The Starting Line
Theater of Living Arts
334 South St.
Philadelphia
Dec. 12, 2025
On Friday night, pop band The Starting Line packed the Theater of Living Arts on South Street for their annual holiday show. The band calls the event Reconnect – an opportunity for folks to get together to sing along to songs they love one last time before closing out the year. The event has become a holiday tradition for many, myself included, and offers feelings of nostalgia and the opportunity to see yourself experience the passage of time through angsty pop punk music.
The set started off strong, opening with “Curveball,” one of my favorites off of their latest album entitled Eternal Youth. “Curveball” is a groovy yet tormented number that emphasizes the pain of hindsight being 20/20, and it allows gravelly vocals from Ken Vasoli to shine through. Excitingly, the band moved right into an oldie but goodie – “Cheek to Cheek” – which they haven’t consistently played since back in 2012. From there, TSL played a crowd-pleasing mix of the deep cuts and new music.
I’ve seen The Starting Line something like 25 times in my life, dating back to when I was in elementary school and they were the local band that suddenly got famous and started playing on MTV. Taking into account shows pre and post-hiatus (2008-2011), this show at the TLA is one I will remember as one of the most fun times I’ve seen them. There was something special about it, and I think part of it comes down to Vasoli becoming a father.
Almost a month ago, Vasoli and his wife welcomed Luna Regina Vasoli into the world, and it really seems like there’s a new pep in his step. For starters, he seems to have taken to dad jokes quickly, making a 6 7 joke and laughing as the crowd boo’d him. But there’s also a deep gratefulness in his tone, and he even took time out of the set to play rock-paper-scissors with an audience member who yelled that it was their first TSL show.
The crowd at the TLA recognized that the band was in an exceedingly good place, and gave that energy right back. From start to finish, there was ample crowdsurfing and a constant pushpit. In the pit, big dudes in ugly Christmas sweaters and light up necklaces jumped around, put their arms around one another, and brought the holiday spirit.
Even when the band slowed into stripped down versions of “The Drama Summer” and “Granted” – a song about missing someone you’ve lost, and how much harder that gets around the holidays – the fans didn’t miss a beat singing along and swaying back and forth, though it was a welcomed moment of rest for those of us battling getting older yet still wanting to be in the pit.
Strangely, for such a great set, the production value for this concert was quite low budget. Without even a backdrop showcasing the band’s name or title of their new album, behind TSL was just a large, wrinkled white sheet that had holiday colors projected onto it. In front of each band member was what appeared to be a smart bulb, illuminating their faces. But TSL is a no-frills type of band, who lets the crowd know that they don’t “do that encore shit.” Perhaps it was on brand, but a little more thought presentation could have gone a long way.
And yet, no-frills isn’t always a bad thing, and it makes a hometown TSL show really feel like a community effort. Members of their crew, who the band made sure to shout out and chant for, started their careers in the same venue we were in that night. And the band’s merch is sold by guitarist Mike Golla’s daughters, who expertly manage crowd control at the booth.
Before wrapping up the show, Vasoli – who had been extra goofy the entire set – took a moment to be serious. He let the crowd, made up of old and new fans, as well as their closest friends and family, know that The Starting Line is for all of us. “It’s all love,” he said. “It’s a brotherhood. It’s a family. I hope you feel that.”
