Lines of fans spanning generations gathered at Chain Reaction’s tiny strip mall parking lot for the venue’s final show.
Chain Reaction hosted its last event on Friday, Dec. 19, featuring Rancho Santa Margarita-based band Movements, Militarie Gun, and Cherdomingo. The show was part of a three-day goodbye stint that followed two previous performances: one on Thursday, Dec. 18, which also included Movements, Militarie Gun, and Underbrook; and one on Wednesday, Dec. 17, which included Stick to Your Guns, Eighteen Visions, Beyond Repair, and Darasuum.
Each of the events led with Orange County bands who catapulted to stardom, in part, thanks to the 300-cap venue known for its shoulder-to-shoulder intimacy, a rare stage without a crowd barrier, and a DIY music scene that cultivated community. Some of the major acts that built their followings through Chain Reaction over the decades include Avenged Sevenfold, Fall Out Boy, Rise Against, and Yellowcard.
When the final shows were announced, tickets were not available for purchase online, forcing people to buy them at the venue’s box office and separating the die-hards from the casual fans. The move drew people from across California, hoping to be part of Chain Reaction’s historical final hurrah. Many camped out overnight for tickets, waiting in lines that wrapped around the block.
AJ Lahr, of West Hollywood, grew up in Missouri before moving to California a few years ago, but said she used to spend hours watching fan uploads of her favorite bands on YouTube at Chain Reaction. She’d never had the opportunity to visit the venue in her time in Southern California because she didn’t have a driver’s license.
When she heard the venue was closing, she hustled to get her license so she could drive out, but before she could, she still needed a ticket. She posted every day on social media, pleading with anyone who couldn’t go or had a spare ticket to consider selling it to her, and luckily, a friend came through.
Ed Arredondo, of Compton, met Lahr in one of the most punk rock ways possible. They both attended a Hot Mulligan concert at the Roxy, and Lahr was filming in the front rows when Arredondo stage-dived and got in her shot. She posted the video on social media, and it went somewhat viral, prompting Taco Bell, which had a partnership with the band, to send her and the band a gift package. She and Arredondo subsequently became friends and have kept in contact ever since.
Arredondo was one of the many people who grew up attending shows, and he cited watching Neck Deep as one of his favorite moments. He camped out to try to get a ticket, but was late because of his work schedule. So he called a friend who drove all the way from the Bay Area to secure tickets, and asked her to hold a spot in line for him so he could camp out, too. He brought a pillow and blanket, waited it out, and got two tickets.
Lahr also had a friend who camped out for three hours, but she was less fortunate, and tickets sold out while she waited. She was trying not to let it get to her, but her hope of ever attending Chain Reaction was dwindling until Arredondo saw her posts and reached out, offering his spare ticket.
Everything leading up to Lahr finally experiencing a show at Chain Reaction is emblematic of the spirit and community that music fosters, where like-minded people can meet to form friendships and bonds. For the pair of friends, having one fewer venue in the broader music scene is a direct hit to maintaining the community they hold so dear.
“We are in a scary time right now with live music. Big companies are focusing on the profit versus the experience,” Lahr said. “With that comes bigger venues that they want to put a bow on and say are prettier, but look at how many people just turned out for a literal hole-in-the-wall venue. I hope, with this big a loss, that somebody might take the opportunity to fill the void and keep it going.”
For some Chain Reaction regulars, cultivating friendships has sometimes grown into something more. Marrisa Aguilar said her favorite memory was from a 2012 show, when her boyfriend opened for the band Issues and asked her to be his girlfriend in the parking lot.
“We’re married now and have been together for almost 14 years,” Aguilar said. “That’s definitely my favorite memory, and watching him have the biggest show of his life, even though he was just in an opening band.”
Several attendees said their favorite moments were also performing at the venue for the first time, including Aaron Guzman of Lake Elsinore. He said he’s been going to Chain Reaction since he was 14-15, and his first time was when he came to watch Young the Giant, who were going by The Jakes at the time.
Guzman expressed his sadness and said he thought he would cry during the show, given how much the space has meant to him. He spoke about the significance of the venue and what it meant to him personally, noting that it was not a launching pad for now-mainstream acts but a space that welcomed starter bands like himself to take the stage as he pursued music in his youth.
Jessie Ortega, of Orange, who was in various bands in his teens, held a similar sentiment. He said that being able to stand on the same stage as some of his favorite acts, such as A Day to Remember, Trivium, and Stick to Your Guns, was a surreal full-circle moment that reminded him why he began playing music in the first place.
“One of my favorite memories was seeing Comeback Kid there,” Ortega said. “The entire room was on the same wavelength. There was a [neo-] Nazi in attendance, and all the bands that night and the crowd made it very clear he wasn’t welcome. It was a powerful moment.”
“It’s heartbreaking to see it close,” he added. “Chain Reaction wasn’t just a venue—it was a home for the local music scene and a place where so many bands and fans found their community. Losing it feels like losing a piece of history, but its impact will always live on through the bands, memories, and people it brought together.”