VANA at Delmar Hall in St. Louis, Missouri on May 3rd, 2026.
Photos and Review by The Pit Magazine Contributor Sevauna Photography
Vana brought a perfect mix of sweetness and chaos to Delmar Hall, delivering a performance that felt both polished and explosive. This being her first headlining tour, she perfectly blended catchy pop-inspired melodies with heavy breakdowns. She had no problem proving why she’s quickly becoming one of the most exciting rising artists in the modern rock scene.
Before Vana hit the stage, the night was stacked with strong female energy. Deadlands was up first with a dark and gritty energy. Their set leaned into emotional intensity, crushing vocals from lead singer Kasey Karlsen, and aggressive crowd interaction. Between the moshing and breakdowns, the band had the audience completely locked in. Their chemistry on stage made it clear they know exactly how to control a room full of metal heads.
DEADLANDS GALLERY
Chandler Leighton was up next, who changed the pace of the evening with a more emotional performance. While softer than the previous set, her music still carried a lot of weight. Songs like “Waiting for You to Heal” created a heap of emotion, while still diving into her heavier songs to keep the building energy high.
CHANDLER LEIGHTON GALLERY
Once the lights dropped for Vana’s set, the entire mood of the venue shifted. Red lighting flooded the stage as masked band members appeared on stage, creating an eerie atmosphere before the music even started. Dressed in a striking red outfit that matched her signature bright red hair, Vana instantly became the center of attention, having everyone in the crowd cheering. They knew her set would be unforgettable.
VANA GALLERY
Her performance balanced theatrical visuals with genuine intensity. The set was a tight 45 minutes, but fans knew this was plenty of time to feel Vana’s wrath. Opening with her biggest hit, “Pray”, perfectly skyrocketed the energy in Delmar Hall. Tracks like this and “In Your Name” hit especially hard live, combining melodic choruses with breakdowns that shook the room. The crowd reacted to every transition, yelling lyrics back at the stage and feeding off the energy throughout the set. Even without a full-length album out yet, Vana performed with the confidence of an artist already established in the scene. She perfectly ended the set in an encore including “BEG!” and “Clandestine”.
She of course thanked the fans for joining her on her first headlining tour. Vana feels like an artist on the verge of something much bigger, and if this St. Louis’ performance was any indication, this would be the first of many.
Photos by The Pit Magazine photographer Sevauna Photography in St. Louis, Missouri. ©2026.
Follow The Pit Magazine on Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram, and Spotify!
Listen to The Pit Magazine Pitcast on Amazon, Apple, Deezer, PocketCasts, Podcast Addict, Spotify, iHeart OR right here in The Pit!
Subscribe to The Pit Newsletter today!
Support this and other fine local & touring artists, dig and buy their music, and get some merch!
