Stick To Your Guns Lead A Sweaty Swan Song For the Final Shows at Chain Reaction

Stick To Your Guns Lead A Sweaty Swan Song For the Final Shows at Chain Reaction

- By Ramon Gonzales -->

The first of three final nights at the beloved Southern California venue showcased a homegrown line-up for a bittersweet send off. 

It's important to preface just how integral Chain Reaction has been in shaping the landscape of music and alternative culture in Southern California. To provide some context, even the name of the venue's URL offered some indication of the service the venue provided and it's identity among the community - AllAges.com 

For more than three decades, the 300-cap venue helped to platform generational stars - with bands like Paramore, My Chemical Romance and Avenged Sevenfold all taking the Chain Reaction stage on their meteoric ascent to stardom. And while the venue's history of massive bands is well established, the real value of the venue was arguably with the working class bands that had a place to build their base, share their art and connect with their community. 

As the venue prepares to close their doors forever after nearly three decades, one of bands that best exemplifies the spirit of small but legendary stage hosted an impromptu farewell with a sweaty, jam-packed mess of a Wednesday night - reminding fans lucky enough to score a ticket, just how alive a small room set can make you feel.

Orange County's own Stick To Your Guns recruited a homegrown bill with Eighteen Visions, Beyond Repair and Darasuum to ensure the room had one more memorable night. The intimate confines of the sold out set crammed hundreds of fans into the room with no regard for personal space as bodies slammed into one another and flung from the stage, all with the intention of revisiting the salad days OC hardcore and Chain Reaction's crucial role in nurturing the culture. 

As STYG ripped through a set of fan favorites, the floor responded with same explosive energy, leaving nothing in the tank as both fans and the band conveyed their appreciation for the Chain through a cathartic hour-long set that was equal parts fare thee well and final lap. 

The evening proved bittersweet - marking the end of an era and reaffirming what fans have long expressed for decades - Chain Forever. 

See the gallery of images from Sam Scarce below. 

STICK TO YOUR GUNS

EIGHTEEN VISIONS

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