For anime fans in California, Animé Los Angeles is the kickoff for a slew of anime conventions in the region. This past weekend, the beloved convention returned to the Long Beach Convention Center for cosplay, panels, and amazing performances. For four days, thousands of attendees packed the center to browse the exhibit hall, meet up with old friends, and hand each other unique ribbons for their badges.

One of the biggest events of the convention was the concert inside the Grand Ballroom on Friday with two rising bands from the Golden State. Since forming in late 2021, Los Angeles hard rock band Signal Fires have been gaining a slew of momentum with their Battle of the Bands win at last year's Animé Los Angeles. A year later, the band found themselves playing a packed grand ballroom with a slew of new music on the way. The group didn't make the stage their permanent home as vocalist Jacen Black walked down the runway delivering strapping vocals.

During the set, the band donned Survey Corps capes before launching into their cover of SiM's "The Rumbling" exclusively for the anime enthusiasts in attendance. They also blazed through a cover of Slipknot's "Before I Forget," which had the metalheads pumping their fists during the song's powerful chorus. Closing with their single "Suffocate," Signal Fires made their return to the convention ready to fully take on the world.

Since forming in 2017 while attending middle school, TemperMental have been turning heads in the Los Angeles music scene. Now, the female-fronted rock band are set to unveil their debut album this year and are looking to reach a wider audience. While everyone was seated at the start of the band's performance, vocalist Kristina Van Horst asked everyone to surround the walkway to get a closer view of the action.

During the band's hour-long set, they dove into a slew of new songs, including "No Comment," "Tonight," and "Choking," which featured bassist Ruby Imes delivering vicious growls. Imes and Van Horst weren't alone in showcasing their skills on stage; guitarist Marilaine unveiled delectable solos while new drummer Miles Elze kept things in line with tight precision behind the kit.

Much like Signal Fires, TemperMental threw in some covers to get the party going, including My Chemical Romance's "I'm Not Okay" and Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name." During the set, the crowd showed their appreciation for the band by pounding their hands on the runway and high-fiving Van Horst as they walked past them. While the band closed things with their single "Get Out," the crowd's enthusiasm led to them delivering an encore by covering Paramore's "Misery Business."

While Friday featured the big concert, a plethora of musical acts graced the Entertainment Lounge throughout the weekend, including dance cover group SystemLIVE, idol singer Phoebe, J-rock/Anisong cover band Double Shot Chuhai, idol group Aqu♡rius, and taiko group TaiKomotion.

Our photos from Animé Los Angeles 18 can be seen here. Next year's convention will take place from January 4 through January 7 at the Long Beach Convention Center. More information about the convention can be found here.