Feb 283 min read

Ceremony's "Rohnert Park" (2010): Live From The Hollywood Palladium (Pictures)

The sold-out celebration of the seminal record was as momentous as an event can get.

ceremony rohnert park, ceremony hollywood palladium. — Photograph by Joshua Alvarez

Text, Photos by Joshua Alvarez (@joshua.jam3s) at the

Hollywood Palladium on February 24, 2024:

Twenty-three years since its inception, Rohnert Park lives again as fervent as ever in front of a buzzing, sold-out Hollywood Palladium eager to soar and scream. Ceremony delivered big while breathing new life into the fan-favorite, trailblazing album over the weekend — a landmark moment for the California hardcore punks. Lucky those in attendance, ourselves included, for having been there to see Rohnert Park be played for the first and last time, ever. Big shoutout to Sound & Fury for helping to make it happen.

Beyond it being a Ceremony celebration however, a cohort of standout acts set the stage for the evening's headlining act, the likes of which included Gouge Away, Infest, Soul Search, and Blazing Eye. The eclectic array were explosive and joyful in their aggression, all performing with a punk bravado that had bodies moving from beginning to end.

Gouge Away, who are inching closer to the release of new album, Deep Sage, were a standout among them all, bridging glistening melodies with electrifying flare. Raw like their studio recordings, Gouge Away excel in their live performance, putting all their physicality into every note, crash, and scream that radiated throughout the wide Palladium. Burnt Sugar (2018) brought many eyes upon them and Deep Sage takes it extensively further, resulting in an infectious joy strongly felt from their very presence. Opening a historic Ceremony show and meeting a raging audience energy is a hell of a way to lead up to a full-length release, and the Christina Michelle-led did not disappoint.

Gouge Away Photo Gallery

As the start of Ceremony's set neared, anticipation was through the roof and the thousands present began to shuffle, slowly inching towards the unnecessary but legally required barricades. Rohnert Park's iconic cover photograph filled the backdrop and the anthemic Into the Wayside Part I slowly crescendoed, met at its culminating point by a roaring applause and a commanding Ross Farrar who maximized every second of time afforded to him. A night of Ceremony had begun and all hell had broke loose.

As seen below, Ceremony is for the people, by the people.

A communal experience was a created by a band known to narrate for the youth. Every passing word from standouts like Open Head and Terminal Addiction were engraved in the hearts and minds of those rushing towards Farrar to share a special microphone moment. The passion and rumbling anguish was intense, and The Doldrums furthered it greatly. There was catharsis with the conclusion of each track, a breath of fresh air after the concerns had been voiced (or screamed from the top of our lungs). Those memorable riffs and signature solos flew from Anthony Anzaldo's guitar as M.C.D.F. and Moving Principle stirred the room. Into the Wayside Part lll put a stupendous end to a celebratory set to be remembered for years, but the fun had not hit its end. An encore of staples from across the band's discography, as well as a California Über Alles and Pressure's On cover, erupted, adding fire to the flame that was Ceremony at the Hollywood Palladium. Long live Rohnert Park, and may it continue to inspire and amaze as much as it has been for over a decade.