Brand New have played their first public reunion show since 2017. Check out footage and the full setlist below.
The band announced news of the comeback show at the start of March, when they launched their own website and told followers they would be playing three shows at the end of the month.
It marks their first gigs since a secret and intimate reunion show in December last year in Nashville’s Eastside Bowl, which led to fans speculating that a full-blown reunion was on the way for 2025.
They played the first of three gigs at The Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas last night (March 26) – the same venue where they played their last show on October 29 2017, just before taking a hiatus.
In total, the members broke out 18 songs in the setlist, opening with back-to-back renditions of ‘The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows‘, ‘I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light‘ and ‘The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot‘.
From there, fan favourites came in thick and fast including ‘Sowing Season‘, ‘Out of Mana‘, ‘You Stole‘, ‘Gasoline‘, ‘Luca‘, ‘At the Bottom‘, before they gave two songs their live debut. These were ‘Waste’ and ‘Batter Up’, which both appeared in their latest album, 2017’s ‘Science Fiction’.
According to Setlist.fm, the show ended with a rendition of their 2006 song ‘Jesus Christ’, and ‘Battalions’ and ‘Can’t Get It Out’ both didn’t make the final cit, despite being played at the soundcheck earlier in the day.
Check out more footage and the full setlist below.
The Brand New setlist was:
‘The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows’
‘I Will Play My Game Beneath the Spin Light’
‘The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot’
‘Sowing Season’
‘Out of Mana’
‘You Stole’
‘Gasoline’
‘Luca’
‘At the Bottom’
‘Welcome to Bangkok’ (With “Space Cadet” intro from album)
‘Lit Me Up’
‘Waste’ (Live debut—with “screaming” intro from album)
‘137’
‘Degausser’
‘You Won’t Know’
‘Play Crack the Sky’ (Jesse solo)
‘Batter Up’ (Live debut)
‘Jesus’
Since the show, fans have also taken to social media to share their thoughts at the reunion, with one describing the Texas gig as seeing the members showcasing their music at “a much deeper, more meaningful level”. Find more fan responses below.
We saw Brand New tonight at a much deeper, more meaningful level than everyone else there, for their first show since 2017. Also, Dallas fucking blows. pic.twitter.com/z4iRwSM6UM
— Chris (@sthrnscmtattoo) March 27, 2025
TONIGHT. First Brand New show in 8 years. The Bomb Factory. Dallas, Texas. Let’s rock. pic.twitter.com/cLG6sZyC2P
— Jordan Norris (@JorNor) March 26, 2025
Not to be dramatic or anything but brand new is playing tonight in Texas….
— Ken Kaneki (@spaceghostjp) March 27, 2025
The comeback shows come after the Long Island band have been largely inactive since frontman Jesse Lacey was accused of sexual misconduct involving a minor in 2017. The news led to their UK tour at the time being cancelled and their music was removed from Spotify ‘Wrapped’ lists after two more women came forward with additional allegations.
Lacey responded by offering an apology for “the actions of my past” which he said had “caused pain and harm to a number of people.”
“I want to say that I am absolutely sorry. I do not stand in defense of myself nor do I forgive myself. I was selfish, narcissistic, and insensitive in my past, and there are a number of people who have had to shoulder the burden of my failures,” he said at the time.
“I apologise for the hurt I have caused, and hope to be able to take the correct actions to earn forgiveness and trust.”
Brand New formed in 2000 and established themselves as a leading emo band in their early years, before developing into a more complex and introspective alternative rock band. Their fifth and most recent album was ‘Science Fiction’ and marked their first new record in eight years.
Members had been hinting that it would be their final album around the time of its release, selling t-shirts bearing the dates “2000-2018” – although this was before the allegations against Lacey came to light.
