Pierce the Veil are the first band on Hot Topic Live, a new music performance series the retailer launched Wednesday, Oct. 21. Hot Topic Live is filmed inside a custom-built studio at Hot Topic’s flagship store in Hollywood, and the San Diego band’s full session is now up on Hot Topic’s YouTube channel, with clips running on the brand’s social accounts, according to the announcement published by Blabbermouth and BroadwayWorld.
Pierce the Veil’s Hot Topic Live Set
Pierce the Veil played three songs, per ThePRP:
- “So Far, So Fake”
- “Bulls in the Bronx”
- “Pass the Nirvana”
The announcement calls it an “exclusive performance that builds on the band’s longstanding relationship with the brand.” Billboard, which had the story as an exclusive, describes Pierce the Veil as “the San Diego rock band whose longstanding relationship with the retailer makes it a perfect fit to launch the series.”
Vocalist and guitarist Vic Fuentes said in the announcement:
We’re excited to kick things off as the first band to perform for Hot Topic Live. Our band has grown up with Hot Topic since the very beginning, so it’s really cool to see them create a new space for alternative artists like us to bring our songs to life for the fans. The performance was intimate, the vibe in the studio was fun and loose, and the production team worked hard behind the scenes to create something special for everyone watching at home. We hope you enjoy it.”
What Hot Topic Live Is
Hot Topic Live is pitched as a “social-first” series “designed to feel like a private show inside a local Hot Topic store.” The set copies the look of the stores, with a wall of band tees as the backdrop. Billboard says the idea is to bring the energy of an intimate in-store show to fans watching online, rather than recreating a traditional concert stage. BroadwayWorld places the studio in Ovation Hollywood. The other reports just say it’s at the Hollywood flagship.
Each Hot Topic Live session “centers on an exclusive performance of original songs,” the announcement says. Artists “may also participate” in extra segments made for Hot Topic’s audience:
- Hot Minute: a rapid-fire Q&A.
- My First Band Tee: artists tell the story of their first band shirt.
- Behind the Tee Wall: a conversation about their music and what comes next.
The sources don’t say which of those segments Pierce the Veil filmed. Billboard describes the series as featuring all three, while the announcement says artists “may” take part, so check Hot Topic’s channels to see what’s been posted.
Why Hot Topic Says It’s Doing This
The press release frames Hot Topic Live as a response to how fans find music now: discovery “often begins with a short clip, but meaningful fandom is built through a deeper connection.” It says the series will give “established and emerging artists across genres” a place to play original music and talk about it, reaching “audiences online and in stores.”
Andrea Lewis, Hot Topic’s vice president of marketing, said: “Music is in Hot Topic’s DNA. We’re fans first, and our authentic relationships with artists and fans make Hot Topic Live a natural evolution in how we show up in the music space.” She added that “launching with Pierce the Veil makes it especially meaningful given our longstanding relationship with the band.”
Lewis also promised “a stage that’s unmistakably Hot Topic and moments fans won’t find anywhere else.” The announcement says the series aims to bring fans closer to “the artists they’ve had on repeat for years and the ones about to take over their playlists,” and to extend that intimate in-store feel to viewers around the world.
Billboard says the series is part of the retailer’s push to grow “its role in music beyond just selling shirts that fans wear to shows.”
What We Don’t Know Yet
- Who’s next: no other Hot Topic Live artists have been named.
- Schedule: the announcement doesn’t say how often new sessions will drop.
- In-store tie-ins: the release mentions reaching fans “in stores,” but gives no details about screenings or events at specific locations, including San Diego stores.
Pierce the Veil and San Diego
Pierce the Veil formed in San Diego in 2006. Their next big SoCal date is as special guest for System of a Down at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on June 5, 2027. For what’s happening closer to home, see our San Diego metal scene guide, and for the bigger picture, our look at metal music in 2025. Another big Southern California date on our radar is Iron Maiden in Chula Vista.
For now, the whole Hot Topic Live session is on Hot Topic’s YouTube channel, and the clips are rolling out on its social accounts.
SDMETAL