The Ritornello Form in New York City! 7/28/2026
Show Flyer
I truly love when each generation takes a turn with a subgenre and makes it completely their own. Right now, with Gen Z, there has been a resurgence of emo and all its genres that split off from it. But there is something uniquely special about the 90s emo rhythmic sound that the generation has taken and started to make their own music, the soundtrack of the 2020s. I believe one of the bands leading the trend is The Ritornello Form, one of my favorite bands hailing from the Las Vegas scene. So when I saw they were touring their debut album, Majority Rules, and stopping in New York City at Trans Pecos, I made sure to buy my ticket right away.
And thank god I did, as the show sold out within minutes of the doors opening on that fateful Tuesday evening. It was expected, as the bill was STACKED with local emo acts that have slowly but surely been gaining recognition, like Branching Out, Holidays in United States, and Aeiou (pronounced “vowels”), debuting their first live performance. This night was so eventful and will definitely be looked back on by future generations of emo fans. It was full of joy, as audience members were bubbling with excitement even before we set foot in the venue, waiting in line in the rain to get in. I think it’s safe to say this was my favorite show of this year thus far.
Branching Out. Photo by @sofialisena.
The first opener was Branching Out, an NYC-based band. They’ve been getting a bit of buzz around them in this specific group of emo bands, so it wasn’t surprising that their crowd was possibly the biggest I’ve seen for a first opener. The venue was packed, and for good reason. I’ve only listened to a few of Branching Out's songs, but this set convinced me to start delving into their discography (I love all vines no leaves, god, it's so good). They were supposed to do an acoustic set, but they ended up doing a full set! It was great. I would describe their sound as indie rock, easygoing emo. The riffs are calming, and the lead singer Evan’s voice is smooth. Almost the whole crowd was singing along to each song, which is always so fun to see. I did love that they played one of the few songs I know by them, “Oh Shit! F**k! Damn!” and it sounded amazing live! I hope to see one of their performances again soon.
Full Branching Out Set by @intiovphotography
Holidays in United States. Photo by @sofialisena.
Next up is a personal favorite of mine in the New York emo scene, Holidays in United States. This was one of the first bands I found when starting this magazine, and I hold their music near and dear to my heart. This was the third time I’ve seen them, and it truly never gets old or disappoints. They started the set with a bunch of unreleased songs featuring their latest addition to the group, their singer Annika. Each song was awesome, and even though most of the crowd did not know the lyrics or songs, they were still active, moving around and dancing. Some die-hard fans were still singing along, though. They ended the set with their classics like “RIP J. Mascis,” “Broken Ankles, Broken Hearts,” and “1v1.” This is when the crowd erupted, especially for “1v1,” as that hit always gets the mosh pit active. As always, their guitar tones are on point, their voices sound amazing, and their chemistry as a group is seriously unmatched. I love seeing the passion for the music in each member. Not only was this a highlight of my night, but Holidays was definitely a crowd favorite as well.
Full Holidays in United States Set by @intiovphotography
Holidays in United States. Photo by @sofialisena.
Aeiou. Photo by @sofialisena.
Aeiou was next on the bill. I saw that they released their first EP, Jesse Ward, a week or so prior to the show, but I didn’t listen to it beforehand. I always love to hear a new piece of music live before hearing the studio recording, to truly get a sense of the band’s sound and vibe as a whole. And I can tell you, they did not disappoint. I ran home and listened to that EP as soon as possible. They were that good. That night, they played the EP in full. The members entered the stage, all members of other popular NYC bands (Cash Only Tony’s, Branching Out, & Holidays in United States), with no lights on other than the single lamp on stage, setting a dramatic scene. The music was softer than the other acts’ yet still powerful, as both vocalists, Annika and Sarah, truly put their all into the performance. They sounded beautiful when their voices harmonized. They expressed gratitude to many of their friends, family, and fellow scene members for being there for their first show. Before the last song, the guitarist, Declan, proposed to his partner, Annika. It was so lovely to see. The crowd erupted in screams of joy and enthusiasm. People were crying, laughing, and sharing the joy of such a momentous event. They then played their last song, “Pass the Pepper (Reprise),” their most memorable song, performed with such devotion after that beautiful moment. Again, such a memorable set and performance from the group; I think one that will stick with the entire audience forever. Congrats to the new couple, and I hope to see the group perform again soon!
Full Aeiou Set by @intiovphotography
Declan proposing to Annika. Photo by @sofialisena
Cash Only Tony’s. Photo by @sofialisena.
As Aeiou stepped off stage, I was so ready and excited to see The Ritornello Form. But as the next group took the stage, I got really confused. I was thinking to myself, why are members of Cash Only Tony’s on stage, setting up? How is it possible that there aresome members of that group in The Ritornello Form if they’re from Vegas? Then my dumbass slowly realized that Cash Only Tony’s was doing a secret set! Such a great surprise, as I’ve been wanting to see them again ever since I first saw them back in January. The energy of Trans Pecos completely changed as the crowd started to realize the same thing. Screamo Gods were now performing, so of course the crowd got rowdiest of the night. The mosh pit OPENED, and people were pushing around everywhere, which I was not prepared for at all with my outfit, but I still welcomed it, as I love to get a bit bruised from a show. As always, the lead singers, Annika and Alex, put so much energy into their performances, with Alex always going insane. He explodes with so much energy every time he gets on that mic. Honestly, each member truly is so powerful in their performances; I think that’s why they are one of the scene's favorite bands. I was right next to them as they had to perform on the floor since there were so many of them, and it truly was a top-notch experience. The set was short, but everyone was so excited to just hear a few songs from them; they didn’t care and went all out in those 15 minutes. Although I was bruised all over my legs and took a very embarrassing fall onto the stage, it was great to see them again!
Full Cash Only Tony’s Set by @intiovphotography
Cash Only Tony’s. Photo by @sofialisena.
The Ritornello Form. Photo by @sofialisena.
Finally, the most anticipated performance of the night was here. Everyone was buzzing with excitement as The Ritornello Form started to set up. They began their set with my favorite song off the new record, “This Is Our Timely Outfit.” Everyone was hyped as one of the lead singers, Abby, came onto the stage and jumped into the crowd twice before getting back on the mic just in time for her part, which was super impressive. Both she and Aden sounded amazing together. They brought the spirit right from the start. Everyone was immediately jumping, dancing, and singing along as soon as they heard the first few notes of the song. They then played “Louisville Slugger,” and as the song was ending, Abby jumped from the drum kit and split her pants… truly punk rock. She joked as the song ended, saying something along the lines of “my pants just split and I witnessed my two friends get engaged, what a beautiful night!” They then slowed it down a bit and played other great songs off the album like “I.FW.,” which Aden dedicated to their brother, “History on Pause,” and “You Can’t Graph Goodbyes.” They closed the set with an upbeat banger, another one of my favorites, “Weight of Two Too Many,” which had everyone singing along at the top of their lungs, moshing, dancing, and just moving in any way they could. It was truly a fulfilling experience for me. After the set ended, I went over to the merch table and met Abby, who was super sweet. I told her, as I was buying a shirt, that I captured a photo of her pants just as they split while she was still in the air, and she gave me permission to post it, LOL. She then showed my friend Karen and me the gnarly rip up close and thanked us for coming.
“This Is Our Timely Outfit” by The Ritornello Form. Video by Sofia Lisena.
The Ritornello Form. Photo by @sofialisena.
I left Trans Pecos with a high, one of those post-concert highs where you have so much hope for the world. I’m so glad I finally got to see The Ritornello Form, as I’ve been wanting to see them live since they released their split with Stella, Feels Like Summer. They were worth the wait and are definitely worth the hype. Not only was each set great, but meeting new people around me, seeing familiar faces, and enjoying the night with old friends made the trip out in the rain worth it. This definitely isn’t a show I will forget. Please, if you haven’t seen any of these bands yet or even heard of them, PLEASE DO SO! You can follow each of them to keep up with new releases and upcoming shows: @branchingout101, @holidays.in.united.states, @aeiou_nyc, @cashonlytonys, and @theritornelloform.
