memories they left behind. 

Even with melancholic lyrics, the sweet riffs and driving beats of Touché Amoré’s music continue to resonate deeply with the fans that stay loyal to the message of hope in healing. Remember this month, and always, if you, too, are struggling with thoughts and feelings of hopelessness, you’re not alone. There are resources to help and a community that understands the hurt of loss. 

Find resources here, provided by Hope For The Day

988 - Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Call or text 988

988 routes based on the area code that you're dialing from, so wait time may vary person-to-person and state-to-state.

741741

Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741
Text with trained mental health professionals about what's going on—real humans, not bots or AI.

911

Emergency services
Call 911 and say:
"I need an ambulance at [address] for a mental health crisis."

Setlist

Stage Four

Flowers and You
New Halloween
Rapture
Displacement
Benediction
Eight Seconds
Palm Dreams
Softer Spoken
Posing Holy
Water Damage
Skyscraper (with Julien Baker)

Set 2:

Gather
~ (intersitial)
Pathfinder
Reminders (with Julien Baker)
Hal Ashby
Come Heroine
Honest Sleep