Concert Review: Pierce the Veil and Knocked Loose Highlight Four Chord Music Festival 12
The 2026 Four Chord Music Festival is officially in the books. Taking place on September 25th and 26th, this year’s event featured two packed days of punk rock, high-energy chords, mosh pits, and crowd surfing. Each day of the festival had acts alternating between two stages with sets arriving five to ten minutes apart, allowing one stage to be prepped for the next act while the other was in use.
Day one leaned heavily into the hardcore scene, opening with Pittsburgh locals Pain Clinic, immediately followed by fellow hometown act Facewreck. Next, Thousand Below took the main stage before paving the way for Militarie Gun, Haywire, Bayside, and Counterparts. Superheaven delivered an action-packed performance, setting the pace for We Came As Romans and California-based Saosin. Kublai Khan TX dominated the main stage next, before Underoath closed out the alternate stage. Knocked Loose headlined the first night with a highly aggressive, pyrotechnic-filled set. Throughout the day, numerous mosh pits erupted and crowd surfers took flight as fans absorbed every performance.
Day two kicked off half an hour earlier with rising Pittsburgh band Head North setting the tone, followed by Don’t Panic and Keep Flying, though the latter experienced minor technical difficulties that slightly delayed their set. Up next were Long Island natives and Four Chord veterans Patent Pending, who played an electric set featuring frontman Joe Ragosta leaping into the crowd to surf while singing.
Taking the stage after Patent Pending was Eternal Boy, fronted by Four Chord Music Festival founder Rishi Bahl. The band sported a new lineup consisting of Jon Ewing and Joshua Bombay, as former bassist Joe Harbulak departed earlier this year to explore new opportunities.
Following Eternal Boy, Hit the Lights took over Stage B, paving the way for Driveways, Finch, and Cartel. Motion City Soundtrack then prepped the crowd for Mom Jeans, who set the stage for State Champs to play their full album Around the World and Back in its entirety, igniting an extremely excited audience. Boys Like Girls followed with a fiery pyrotechnic set before yielding to the penultimate act, Mayday Parade. State Champs vocalist Derek DiScanio even joined Derek Sanders for a memorable duet of “Jamie All Over.”
To round out the night, festival headliners Pierce the Veil took the stage with an impressive setlist featuring hits such as “Bulls in the Bronx,” the TikTok-viral track “So Far So Fake,” “Emergency Contact,” and their grand finale, “King for a Day.”
Overall, the Four Chord Music Festival was an incredible, high-octane experience. The newly integrated hardcore lineup led to massive crowd energy. Dining options featured festival staples like pizza, alongside dedicated food trucks like Blue Sparrow and a variety of craft beers. For those who prefer to avoid the crowd surges or mosh pits, I highly recommend splurging on at least the General Admission Plus tickets in the future, which provide access to the bleachers and a place to sit down off the astroturf. I would also suggest bringing a good pair of earplugs to prevent that next-day hearing loss from standing too close to the speakers.
Rating: 10/10
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