Colie Hutzler sings directly to the camera at August Hall Oct. 23, 2025. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUT launched the closing leg of their North American tour at August Hall in downtown San Francisco on Oct. 23—closing it out with the same energy they started with, right at home in California.

Opening for letlive., whom they hail as role models, BSD took the stage at 8:45 p.m., following SLUDGE MOTHER, a grungy homage to abrasive, female-led bands like Hole.

From the barricade, the concert’s energy was electric—difficult to put into words but impossible to forget.

Frontman Colie Hutzler took the stage with dramatic flair, clad in black leather and sporting hair curled to Slash-inspired perfection. His presence set the tone for a modern revival of the rock scene—rooted in L.A. grit and embodied in their latest “WHERE DID ALL THE BUTTERFLIES GO?” album’s self-described blend of “pop-punk theatrics with late-night confessions.”

BSD opened with a performance of “XXX,” a song driven by a steady beat and singular vocals that lured the crowd to sing along—a moment vocalist Colie Hutzler and bassist Beepus Burdett amplified with a call-and-response.

Beepus Burdett sticks his tongue out while ripping the bass. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

The track channels the sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll attitude of the industry, carried by Colie’s raw, throat-ripped vocals and a guitar solo that let Bardo Novotny take center stage.

Followed by tracks “TWO OF US” and “FEVER”—standout songs from their latest album focused on physicality and carnal relationships—the audience shouted and clapped along as Colie commanded the stage, running side to side and up and down with relentless energy.

Bardo didn’t miss his chance for crowd interaction either. Poised with one foot on a speaker, he sang directly to the audience: “I dug this grave for the two of us,” making eye contact and drawing fans into the performance, effectively making the crowd part of the song’s lyrical pair.

Audience involvement is vital—the lifeblood of live performance.

Concertgoers come for release, for a sense of ascension beyond the physical into music and lyrics that articulate unspoken thoughts. BSD isn’t trying to be relatable—that’s the beauty of it—they simply are.

“LMTFA,” short for “Leave Me The Fuck Alone,” captured the raw, raging roots of the evening, sparking the kind of chaos characteristic of letlive.’s “soulpunk” and hardcore style—an influence echoed in BSD’s own heavy songs. The song is angry, angsty and exactly what the audience needed to go hard—the very energy BSD said they were hoping to see just days before.

Bardo Novotny shreds the guitar. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

Amidst the chaos, Colie took to the mic to hail his home state, capturing the essence of the Bay Area and the spirit of the music scene.

“One thing I love about San Francisco … I can always find something fun to do, no matter what time it is,” Hutzler said, introducing the band’s next track, “CITY NEVER SLEEPS.”

And the city was far from tired as BSD began the closing section of their set—each track more heavy than the last, bringing the room to a fever pitch.

“ON YOUR LIPS,” which Colie jokingly dedicated to bandmate Bardo and his lips, was followed by “DADDY DON’T CRY.”

“Let’s pretend it’s the ’70s again,” Hutzler said, illustrating the evolution of BSD’s musical style—shifting from the experimentally heavy sound of the former to the 1970s glam rock influences of the latter, once again nodding to the tour lifestyle band often calls on, both its glamorous highs and difficult lows.

Shirtless Frontman Colie smiles to the crowd after finishing “Fight Mode.” **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

BSD closed their set with the heaviest song of the night, “Fight Mode,” from their debut album. Unabashed and fully locked in, Colie ripped off his shirt, leapt around the stage, and leaned into the crowd, singing directly into cameras as sweat and spit flew—a raw display of energy mirrored by his bandmates as they powered through the finale.

The crowd was heaving and breathless as Bardo sent extra guitar picks sailing into the audience before the band exited the stage, leaving the room reeling in their wake.

For an opener, Beauty School Dropout performs like a headliner.

Then came letlive.

They took the stage shortly after—bringing metal to the room in destructive fashion, defying definition in the same way they always have. Their sound was a mix of post-hardcore, thrash and metal—built on heavy drumlines, deep bass and scream vocals that had a mosh pit forming before the first chorus even hit. The room split down the middle, with the left side holding those who didn’t want to be thrown around, and the right side consumed by crowd surfers, moshers and adrenaline.

Jason Butler—frontman of letlive.—had one message: “Get the fuck up, San Francisco!”

Jason Butler of letlive. screams his heart out before tossing a metal garbage can up to the rafters. **(Nina Glick/The Santa Clara)**

What followed was carnage in its truest form. Butler dumped a metal trash can of water over himself before tossing it into the rafters, and crowd surfers came in waves toward the stage—one even crashing into the barricade near the photographers.

This concert wasn’t for the faint of heart—but no one there fit that description.

“We couldn’t find a scene to call our own,” Butler said. “So we created our own. We made our band—and people started listening.”

Between drum and bass solos, drinks were thrown, fans screamed lyrics through their teeth, and the floor quaked under the movement.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay for the entirety of their set—but outside, I had the privilege of teaching two men how to mosh, crashing into them until they were convinced to buy tickets.

The Logistics

Ticket prices vary, but according to the current calendar of events at the venue, most start at around $30, not including processing fees.

For those interested in merchandise—myself included—a small table near the entrance offered a selection of clothing, accessories, stickers, and other items, with prices ranging from $1 to $70.

The car ride from Santa Clara University to August Hall takes about an hour, give or take. For anyone nervous about driving in the city, most of the trip is along the 101 Expressway, with only the final few minutes on city streets.

We chose the Mason O’Farrell Garage, just a three-minute walk from the venue, and one of the more affordable options at $21.45 for a 6:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. reservation. The 490 Post Valet Garage is slightly closer but comes at nearly double the price.

An Uber or other ridesharing service charges around $85 at minimum, with prices increasing in real time based on the traffic in the area—which is usually heavy—so be aware.

If you choose to take the train, the Powell Street BART station is a short walk from the venue. Most likely, you would need to take VTA transit to the Berryessa/North San Jose Station and then connect to the Powell Street BART. The BART trip costs only about $10 one way.