Free Throw
Artist: Free Throw, Macseal, TRSH, Wakelee
Venue: The Observatory, OC
Date: 4/23/26
Free Throw sold out The Observatory in Santa Ana on a Thursday night. The Nashville quintet's sixth record Moments Before the Wind, out now on Wax Bodega, is their most mature work yet, a record about liminality, loss, and the particular vertigo of life in transition, and live, that emotional weight landed. Frontman Cory Castro led the room through gang vocals all night. Crowd surfers every song. This is stop twelve of a five-week North American run.
Macseal brought the Long Island band's signature blend of hooky emo and math rock their known for. Complex riffs, warmly melodic songwriting.
TRSH came in hot from Springfield, Missouri, their fusion of punk and Midwest emo landing with the kind of explosive energy that has earned them a reputation as one of the brightest young acts in the underground. Their latest record String Theory on Wax Bodega is out now and the live show is a thing of beauty.
Wakelee opened the night and pulled the crowd in immediately. The Brooklyn trio, identical twins Alex and David Bulmer alongside Elliot Shiang, brought emo-tinged indie warmth to the room. Gabe, their trombone player, hitting the nostalgia hard. They are currently putting the finishing touches on their second full-length record.
A great night for anyone who grew up on this music.
