Icon for Hire returned to Scripted at Mickey’s Black Box on the Rock Lititz campus in Lititz, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 2026. Their Scripted 15 Year Anniversary Tour revisits the debut album in full, and the crowd made clear how much those songs still mean to them.
Fifteen years. Released on August 23, 2011, Scripted felt ahead of its time in its raw, honest approach to mental health and identity. Those themes still resonated in the room at Mickey’s.
Ariel Bloomer has always struck me as an underrated live performer. That hasn’t changed. The room full of people singing every word back at her made a strong case for the recognition she deserves.
The band didn’t play the album in its original sequence. “The Grey” and “Make a Move” were saved for the encore, with “Make a Move” closing the night. But the promise of hearing the full record was kept. Mickey’s Black Box was packed, loud and occasionally chaotic, with mosh pits, slow dances and at least one moment when I was fairly certain someone was about to crowd surf. Elijah and Lauren Babic opened the show and won over the room before Icon for Hire took the stage.
Looking around, I kept thinking about 2011. A lot has changed since then. And yet here we all were, still rooted in these songs, with production that matched what the band deserved.
Icon for Hire went back to give Scripted the moment it deserved, with fans who remained connected to those songs fifteen years later.
