Concert Reviews

The two-day festival is bringing indie and alternative rock bands from across the country to Boston’s Roadrunner venue.

By Darin Zullo

updated on February 1, 2026

9 minutes to read

An all-star lineup of indie and alt-rock bands from across the country is making its way to Roadrunner Boston Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 for the second annual Something in the Way festival.

Hosted by Run for Cover Records and The Bowery Presents, the weekend is jam-packed with two dozen bands performing back-to-back. With so little time to cover so much musical ground, the Brighton venue has a two-stage setup so there’s no delay between sets.

Live from Roadrunner, below are all the festival updates and reviews you’ll need. Check back often for more updates, photos, and videos!

Images from Sunday at Something in the Way

Check back Monday for the full collection of photos from Day 2 of Something in the Way at Roadrunner.

Explosions in the Sky lands an emotional, spellbinding swansong

At long last, instrumental post-rock band Explosions in the Sky took to the stage. The audience’s emotional release after nearly eight hours of anticipation was immediately palpable.

Choosing Explosions in the Sky as the headliner to end the night was a bold choice. The band’s live performances consist entirely of sprawling instrumental pieces that its members have called “cathartic mini-symphonies.”

With no opportunities for a wholesome sing-along, the band had additional weight on its shoulders to give concertgoers the grand finale they were waiting for. Lucky for them, Explosions in the Sky delivered on that front and then some.

The Texas-based band used the atmospheric venue lighting to its advantage, creating narratives through color and pitch alone. Even without words, they constructed a series of emotional odysseys that had just the same impact.

Though closing with Explosions in the Sky was an unexpected choice, it was a remarkably thoughtful one. Following the noise and intensity of the 11 bands that preceded it, there was something of an austere beauty about these instrumental pieces.

After their 90-minute instrumental set concluded, the band left the stage with little more than a quick thanks. It was all they said, but they didn’t have to say any more; their music had spoken for itself.

The Hotelier gears the crowd up for an epic finale

Even as an opener, indie emo outfit The Hotelier had the star power of a headliner. Based in Worcester, the extreme loyalty of the band’s New England following was on full display.

The band has continued to tour despite not releasing an album since 2016’s “Goodness.” Though fans haven’t received any new material in nearly a decade now, their devotion and energy were a testament to The Hotelier’s enduring popularity.

Blending the musicality of indie rock with the heavier breakdowns of some of the night’s more intense acts, frontman Christian Holden’s crisp, soaring vocals were a clear centerpiece. Add to that clever lyricism that any balladeer would yearn for, and it wasn’t hard to see what makes The Hotelier’s sound a winning formula.

Holden understood the immense undertaking of putting together such a stacked festival, and before wrapping things up, he took the time to thank everyone who made Something in the Way possible.

“There’s a humongous crowd of people who worked to make this festival happen, and I’m super appreciative for every single one of those people,” Holden said.

The Hotelier formed when Holden and his bandmates were attending high school in Dudley. Thinking back to his high school days, he recalled the reverence he had for one band in particular.

“It’s an honor to open and play for Explosions in the Sky, a band we all looked up to in high school,” Holden said.

Angel Du$t tests the crowd’s power

Angel Du$t was a force to be reckoned with. The energy was so nonstop that you’d be forgiven for thinking their 45-minute set was one long song.

The Baltimore-based hardcore band was ready to unleash everything they had from the second their set time began. Led by Justice Tripp’s abrasive vocals, it took no time at all for audience members to rush the stage.

The diving and surfing had already begun with Febuary’s set, but the hyped crowd found a way to up the ante. As fast as the rapid-fire drum beats and wild tempo changes, dancing audience members leaped on stage and did flips back into the crowd.

Tripp was just as amped up, and he jumped and kicked his way around the stage. He knew just how to talk to the crowd to keep the energy high.

“How do you f—ing feel?” he screamed. “How do you f—ing feel? Make some noise!”

Tigers Jaw will be around

Capping off the night’s shorter half-hour sets, indie emo band Tigers Jaw had something to offer for fans new and old. With two decades of history behind them, the band proved its worth as one of the festival’s more established acts.

Tigers Jaw first established itself as an emo band, but over time, it has more closely embraced the indie rock genre. They’ll be following this sound on to their new album, “Lost on You,” which is slated for release March 27.

To celebrate the new album, the band will be going back on tour. During Saturday night’s set, Walsh announced that this tour will include a show at The Sinclair in Cambridge.

“Boston, thank you so much,” Walsh said. “We’ll see you soon.”

GUV wants everyone to have a good time

Musician Ben Cook and his power pop project GUV brought some levity to contrast with the darker tones of some of the day’s other bands.

“Y’all ready for us to rock?” Cook said. “Boston, what’s up?”

Spanning pop to rock to punk, GUV had a varied vibe that made them sound like The Clash on one song and The 1975 on the next. Rather than droning tones or screamy vocals, the band focused on simple riffs and infectious melodic hooks.

GUV’s more positive attitude was definitely a change of pace, but Cook handled it with ease. He gave shout-outs to his bandmates, lent his scarf to an audience member, and called a particularly enthusiastic dancer on stage to hype everyone else up.

“I’m not seeing enough movement,” the crowd member called.

After hearing this voice of the people, the audience showed Cook the energy he was looking for. True to the optimism he conveyed through GUV’s songs, he showed his gratitude as he closed out the set.

Momma centers the day with a versatile sound

Marking the halfway point of the festival’s first day, Brooklyn-based indie rock band Momma gave concertgoers a chance to breathe and feel the music.

With the sun down and Roadrunner’s floor filled, Momma’s smoother, more flexible sound mixed some pop influences in with its indie rock flavor. Vocalist and guitarists Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten bathed audiences in trippy, lush guitar tones.

The band put most of its focus on the music and chose to communicate its politics more through actions than words. Friedman announced that the proceeds from all Momma merchandise sales at the festival would go to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal representation to low-income immigrants in the state.

How Much Art wants to be your local band

Newly formed post-punk band How Much Art took things in a new direction instrumentally. While the acts before them had a vibe mostly built on screeching guitars and thumping bass and drums, the six-piece group of New Englanders introduced some supple synth sounds to their mix.

Frontman Pat Flynn, who previously made a name for himself in the bands Have Heart and Fiddlehead, formed the band last year. Despite being around for less than a trip around the sun, Flynn and his bandmates have already established a devoted fanbase.

How Much Art’s sound served as a solid middle ground between the other acts so far. Their melodies were catchy enough for the audience to chant along, yet their sound was hard enough to prompt more stage-diving and crowd surfing.

“Thank you Massachusetts, we’re your local band,” Flynn said as the band finished its set. “We want to play in your kitchen. We want to play in your bedroom.”

Febuary unleashes a screamy wall of sound

Las Vegas-based screamo band Febuary wasted no time in turning up the volume. Playing in Boston for the second time, the four-piece group brought out a hardcore sound that the crowd was clearly hungry for.

Within seconds, a mosh pit formed in the crowd, and with every song, the pandemonium escalated. By the time Febuary finished its set, audience members were running on stage and diving into the crowd in pairs.

Vocalist and guitarist Rila Ogawa let out blood-curdling screams as drummer Abby Walker unleashed blast beats on the kit. To keep the intensity up, the band oscillated between barrages of noise and moody, tension-building passages with whispered vocals and droning minor chords.

Febuary found itself embroiled in controversy last year when its ex-bassist claimed she was kicked out of the band for “not being emo enough.” The other members have repeatedly refuted that claim, and their performance Saturday felt like a cathartic release of their frustrations.

Following the example of previous acts, Ogawa echoed other bands’ cries of “f— ICE” and “free Palestine.” However, with so much political and personal tension, she seemed to be having trouble expressing it in words.

“We’re at a really f—ed-up time in the world right now,” Ogawa said.

Orlando-based indie-rock band Teen Suicide took a different approach, honing its outrage on specific federal agencies.

“F— ICE forever,” lead vocalist Sam Ray said. “F— the IDF, f— the CIA, f— American imperialism, and f— capitalism.”

Graham Hunt keeps the political outcries going

Taking it back to the main stage, Graham Hunt made an impact as the first solo act of the day. With a more straightforward indie rock sound than Her New Knife or Gollylagging, the Midwestern musician and his backing band seared through a set of tightly-written tracks.

By the time Hunt made the stage, Roadrunner was already starting to fill up. He made sure to note this dedicated turnout in between songs.

“It’s crazy that so many people are here at 2:45,” Hunt said.

Perhaps inspired by Her New Knife’s outspokenness, Hunt handed out his own dose of commentary on international politics and the Trump administration’s current immigration efforts.

“I’m super excited to be here in Boston,” Hunt said. “That said, f— ICE and free Palestine.”

Her New Knife: ‘ICE is a criminal gang’

Philadelphia-based alternative shoegaze band Her New Knife kicked things off. The band formed in 2020 by lead vocalist Edgar Atencio, guitarist Ben Kachler, bassist Carolina Schooley, and drummer Elijah Ford while the four of them were students at Florida State University.

Starting at 1:30 p.m., Her New Knife knew that the biggest crowds wouldn’t form until later that night. Atencio made sure to thank the dedicated fans who showed up early to see them play.

“We are Her New Knife,” he said. “Thank you for being here so early, it’s really nice to see you.”

With hushed, sinister vocals and heavily distorted guitars, Her New Knife had the formidable job of setting the tone for the rest of the day. By the end of their half-hour set, they proved that they were up to the task.

Before they left the stage, they made their feelings clear about the current state of national politics, condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“ICE is a criminal gang,” Atencio said. “Go vote or buy guns. Thank you.”

Boston-based indie rock act Gollylagging followed that act with its own dose of droning guitars, proving that they could bring just as much energy from the secondary stage.

Source