After Devastating Plane Crash, Pierce the Veil Push Through Crisis: ‘It’s Still Surreal’

“The way my wife and I keep describing this year — it’s just the highest highs and the lowest lows,” says Vic Fuentes, frontman for San Diego post-hardcore group Pierce the Veil.

After two decades of grinding road work and kinetic live shows, Fuentes’ band found themselves headlining New York City’s Madison Square Garden, a major milestone for a group that’s never cut a straightforward path through the touring business. It was one of those high highs, Fuentes explained, which was followed by a very low low — Fuente’s agent and longtime friend, Sound Talent Group’s Dave Shapiro, passed away in a plane crash flying back to San Diego after attending the MSG show. Onboard with Shapiro were another of Fuentes’ longtime friends, Dominic Damian, as well as musician Daniel Williams, Sound Talent Group employees Emma Huke and Kendall Fortner and photographer Celina Kenyon, who all also died in the crash.

The news of Shapiro’s death came as Pierce the Veil were only four shows into a 30-date North American run. Shapiro had been the band’s agent for 20 years, instrumental in their rise from a Warped Tour small stages to their current arena run.

“We had the most successful, amazing tour of our career — breaking so many records,” Fuentes says. “And then I lost four of my best friends at one time. It was too much to process.”

Despite the shock, the band decided to continue. “This is what Dave built for us,” Fuentes explains. “It felt like he got us to Madison Square Garden, the pinnacle of all arenas, and then said, ‘I got you here — take it from here.’”

Pierce the Veil dedicated the entire world tour to Shapiro and the victims of the crash. Live Nation provided immediate support, supplying grief counselors at every stop. “They wanted to do everything they could to keep the tour alive and keep the band alive,” Fuentes says.

Just days after the crash, the band was back on stage, pushing through the I Can’t Hear You World Tour which included stops at iconic North American venues like Denver’s Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The first leg of their tour wrapped up in June, giving the band a needed break as they prepared for the European leg of their tour which begins Sept. 20 in Dublin, Ireland and includes stops at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, AFAS Live in Amsterdam, and arenas in Germany and Belgium — venues the band spent years building toward.

“In the U.K., they’re all about the stepping stones,” Fuentes says. “Play one venue, sell it out, move up to the next one. It took 18 years to get here, but now we finally get to bring our biggest production overseas.”

To prepare for the tour, Pierce the Veil hit the road in 2023 opening for Blink-182 on their reunion tour, which had the band performing stadiums including Fenway Park in Boston. “That was one of my favorite tours we’ve ever done,” Fuentes says. “It was perfect timing — Blink had a revival of energy, and we got to play stadiums most bands never touch. It was incredible.”

‘Clawing Your Way Out of a Dark Place’

Much of the touring success has been powered by The Jaws of Life, Pierce the Veil’s 2023 album on Fearless Records. The project debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart and delivered multiple singles with unexpected longevity.

“Emergency Contact” was an early standout, while “So Far So Fake” — a track Fuentes wrote years earlier with lifelong friend Curtis Peoples — went viral on TikTok in 2024.

“The song went through multiple versions,” Fuentes says. “I always knew it was special, but then suddenly it blew up online. You just sit back and watch it happen.”

The viral traction echoes the staying power of “King for a Day,” the band’s 2012 single that continues to resurface with new generations online. “It’s out of your control,” Fuentes says. “Fans take it and make it into something new.”

The Jaws of Life also marked a stylistic evolution, leaning into ‘90s alt-rock and grunge influences while still rooted in the post-hardcore energy that defined the band’s early years.

“We didn’t know how fans would react,” Fuentes admits. “But if we trust our gut, that’s always worked for us. We just wanted to make a good record, and it ended up taking us further than we imagined.”

The album’s title and concept reflect the band’s resilience. “It’s about clawing your way out of a dark place to a better one,” Fuentes says. “That became the theme of the music, the artwork, the whole cycle.”

For Fuentes, reaching arena headliner status represented a full circle from the band’s origins on the Vans Warped Tour. Pierce the Veil played multiple summers of the festival, building their reputation in the punk and post-hardcore circuit.

When Warped returned this year, Fuentes showed up for a surprise acoustic set — this time representing his nonprofit, the Living The Dream Foundation. “Warped was a stepping stone for us,” he says. “It’s how we built our band. I wanted to pay respect and also spotlight the foundation.”

The Living The Dream Foundation, which Fuentes now runs, brings kids and young adults battling life-threatening illnesses to concerts and festivals for VIP experiences. “They get to meet the bands, stand on stage, and have the best day ever,” Fuentes explains.

Pierce the Veil have built the foundation into their touring model and every ticket sold on their North American tours includes a $1 donation. “It’s become part of who we are,” Fuentes says. “We’ll keep it alive as long as we can.”

As Pierce the Veil prepare for to embark on the European leg of their tour, Fuentes acknowledges the weight of the past year. The loss of Shapiro and friends remains fresh, but the band’s forward momentum continues to grow.

“It’s still surreal,” he says. “Some days it doesn’t even feel real. But the shows, the fans, the music — they give us a reason to keep going.”

And while 2025 has tested them in unimaginable ways, Fuentes sees the band’s future as one of resilience, purpose and growth.

“Music saved us,” he says. “And right now, it’s still saving us.”