Four acts, two genres, one Halloween-adjacent night of absolute chaos. Knocked Loose brought their Hive Mind Tour to Los Angeles for a night that proved heavy music doesn't have to stay in one lane. Los Angeles greeted us with a cold, slightly rainy evening on October 29. A couple of days before Halloween, the streets and venue were already getting their fair share of seasonal characters. Jokers, Doodlebobs, Minions, and other pop culture references made their way through the crowd. It was hella funny ngl.
Getting there, though... was a funny story. I was in such a rush to make it to the show that I'm pretty sure I caught a red-light camera on the way. Since when the f**k have those things been around?! I haven't seen one since I was a kid! Hopefully, that ticket won't cost me... much, but hey, I had a show to get to.
The Shrine Auditorium Hall hosted the Hive Mind Tour, featuring Boundaries, Superheaven, Denzel Curry, and, finally, Knocked Loose. An unusual lineup on paper, but one that would make a lot more sense by the end of the night.
Boundaries kicked things off with a 30-minute set that wasted absolutely no time. The crowd response was a little mid. I got the impression that a good portion of the audience wasn't too familiar with them. But if there was one thing Boundaries made sure of, it was leaving an impression before their time was up. They came out swinging, delivering a performance that left no room to breathe. If the crowd didn't know who Boundaries were walking in, they'd certainly remember them afterward. The stage was drenched in dark red lighting, making photos a bit of a challenge. Difficult, but not impossible. Still, it was a hell of a way to open the evening.
Superheaven brought a more mellow atmosphere to the room, with a noticeably excited crowd waiting for them to start. One moment that stood out happened right behind me at the front railing. A fan was practically having a full-blown conversation with one of the guys setting up his guitar, repeatedly telling him to hurry up and play. He was clearly excited, and the band member couldn't help but giggle. Those little moments make a show. When the music finally started, the room settled into Superheaven's heavier, sad-influenced sound. Their performance carried a crisp energy without going overboard. It wasn't the explosive chaos of Boundaries, but it had enough presence to establish its own atmosphere. Visually, the stage was washed in heavy blues with occasional hints of yellow. After two consecutive bands with challenging lighting, I started to wonder whether the rest of the night would be just as hard to photograph. Still pulled through tho. Superheaven brought a good vibe, and the crowd seemed more than happy to be there.
Considering the first two acts were metal bands, Denzel Curry's arrival introduced a completely different sound. Instead of guitars and breakdowns, we got rap. Trust the process. Denzel took the energy already in the room and redirected it somewhere else entirely. That wasn't a bad thing, either. This is Los Angeles, after all. Hip-hop is deeply rooted in the city's culture, and hearing it alongside metal was a good reminder of where we are. The crowd didn't seem to need much convincing. There was plenty of jumping, moshing, and crowd surfing throughout the set. At one point, I even spotted the Man in the Yellow Hat from Curious George crowd surfing. Damn.... Even he pulled up. Denzel ran through several of his classics, including “Ultimate,” which naturally sent people jumping. He also performed some Rage Against the Machine covers, adding another layer of crossover energy to an already unconventional lineup. It reminded everyone that heavy music doesn't always need to come from a guitar. Sometimes, all it takes is a microphone and a room full of people with a rebellious spirit.
And finally, what we've all been waiting for: Knocked Loose. Straight aura farming off rip. But how could they not? They're badass. Before the band even fully took the stage, the introduction began with a heavy bass sound that seemed to fill every corner of the venue. It felt like a giant walking toward you, announcing its arrival before you could even see it. The production was something else. Trees and foliage surrounded the stage, creating the impression of a forest. A concert in the middle of a forest? Sounds pretty sick to me. At the center stood one of the band's defining visual elements: a massive, glowing cross. Add fire cannons that periodically shot across the stage, and you had a super captivating production. The lighting was a complete change from the earlier sets. Bright greens and whites lit up the stage, giving me practically everything I could ask for as a photographer. After struggling through the darker lighting of the first two bands, shooting Knocked Loose was an absolute blast. But the real spectacle was happening on the floor. The crowd knew exactly what they had signed up for. There was no easing into it. From start to finish, the room was filled with moshing, walls of death, and plenty of roughhousing. The energy never really let up. Tracks like “Blinding Faith,” “Don't Reach for Me,” and “Suffocate” from their "You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To" album sent the band and crowd into another gear. The breakdowns hit hard, and the audience responded with exactly the kind of chaos you'd expect from a Knocked Loose show.
The night also brought the collab everyone has hyped to see. Denzel Curry joined the band for “Hive Mind,” the track that shares the tour's name. A rap-and-metal combination might not sound like it should work, but hearing it live made the blend feel completely natural. It was a perfect meeting of two very different musical worlds. And if that wasn't enough, Kadeem from Loathe also appeared for a track, giving the crowd another surprise to freak out about. Knocked Loose delivered one hell of a performance.
Another reason this set meant something to me. I had photographed Knocked Loose once before at Sound and Fury Festival back in 2025. At the time, I was still relatively new to concert photography. A lot has changed since then. I've learned more, developed my skills, and become much more comfortable working in live shows.
Getting another opportunity to photograph them, this time with more experience under my belt, felt like a chance to see just how far I've come. The lighting, the stage production, and the sheer energy of the performance made it an incredibly fun set to shoot. But beyond getting the photos, it was satisfying to recognize the difference between the photographer I was in early 2025 and the one standing there now. Sometimes you don't realize how much you've improved until you get another chance to do something you've done before.
The Hive Mind Tour was an interesting combination of artists, but that's exactly what made the night work. Boundaries brought the aggression, Superheaven offered a change of pace, Denzel Curry introduced a different kind of energy, and Knocked Loose brought everything together with a production and performance worthy of the headlining spot. It was a night that moved between genres without losing its momentum. And for me, it was also a reminder of how much I've grown behind the camera. Damn... that show rocked. But fuck, I really hope that red light ticket isn't too expensive.
Worth it though... well maybe... we'll see when that ticket comes in lol.
