AFI performed at the Observatory Festival Grounds in Orange County for their largest headline set since 2006. With support from Mareux, Kumo 99, and L.A. Witch, the three openers brought moody synths, dark rock, and hardcore beats to the stage. From Mareux’s fog-drenched synth set to AFI’s highly anticipated headline performance, all four sets were top-notch. But behind the music, a crappy layout and aggressive security left fans with a sour taste in their mouths.
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the Observatory in Orange County for a long, long while now. It’s my home venue, down the street, where I fell in love with photography and live music. It’s definitely not the same spot where you see your friend’s band move up from the Constellation Room to the main stage. Simialr to The Echo, the venue has lost its community spirit. Perhaps, like with many once independent venues, everything changed after Live Nation swooped them up in 2019.
Over the last few years, the events at the Observatory have never really felt the same. And the large outdoor shows seem to be more of a hot mess than ever. You would think with a billion-dollar corporate giant like Live Nation, events would run more smoothly. But even a decade later, organization and security at the Observatory grounds are still a hot topic. At AFI’s concert, the bars lined the edges of the pit all the way up to the stage, and the never-ending merch line wrapped around the back entrance of the pit. The layout made it pretty difficult to navigate.
As I waited to get some water, a few fans in line with me were complaining about how poorly planned everything felt, and I couldn’t help but agree with them. Along with that, it was disappointing to see the difference in attendee numbers from 6pm to 8:45pm. The openers, L.A. Witch, Kumo 99, and Mareux, are bands with incredible talent and stage presence. It was disappointing to see the people who were there ignoring the music and engaging in loud conversations all throughout the venue and pit. If you want to hang out and chat, grab a drink, and smoke a cig, there’s Garfs down the street! But in some people’s defense, the sound was pretty rough, especially at the start of each band’s set. Regardless, I’m not sure if it’s just the way concert culture has shifted, or if it’s because it was a show at the Observatory, but when I go to a show, it’s for the music.
On top of the poor execution and layout of the show, security was a problem. It’s a common issue that many have complained about over the years with The Observatory. In the beginning, there were only a few of us photographers in the pit, and as the night went on, the numbers grew. By the time AFI played, we were pretty packed into that photo pit. I’m not sure what shifted, but security became very aggressive once they played. I tried to move behind some photographers to the other side of the stage, and I was very quickly pushed into the backs of others by security.
They yelled in my face, letting me know they had to keep the back half completely clear. After that, the same person decided to elbow me a bit and smacked my head as he walked behind me while I was shooting. Whether that last one was on purpose or not, I can’t say with certainty. But the crowd was not rowdy enough to warrant that change in behavior. The moment AFI finished the last note of the third song, security was grabbing me and others by the wrist and pushing us out of the pit, yelling that we needed to leave immediately.
I’ve been doing this for 12 years now; I know the rules very well. I am always respectful, use my manners, and follow directions. I was floored that we were being treated so poorly. Truthfully, after that, I didn’t feel inclined to stick around and watch much more of the set.
The environment definitely wasn’t ideal for such an incredible lineup of bands, but that didn’t stop me from trying to enjoy it. My bitter rant is over for now, and we can now talk about how good the music was.
L.A. Witch took the stage first, sun still glimmering on their faces. Their outfits were perfection, as always, and their dark, moody songs had me swaying along.
Kumo 99 played next, and their sound definitely bumped up the energy a bit. I could tell people in the crowd were falling in love with them for the first time, and that was wonderful to see. Lead singer Ami Komai is everything to me, and the mix of her voice and Nate Donmoyer’s beats, made me wish I didn’t have two heavy cameras weighing me down.
Mareux played just before AFI. The sun was completely set, and their stage was covered in thick fog. They brought the vibe right back to moody and dark, playing their hit dark-wave, synth-drenched songs.
All three bands were so good and perfectly curated to play before AFI. Each band is unique in its sound, with something for everyone to enjoy.
AFI was originally scheduled to start at 9:15 p.m. but ended up pushing their set back to 9:30 p.m. The people on the barricade and close to the front wore expressions of disinterest for most of the night. But when the lights went down and the playlist cut out, those faces came alive. Everyone’s hands went up, voices blending together as they yelled and chanted to the band. Davey and the band came out with unparalleled energy, racing back and forth on the stage, and they kept it up through the entire set.
Each AFI member made sure to walk up to the edge and give the crowd what they were hoping for, and Davey (who looked like Teen Wolf) very quickly began delivering his iconic high jumps. Their setlist was a medley of their discography that left fans feeling quite satisfied. Admittedly, I wasn’t always tapped into AFI, but I can definitely respect their talent and their impact in the hardcore punk and pop punk genres. You can tell they still love making music and still love sharing that passion with people. Though they’ve played countless shows in their time, each time I’ve seen AFI, it feels fresh and engaging. If I were able to, I would catch them at a different venue, and hopefully I’d really be able to immerse myself in the experience with the crowd. Despite the issues I mentioned above, the artists who played gave it their all and put on a great show.
AFI is touring through October with a November date at Día de los Deftones.
Photography: Lilly Duran
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