Serving as documentarians and storytellers in their own right, the live music photographer has an especially important job. Armed with a camera and a sharp sense of observation, they manage to identify important moments through their viewfinder that often have much bigger context than one click can capture.
Taking inventory of the year, the team of contributing photographers at KNOTFEST.com were asked to give some context to one of their favorite photos from 2025. Turning the floor over the team, each contributor spoke to the bigger picture, behind their images and gave credence to the old adage of a picture painting a thousand words.
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It was a wild weekend in Long Beach at the Warped Tour 2025 Festival. On the closing night, I had one chance to capture a shot that truly reflected the massive scale of the event. I was officially off the clock and exhausted from a grueling weekend, but I wanted to go out with a bang.
The journey to the top of the Long Beach Convention Center was no small task. The elevator only took me part of the way. From there, I climbed multiple flights of stairs, crossed sections of wooden scaffolding, and faced one final obstacle—a narrow escape ladder leading to the rooftop. After making the vertical climb, I finally stepped onto the roof.
Up there, the security team was stationed to monitor the crowd from above. With their help, I was able to safely get close to the edge and capture the closing night of Warped Tour 2025. Standing above 60,000 fans with the Long Beach skyline stretching out beyond them was completely surreal.
Without a doubt, it was one of my absolute favorite moments of 2025. - MAURICE NUNEZ
December 27th, a small group of Chain employees spanning many generations, along with friends and family, including members of Thrice, Terror, Poison the Well, and many of the bands who helped put Chain on the map globally, all came together to say one last goodbye.
We gathered outside to talk as more and more friends arrived, then slowly made our way inside for a final trip to the merch table to grab the last piece of merch, a Charlie Brown inspired take on the cover of Through Being Cool by the infinitely supportive Violent Gentleman. As the show began, our longtime friend, “box office dude,” and eventual owner of Chain Reaction, Andy Sarrao, jumped on stage to thank the faithful crew who helped keep the place running for so many years, specifically Kevin O’Connell for his decades of service to our community.
After all the intensity of the weeks prior, it was so special to gather without any publicity or crowds outside to watch Chris Conley of Saves the Day sing the final requiem. Chris did his best to lighten the mood between songs while we slowly realized this was it. We couldn’t avoid it anymore. We were attending a funeral for a large piece of our childhoods.
As he made his way through the familiar album, which felt like an hourglass slowly emptying, we realized we had one last memory to be had. We slowly snapped out of it and sang the anthems of our underground like we had for so many years before. As the somber room started to feel a little lighter, Chris was joined by a close friend of Chain, Vadim Taver (This Day Forward / Poison the Well), to perform Basket Case and finally Dammit, which felt fitting, because “Well, I guess this is growing up.”
The night continued with group photos, great stories, and new memories, along with friendships many years in the making. As the night wound down and the group within the group stuck around for emotional toasts and one final “last chance to dance,” I snuck away, trying to burn as many pieces of Chain onto as many frames of film as possible, in an effort to say goodbye to the room where my photography and live music journey began.
CHAIN FOREVER (1996 - 2025)
Looking back at old Rock Fest images, it felt right to put my appreciation for the Knotfest crew out in the open. They found me through a friend at Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin, just hours before Corey Taylor took the stage, and it’s been gravy ever since.
Coming out of COVID, the industry was cautious. Now, I’m covering festivals like Milwaukee Metal Fest, Riot Fest, Knotfest Iowa, and Rock Fest. Along the way, I’ve documented Refused on their final run, Acid Bath’s return, and countless other moments just this year.
I chose a photo from Rock Fest 2025 because that’s where it all started. Rob Zombie’s set is especially sentimental, since I was in the pit during his 2021 show when my info first made its way to the Knotfest crew.
No one does the camping, partying, and festival experience like Rock Fest, which is why I return every year with my Rock Fest family that spans across states. We all met randomly at the festival, and that’s what makes it special. Knotfest 2026 is shaping up to be something special, and I’m hungrier than ever to capture what comes next. - JUSTIN NUOFFER
