RETURN OF THE ROBOT – Dance Gavin Dance Packs The House At Brooklyn Bowl

June 21, 2025 – Dance Gavin Dance rolled into Brooklyn Bowl Saturday night and completely tore the place apart—in the best way possible. If you’ve seen them live before, you know exactly what kind of chaos to expect: weird time signatures, wild guitar riffs, and a crowd that never stops moving. This show was all that and then some.

Opening with “Speed Demon,” the band came out swinging. The mix was tight from the start—Will Swan’s guitar work was unreal as always, blending shreddy leads with funky grooves like it’s nothing. Jon Mess was pure energy, barking out his signature unhinged screams, and Andrew Wells (now handling clean vocals full-time) absolutely crushed it. His voice is smooth, powerful, and soulful, and he brings a fresh dynamic to the band while still doing justice to the older material.

They played a great mix of songs from different eras—“The Robot With Human Hair Pt. 2 1/2” had the crowd yelling every word, while new tracks like “Midnight at McGuffy’s” already feel like staples. Andrew sounded great on everything, and the chemistry between him and Jon felt natural, like they’ve been doing this forever. A special highlight of the night featured hometown legend & vocalist of The Afterhour, JT Gutierrez joining the band on vocals for the encore song “Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most”. We’re all insanely proud of you dude 🖤.

One of the best parts of the night was just how locked-in the band was. Despite how complex their music is, they never missed a beat. Mingus was a machine behind the drums, Sergio Medina was an absolute energy ball on the bass, and the crowd responded with mosh pits, crowd surfing, and non-stop jumping from front to back. The energy in the room was insane.

There wasn’t a ton of talking between songs, but when the band did pause, they kept it light and fun—cracking jokes, thanking the fans, and clearly enjoying the moment. It felt like a celebration of how far they’ve come and where they’re headed next.

Dance Gavin Dance live is always an experience, and this show proved they’re still pushing forward with no signs of slowing down. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just getting into them, they’re a must-see band that somehow manages to make chaos sound beautiful. DGD is set to continue the “Return of the Robot” tour through June 29th this year.