From Study Playlist to Mosh Pit: Microwave Live in Orlando
By Celyse Ramirez - April 8th, 2026
There’s something so crazy about watching songs you once threw on while studying turn into the soundtrack for a full-contact pit. That’s exactly what went down when Microwave rolled through Orlando on the third night of their tour celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Much Love—a record that’s quietly embedded itself into countless alternative playlists over the past decade.
What I didn’t expect was just how hard the crowd would go from the very first note. The energy in the room and the fans did not allow for a moment of stillness or silence. A conveyor belt of crowdsurfers crashing toward the barricade, and at one point, a full-on wall of death parted the floor to songs I used to leisurely have on while walking to class in high school. Live, those same tracks hit even harder than the studio recordings. Whatever Much Love is on streaming, on stage it’s something else entirely. Along with the cool and cozy “mom’s basement” stage set they had, Microwave also brought three great opening acts on the road: All Get Out, HUNNY, and scene royalty Anthony Green. This lineup truly has something for everyone.
All Get Out opened the show with a handful of earnest indie emo songs that reminded me a lot of The Front Bottoms, Free Throw, and Modern Baseball. Nathan Hussey’s voice communicated so much emotion and passion live, along with the playing styles of the rest of the band. You could see the music flow through guitarist Kyle Samuel, who also scored some cool points for sporting SZA merch on stage. Their setlist included a few songs from Side A, The Season, and No Bouquet, and really warmed up the crowd for the rest of the night.
Next up was indie-pop rock band HUNNY. This set really took me back to being blissfully thirteen. While I hadn’t heard their music before the show, the stage setup—with the colorful banner, moody lights, tube TV, and layered Persian rugs—made me feel like I was reliving the Wallows Remote, Peach Pit era of teen summer. Promoting their new album, SPIRIT!, their fans took over the front row decked out in spirit jerseys to shout back the lyrics to songs new and old back to vocalist Jason Yarger. Jason brought a ton of fun personality and energy to the set, casually ripping his vape with a smile stored in his carpenter jeans and getting the whole room to jump and dance along.
A huge part of my excitement for this show (honestly, most of it) was getting another chance to see Anthony Green live. If you ever have the opportunity to catch him, solo or with any of his projects, take it. Seeing him live feels like such a privilege; I’ve never seen anyone else with the same genuine love for music and performing radiate so effortlessly from the stage. With his signature headbanging, perfectly ad-libbed screams, and occasional comedic breaks, I enjoyed every minute getting “rowdy in the mouse’s house,” as he very well put it.
Backed by the “boom. done.” band—featuring familiar faces Keith Goodwin and Tim Arnold, as well as his close friends and manager filling in the gaps—the setup was stripped down and intimate: just friends, their instruments, and chemistry on stage you can’t fake. And, of course, a little bottle of Martinelli’s apple juice resting on a nearby amp has become an essential part of the set.
I loved that my best friend and I were joined on the barricade by a few other fans dressed in his merch, all of us screaming “Stonehearted Man” as loud as we could. The setlist pulled from all corners of his career: “Get Out” from Blue Sky Noise, a peek at the long-awaited Circa Survive reunion later this year; a fun and groovy version of Saosin’s “Seven Years”; reimagined cuts from So Long, Avalon; and other fan-favorite AG tracks. He also slipped in “Reconcile,” a standout from his upcoming At The Tile Works live album.
His set fittingly sparked the first wave of crowdsurfers, or “party people,” as he endearingly referred to them mid-song. AG wrapped up the opening acts by going out with a “Boom,” surfing his guitar out into the crowd.
Microwave made their way to the stage around 9:30 PM, and as promised, they tore through Much Love in full, from “Vomit” to “Wrong.” From the jump, the crowd did not disappoint. After Anthony’s set, we left the barricade and agreed to enjoy them from the back of the pit. It didn’t take more than one song to get people up in the air and us in the middle of the pit.
Seeing people mosh and crowd kill to “Drown” definitely made me laugh just before we happily joined in. Microwave fans made the venue feel like a house show, free from that stand-still-and-record epidemic—people were truly present. Wrapping arms around one another and dancing in the puddle of spilled drinks on the hardwood below us, everyone was in it to have a good time. Special thanks to the tall guy in the backwards hat and cut-off tank that single-handedly launched me and every other surfer up from the right side.
Some songs, like their cover of Ray Charles’s “Georgia On My Mind,” slowed the pace. Nate gave us a much-needed breather with a moment to stand back and really appreciate how much the band has grown and how much effort they put into this show. After “Wrong,” they kicked off the back half of the set with a mix of tracks from every era: “Bored of Being Sad,” “Circling the Drain,” the title track from the 2024 album Let’s Start Degeneracy, and a few deep cuts from Stovall and Death Is a Warm Blanket.
Going in as a casual Microwave fan, I left with a newfound appreciation not only for the band but also for the fanbase. Anyone who frequents live shows knows the crowd can make or break the experience, and here, the energy fueled both the band and the audience for a perfect night. If you’ve been craving a night of singing along with a rollercoaster of energy, emotion, and action—or want to relive wherever you were when the album dropped—don’t miss the 10th anniversary Much Love tour happening right now.
