Dayseeker Returns to Anaheim for Their Third Annual Holiday Show

Kaiya Vandemark
Jan 2
4 min read

Photos By: Wolf Requiestas

Dayseeker returned to the House of Blues Anaheim for their third annual, sold out, Holiday Show! I love this new tradition they’ve created and it’s the perfect way to close out and say goodbye to the concert year. This year they had support from Chief, Avoid, and Invent Animate.

Kicking off the party is Indie/Rock band Chief! Made up of singer/guitarist Michael Taylor, drummer Sammy Vaughn, guitarist Derek Belser, and bassist Dana Willax. They just released their debut album, Lost In The Evergreen, in October of this year.

Avoid was up next and the rumors are true, they do indeed kick ass! Avoid is honestly one of my favorite bands to see live! I may not know all of their songs, but I try to catch their shows whenever I can just because they are so fun! They are masters with crowd engagement and all of their shows just feel like one big party! Frontman Benny Scholl is kind of chaotic and I mean that in a good way. He was already out in the crowd, crowd surfing by song three!

I love Invent Animate shows because right from the start, you’re instantly mesmerized. With the outfits, the vocals, and the shift in atmosphere, it’s all very hypnotizing. Their music is very empathic and you can’t quite explain the feeling of their shows unless you were there. They mostly played songs off their 2023 album, Heavener, but also played “Sleepless Night” and “How We Used To Say Goodbye”.

Then it was time for Dayseeker! Three songs in, we got a special surprise from Garrett Russell of Silent Planet as he came out to scream the breakdown of “Dreamstate.” Their latest album, Creature In The Black Night, was released in October of this year and most of their setlist consisted of songs off of it. Dayseeker has such a strong fan base, and it’s crazy how Rory is able to make us feel connected and not so alone by putting into words the pain that so many of us feel. It’s not just about loss, but he speaks on anxiety and mental health and makes so many of us feel heard. Being in a room full of people that are screaming all of the words and expressing themselves in such a way is something else. I’ve never walked out of a Dayseeker show with dry eyes and I always say, you didn’t truly go to a Dayseeker show if you didn’t bawl your eyes out at least once.

Before “The Living Dead”, Rory took a moment to explain the song, saying how he felt numb to his emotions and wanted to break that cycle not wanting to live like that anymore. I just love Rory’s vulnerability and the fact that he is open to share what he shares. Because of this, Dayseeker has helped me so much find words and meanings to things that I’ve struggled with. At the very end of the show, Garrett from Silent Planet came back out, jumped down to the barricade and greeted and hugged as many fans as he could. I’ve said it before, but there is seriously nothing like a hug from Garrett.

Dayseeker already has a pretty busy start to their 2026. With a European tour supporting Motionless in White starting in February, and then heading out on their headlining tour kicking off in May, and making a festival appearance at Sonic Temple! Can’t wait to see what else the New Year brings for Dayseeker!

Supporting Motionless in White:

2.5 – Glasgow, UK • OVO Hydro

2.6 – Nottingham, UK • Motorpoint Arena

2.7 – Manchester, UK • AO Arena

2.10 – Dublin, IE • 3Arena

2.13 – Cardiff, UK • Utilita Arena

2.14 – London, UK • Alexandra Palace

2.17 – Paris, FR • Zénith

2.18 – Amsterdam, NL • AFAS Live

2.20 – Düsseldorf, DE • Mitsubishi Electric Hall

2.21 – Hannover, DE • Swiss Life Hall

2.22 – Prague, CZ • Forum Karlín