The Click Five Return in Style at The Troubadour in Los Angeles

Written & Photographed by Ericka Puyat

On a chilly night on October 14 in West Hollywood, CA, hundreds of fans lined the street outside the historic Troubadour. Some clutched handmade signs, while others proudly sported their custom-made apparel with the band members’ faces printed all over. The Boston-born pop band made their long-awaited comeback earlier this year with new music and one-off show appearances before launching The Click 2025 Tour with a successful run in Asia. Now, they returned stateside, kicking off the U.S. leg in Los Angeles with a sold-out show.

At 8PM sharp, the opening act, Buddha Trixie, made their way onto the stage. The SoCal-born-and-raised indie/alt band warmed up the crowd with garage punk energy in “R U DOWN?” followed by fun numbers like “Made in Heaven,” the self-proclaimed autobiographical “Sexless Virgin,” and “Shroompie,” whose name was inspired by Seinfeld and the ridiculous pet names heard on the show.

After Buddha Trixie’s rousing set, the lights dimmed and The Click Five’s Kyle Patrick (lead vocals & guitar), Joe Guese (lead guitar & backing vocals), and Ethan Mentzer (bass & backing vocals), along with drummer Will Sweeny and pianist Scott Simons, took their positions onstage to cheers and hollers from their fans. They opened with “Catch Your Wave,” followed by “All I Need Is You.”

The show was particularly significant – not only was it the first stop on their U.S. tour in 14 years, it was also their first show in L.A. since their 2008 show at The Roxy. “It’s been 17 and a half years…Los Angeles, we SOLD THIS THING OUT TONIGHT!” Kyle shouted.

The crowd erupted in cheers, the kind that comes from people who had waited years for this moment. While many in the room had followed The Click Five since their early days, others were experiencing the band live for the first time. Noticing the mix of familar and new faces, Kyle addressed the audience: “We keep hearing the story that a lot of you were too young to see us back then!“ Leaning into the nostalgia and setting up the next song, he added, “We’re really gonna go back in time for this one.” They moved into “Time Machine,” paying homage to the 2000s before segueing into “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Mary Jane.”

In preparation for an acoustic shift in the show, Kyle spoke candidly about how The Click Five’s reunion came to be. About a year ago, Kyle, Joe, and Ethan started discussing after a few scattered show offers and half-serious whispers of a comeback over the years. Nothing stuck—either timing was off or their heads weren’t in the right place. But then, late last November, they received some calls, and the moment felt right. Their reaction was basically: “F*ck yeah! Why not?” No hesitation, no overthinking—just the feeling that it finally made sense to be a band again.

The Click Five then swapped their instruments for acoustic guitars to debut their first live performance of “Say Goodnight,” which moved the crowd into an awed silence. The next song, “Don’t Let Me Go,” penned by Ethan himself, was admittedly one of the band’s favorites to play. The emotional track commanded the audience’s full attention with its moving lyrics.

Kyle then paused to acknowledge the hardships the band had weathered over the years. He didn’t go into details, but confessed that they’ve been through a lot—some of it really difficult— and they weren’t even sure if making a comeback would work out. But looking out at the Troubadour crowd – fans packed wall to wall – he said nights like this made it all worth it. It was clear that they should keep going – and the crowd’s immediate cheers and hollers made it even clearer that everyone felt the same.

The Click Five then moved into their touching “Empty,” which began as an acoustic number before exploding into a full-band reprise. With the crowd’s energy renewed, the band asked everyone to “get your millennial knees ready” for the high-energy power pop classic, “Pop Princess.” Everyone was instructed to get as low to the ground as possible before jumping up and letting loose for the song’s final chorus. A disco ball spun overhead, casting glittering light across the room that sealed the moment as one of the most fun performances of the night.

Nostalgia hung heavy in the venue as Kyle connected how all these throwbacks birthed a new song, fittingly titled “Throwback.” The lyrics, laced with 2000s references such as “Mr. Brightside,” TRL, and burned CDs, instantly struck a chord with the crowd. The new track served as a love letter to everyone navigating adulthood while reminiscing on the good ol’ days.

Kyle then introduced their next song, which launched the band to international stardom in the 2000s. “Jenny” took them around the world, cultivating a massive following in Asia that eventually led to sold-out arena tours throughout the continent. To the band’s surprise, several fans from the Philippines were even in attendance at the L.A. show. Recognizing the immense love they’ve received for this song, The Click Five jammed out with newfound energy as the room erupted in screams. As the song neared its end, the band stopped singing and held space to let the audience’s singing take center stage.

For the final encore, The Click Five rocked out on stage with two tracks from their debut album – starting with “Good Day.” “This has been one of the best nights of our lives!” said Kyle. “We haven’t done this in America for a very long time…and you guys have really brought it!”

And of course, there was only one right way to close out the show. “If you know it, you better be f*cking screaming it,” shouted Kyle before the band hit the opening chords to “Just The Girl.” The platinum-certified hit turned the entire venue into one massive sing-along. Every voice in the room rang loud and clear as they sang word for word from start to finish.

For a band that once dominated the mid-2000s airwaves and garnered global recognition with platinum pop anthems, disappearing for over a decade could have left them as a faded memory revived only by 2000s Spotify nostalgia playlists. Instead, The Click Five’s return felt perfectly timed – not late, not early, but exactly when they and their fans needed it. Fourteen years is a long time to be in the dark, but on this night, they made every second count and set the stage for this next chapter.