Papa Roach, The Used and Sleep Theory
Live review — December 6, 2025 | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, Kitchener, ON
Papa Roach’s return to Canada for a full Canadian tour with Sleep Theory and The Used on December 6th felt less like a rock show and more like a communal exhale — the kind of night where nostalgia, vulnerability, and sheer adrenaline smash into each other with arena-shaking force. But before the veterans took over, the undercard set the tone with precision.
Sleep Theory opened with the kind of quiet-to-eruption intensity that’s fast becoming their trademark. The Tennessee newcomers tore into a tight, emotionally charged set highlighted by a dark, pulsing rendition of “Numb,” that showed their commanding stage presence. They closed with “Static,” sending a shockwave of alt-metal hooks and auto tune across the venue as the crowd roared their approval.
The Used followed with a masterclass in catharsis. Bert McCracken stalked the stage like a man possessed, howling through early-2000s staples “Buried Myself Alive,” “The Taste of Ink,” and the still-feral “Pretty Handsome Awkward.” But the most gut-punching moment came midway through the set, when the band stopped the show to lead thousands in singing happy birthday to a 13-year-old at his first concert — a reminder that, in the chaos of emo mythology, this band’s beating heart is still community. They capped their set with a blistering “A Box Full of Sharp Objects,” detonating the arena one last time.
By the time Papa Roach hit the stage with new track “Even If It Kills Me,” the room was already at a rolling boil. Jacoby Shaddix — equal parts conductor and spark plug — launched into “Blood Brothers” and “Dead Cell” with the zeal of a frontman who refuses to let two decades dull his blade. During “…To Be Loved,” he dove into the pit, igniting a frenzy that rippled outward like shockwaves.
The set moved with airtight momentum: the crushing stomp of “Kill the Noise,” the alt-metal swagger of “Getting Away with Murder,” and a surprise detour into 2Pac’s “California Love,” which somehow felt right at home. But the emotional centerpiece arrived when the screens cut to a pre-recorded message from Shaddix addressing suicide awareness. Moments later, he delivered a haunting performance of “Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark),” followed by a full-arena moment of silence and a heartfelt shout-out the various places you can get assistance if you are suffering and told the crowd they would be be making a donation to a local suicide prevention center. It was the kind of pause that makes the noise that follows hit even harder.
From “Scars” to the whiplash blast of “BRAINDEAD” and “Help,” Papa Roach showed why their catalog still resonates. Shaddix took the show on a Nu Metal time machine during a mashup of Korn’s “Blind,” Deftone’s “My Own Summer (Shove It),” Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff,” and closed it with System of a Down’s “Chop Suey,” as he roamed the venue, greeting fans in the seats before cutting through the crowd and turning the arena into one giant mosh-pit-meets-family-reunion.
And then came the inevitable: “Last Resort,” delivered with every ounce of spit, sweat, and history attached to it. The floor shook. Voices cracked. Strangers clung to each other.
On this night in Kitchener, Papa Roach weren’t just performing — they were reminding thousands why these songs still matter. In a world that feels increasingly heavy, they offered 90 minutes of release, unity, and loud, necessary light.