A New Era for Beartooth Showcased at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia
- Blake Stolarik
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
What is the perfect way to spend Friday the 13th, you may ask? Around 20,000 people would tell you they were screaming along to their favorite President, Beartooth, and Bad Omens songs alongside fellow fans. Bad Omens’ Do You Feel Love Tour has been sweeping major cities across the United States since February and has nearly sold out every venue. Direct support for Bad Omens on the Do You Feel Love Tour came from Beartooth, who delivered a particularly powerful and emotionally-charged set on March 13, 2026, at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was my first time seeing Beartooth perform live, and they absolutely exceeded every expectation I had. They gained at least one new fan in Philadelphia, and I cannot wait to see how they continue to grow and evolve.
Fronted by Caleb Shomo, a veteran musician with a decades-long career in the heavy music scene, Beartooth has built its reputation on honest, emotive songwriting and explosive live performances. Even as the direct support act, the band played to a packed arena of entranced music fans, something relatively unusual for an opening slot. Yet the energy in the room made it clear that many fans had shown up early specifically for Beartooth, donning merch or singing along with particular passion, and the band rewarded that enthusiasm with a commanding 11-song set.
In part, the excitement surrounding the band’s current tour stems from their latest single, “Free,” released in February 2026. The track marks Beartooth’s first new music since their 2023 album The Surface, and it signals a notable evolution in the band’s sound. Musically, “Free” blends the group’s signature heavy rock and metalcore intensity with a more uplifting, melodic direction. Aggressive guitar riffs and breakdowns remain, but the song leans heavily into arena-ready choruses and cleaner vocal melodies from Shomo – a combination perfect for a crowd of that size. The track was co-written and co-produced by Shomo and Jordan Fish, and the collaboration is evident in the polished production quality. Lyrically, “Free” centers on emotional clarity and personal liberation, as an anthem about breaking free from internal struggles and embracing life with honesty and optimism. In many ways, the song represents the next chapter of Beartooth’s artistic evolution. Whereas earlier material often captured the raw fight for survival through pain, “Free” signals a shift toward living beyond that pain, both musically and thematically.
Beartooth’s setlist leaned heavily into five standout tracks from The Surface, opening with the album’s foundational song, “Might Love Myself.” The song immediately set the tone for the performance. From there, the band dove into the fan favorite “In Between,” which sent waves of crowd surfers across the arena floor. Similar to “Free,” these songs both focus on facing hardships head-on and not losing yourself to darkness, but embracing it as an agent of growth.
Throughout the performance, the band’s musical style and Shomo’s personal stage presence reflected an intense and beautiful revolution in Beartooth’s identity. The band’s early sound and visuals have moved beyond the expectations that once defined them and have grown to embrace a broader emotional range and express creative authenticity. Their music still hits with a heavy force but now delivers moments of genuine uplift. Shomo’s crowd interaction was a highlight of the set, as he constantly engaged with the audience, encouraging sing-alongs and feeding off the crowd’s energy. Even in a venue as massive as Xfinity Mobile Arena, he managed to create moments that felt personal and direct.
The band closed their set with the anthem “Riptide.” As the final notes rang out, the rest of the band exited the stage, leaving Shomo alone under a single spotlight. In one of the evening’s most memorable moments, Shomo led a melodic call-and-response with the crowd. At first, he used the microphone to lead the audience, but eventually he lowered it, letting his raw, unamplified voice echo across the arena. The sheer power in the projection of his voice, even after performing an entire set, was incredible to experience. In this moment, the massive venue felt remarkably small and intimate as Shomo offered an emotional connection with the audience that perfectly captured where Beartooth stands today – powerful, authentic, and undeniably evolving.
