Lord Huron (with support from The Army, The Navy) performing at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL on July 29, 2026. All photos taken by Josie Liederman.
Rolling Loud | Orlando
Rolling Loud is back! Rolling Loud, the world’s largest hip-hop music festival, is back for the year 2026 and was no short of an amazing experience. This year marks a stark change in Rolling Loud’s usual repertoire, as it is the second time the festival will only appear in the United States. Nonetheless, this year’s festival features a star-studded lineup of the rap game’s biggest names, along with today’s rising stars within the genre, Don Toliver headlining Rolling Loud for the first time. The May 2026 weekend in Orlando is something old fans and newcomers alike will not forget.
Most notably, the headlining act Don Toliver delivered one of the festival’s most anticipated performances of the weekend, tearing through fan-favorite tracks from across his catalog as fans moshed about the Under Armour Stage. Accompanied by intense pyrotechnics, immersive visuals, and relentless crowd energy, the festival reached another level, switching gears each night, sending the audience into maximum overdrive.
Throughout the weekend, many of the other artists felt that Rolling Loud was a return to basics! Featuring many underground/rising artists, like Esdeekid, SoSoCamo, and Snow Strippers, this festival marks a stark contrast to the usual star-studded lineup many fans have been accustomed to over the years. However, the energy and vibe remain, and in this writer’s opinion, the change is much welcomed.
Beyond the performances, Rolling Loud offered a fully immersive fan experience through an energizing lineup of interactive activations from fashion, lifestyle, and culture. Festivalgoers explored The Loud Theater, where fans got a chance to preview a trailer for the upcoming film Rolling Loud the Movie ahead of its nationwide theatrical release later this year. Some may remember that during Rolling Loud’s 10-year anniversary in 2024, Travis Scott, in a now-viral moment, brought out Owen Wilson during his set. This will be featured in the film, alongside appearances by major figures in modern hip-hop. Fans also gathered at Under Armour’s experience, which featured workout areas, cooling pods, hydration stations, and fan giveaways that definitely helped attendees avoid passing out and stay festival-ready. Elsewhere, a skatepark delivered a personal skate destination for fans, while the Hennessy Social Club provided amazing views overlooking the main stage from its huge second-story level. Rolling Loud never fails to bring the vibe beyond the stage, further expanding the festival atmosphere beyond the music itself.
Rolling Loud 2026 was such a successful transition into a new wave of hip-hop that, at the time of writing, the festival has already confirmed it will run it back next year, 2027, in Orlando. Rolling Loud, yet again, cements itself as a premier music festival that all music lovers, particularly hip-hop, should not miss, and Unclear Magazine cannot wait for what they have in store for us next.
Words and photos by Ryan-Samuel Borromeo
Molly Grace | Orlando
Molly Grace performing at The Social in Orlando, FL on October 28, 2025. All photos taken by April Anderson.
Turnstile | Orlando
Turnstile (with support from SPEED) performing at Orlando Amphitheater in Orlando, FL on October 19, 2025. All photos taken by April Anderson.
d4vd | Orlando
d4vd delivers an electric show to his Floridian fans. Texas native, d4vd, makes a triumphant return to the tour scene with his all-new Withered Tour at The House of Blues in Disney Springs, Orlando. On August 13th, 2025, rising star d4vd played the second of his two shows in Central Florida as part of his Withered Tour, and I must say, it was not anything short of amazing. By the time the doors opened, fans were excited to see their favorite artist. Fans packed the venue in blood-splattered shirts and bouquets of flowers that mirrored d4vd’s iconic attire featured in many of his music video releases.
When d4vd finally took the stage, the atmosphere changed in an instant. d4vd initially brings an electrifying energy to the crowd, zooming from end-to-end playing classics like “Take Me To The Sun” and new hits like “What Are You Waiting For” from the most recent WITHERED album. From there, the night took on a more somber tone. The stage was clad with decaying Roman-like architecture and flowers blooming out as if it were a form of death and rebirth.
The setlist mainly features older emotional tracks from d4vd’s discography, like “Sleep Well,” “WORTHLESS,” and “Backstreet Girl.” Yet seamlessly blends these with newer somber tracks like “Is This Really Love?”
Performing with the opener, Bryant Barnes, d4vd brings him back onto the stage to perform their collab originally by Barnes, “I’d Rather Pretend,” to the delight of fans of both artists.
In a triumphant finale, d4vd, in a soaring and piercing falsetto, sings the live version of arguably his most popular track so far, “Romantic Homicide.” d4vd is an artist whose voice resonates with those emotionally torn, making him one of the best rising artists of today’s age. He continues to leave his best on stage, and we can’t wait for what he has in store for us next.
Words and photos by Ryan-Samuel Borromeo
Caroline Kingsbury | Orlando
Caroline Kingsbury performing at The Social in Orlando, FL on March 30, 2025. All photos taken by April Anderson.
Bleachers | Orlando
Bleachers (with support from Allison Ponthier) performing at House of Blues in Orlando, FL on May 17, 2022. All photos taken by Danielle Skibins.
Vacations | Orlando
Vacations performing at The Abbey in Orlando, FL on March 31, 2022. All photos taken by Valentina Ramirez.
Bad Bunny | Orlando
Bad Bunny performing at Amway Center in Orlando, FL on March 29, 2022. All photos taken by Valentina Ramirez.
Wallows | Orlando
Wallows performing at House of Blues in Orlando, FL on February 17, 2020. All photos taken by Hannah Howells.
Saint Motel | Orlando
Saint Motel performing at The Plaza Live in Orlando, FL on February 4, 2020. All photos taken by Hannah Howells.
The Drums | Orlando
The Drums performing at The Beacham in Orlando, FL on May 16, 2019. All photos taken by Seth Kicklighter.
G Jones | Orlando
On February 6th, I had the opportunity to go see and shoot for the up and coming bass artist G Jones along with his openers Tsuruda and Chee. They were playing at The Beacham in Orlando that night, which is an average sized venue. It has a capacity of about 1400, which I prefer this size in most cases because it’s big enough to fit plenty of people, and small enough and more intimate to where you can easily get up close to the artist (when I’m not already in the photo pit).
I’m not a longtime listener of bass music, but checked out his latest album The Ineffable Truth as soon as I heard that I’d be able to shoot for him and wanted to identify those songs live. I really vibed with his song “Different Sound”, which stood out as one of the more hyped and wild songs with really interesting bass tones and dynamics. The crowd was raging basically nonstop the entire song. That or “Time” would be my favorite. “Time” was a much longer song of the dubstep genre, just over six minutes, but in my opinion had the most soulful aesthetic due to its wider range of pace, going from a hype jazz styled drum like intro, to a slowed down series or organ like tones building it back up into a somewhat darker, more intense version of the intro. The rest of the set was consistently exciting and kept the audience from standing still.
These shows live are obviously going to be much better when listening to this genre, since it’s the heaviest you can really feel bass and his light show was insanely cool, very accurately lining up with the energy of the music. Any fan of bass music or dubstep would have an awesome time at one of his shows. The tour is only a few days in and ends early March (aside from one in April). See if G Jones is playing near you at: gjonesbass.com/shows.
Words and photos by Seth Kicklighter.
Ben Rector | Orlando
Ben Rector performing at House of Blues in Orlando, FL on November 2, 2018. All photos taken by Adrienne Trematerra.
Oh Wonder | Orlando
Oh Wonder performing at House of Blues in Orlando, FL on May 16th, 2018. All photos taken by Cece Rulon.
Playlist Live | Orlando
Playlist Live featuring Scotty Sire, Kristen McAtee, Toddy Smith, Matt King, Corinna Kopf, Heath Hussar, and more in Orlando, FL on April 27 - April 29, 2018. All photos taken by Allie Crump.
Sorority Noise | Orlando
Sorority Noise performing at The Abbey in Orlando, FL on March 28, 2018. All photos taken by Jahi Khalfani.
TWLOHA - HEAVY AND LIGHT | Orlando
TWLOHA's HEAVY AND LIGHT event at the House of Blues in Orlando, FL on March 10, 2018. All photos taken by Adrienne Trematerra.
The Front Bottoms | Orlando
The Front Bottoms performing at House of Blues in Orlando, FL on November 19, 2017. All photos taken by Amanda Laferriere.
Basement | Orlando
Basement performing at House of Blues in Orlando, FL on November 19, 2017. All photos taken by Amanda Laferriere.