Welcome to Hyrule Castle: The Drive Home's Backyard EP Release Show

LJ Portnoy
20 hours ago
5 min read

The Drive Home — Where Do You Belong? EP Release Party — May 30, 2026

Zelda in a Led Zeppelin shirt sings into a mic, with two bandmates behind under warm string lights. — Almost Made the Mixtape & The Drive Home performing at "Hyrule Castle" to celebrate the release of The Drive Home's new EP, *Where Do You Belong?* | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

Article contributed by Leo Lad & LJ Portnoy. Photography by LJ Portnoy.

A Backyard Called Hyrule Castle

Nestled in a picturesque neighborhood of an outer city in metro Detroit was the backyard of a home. It was a place for a multitude of occasions, one of them being an EP release party.

Affectionately dubbed "Hyrule Castle," a reference to the Legend of Zelda franchise, this was our venue for the night. The aroma of burgers and hot dogs, provided by the family of The Drive Home's lead singer, Zelda, drifted over a crowd that had come BYOB. On a mid-70s, slightly sunny day, a small sea of lawn chairs was the perfect setting for a Midwest emo show.

Many people in the crowd were close friends of the bands; some were even neighbors. One thing was for certain: it did not get more local or indie than this.

People clap and film at an outdoor party under white canopy tents, holding drinks in a sunny backyard with a relaxed mood. — The early-afternoon crowd catches the supporting acts, including local favorites, Evergreen, Car Crash Rhetoric, and Almost Made the Mixtape. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

The crowd got a bit rowdy at points, starting to mosh, and someone even jumped up to "crowd-surf" — an impressive feat when the crowd itself was probably no more than 45 people packed together.

Warming Up the Yard: Evergreen and Car Crash Rhetoric

The night ran on house-show time. Doors were called for 4, but it was closer to 6 when Evergreen kicked things off — and by then the lawn chairs were full, and everyone was more than ready for live music. The two-piece opened the show with something that felt new, different, and refreshing, and the backyard greeted them warmly.

Indie rock band Evergreen, in a bare wooden garage, guitarist at mic and drummer behind a white banner, focused mood. — Evergreen, a local two-piece band, kicked off the house party. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

Car Crash Rhetoric took the second slot and left with a few new fans. They won the backyard over fast, the kind of set that pulls people up out of their lawn chairs and a little closer to the front by the time it's over.

Four-piece rock band, Car Crash Rhetoric, plays electric guitars and drums in a garage, under warm string lights and blue-and-white backdrops. — Car Crash Rhetoric, from Bay City, supported the show, playing one of their first shows on the SE side of MI. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

Originally from Bay City, the band was playing one of their first shows on the southeast side of the state, something we only learned later, catching up with one of the members after the set. They made it count. (Leo had a blast, and yes, we walked away with a shirt from their merch table.)

A Mosh Pit in the Backyard

People dancing and chatting at a backyard party under white tents, with drinks and lawn chairs in bright afternoon light. — The crowd got rowdy and started a mini mosh pit in the center of the party - an impressive feat for a house show. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

Then came Almost Made the Mixtape, and the energy tipped over. They danced, they jumped, and the crowd went right with them — a full-on mosh pit, in a backyard. How cool is that?

Almost Made the Mixtape, perform in a garage basement band setup, one singing and playing guitar, the other drumming under string lights. — Almost Made the Mixtape continued the show, dancing, jumping, and singing the night away. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

Before their set wrapped, the two Seans of The Drive Home — Zelda and Daly — climbed up to join the Mixtape for their signature cover of Mayday Parade's "Jamie All Over." It was the moment of the night, and a favorite of ours.

Almost Made the Mixtape x The Drive Home, performs in a garage, with singer at mic, guitarist, bassist and drummer under warm string lights. — Almost Made the Mixtape featuring the Seans of The Drive Home, performing a fan favorite cover | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

There was something so immediate about it, so purely fun: hometown friends belting a song that landed straight in the elder-emo soul.

The Drive Home Kicks it Up, in the Backyard

Crowd gathered outside a garage under a white canopy at a backyard concert, with Carhartt shirts and a lit banner inside. — The backyard of neighbors, friends, family, all coming together for The Drive Home to celebrate, their EP release party. | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

By the time The Drive Home took their corner of the yard, the crowd had swelled to 60, maybe 70 people, all primed for a good time. The power trio of Zelda on vocals and guitar, Sean Daly on bass, and Austin West on drums, hit a few early mic and feedback gremlins, but once they settled into their groove, so did the music.

Zelda, from The Drive Home, in a black cap plays a red electric guitar beside a microphone under warm stage lights, LED ZEPPELIN shirt. — Zelda, from The Drive Home | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

Zelda's voice is the real deal, and the songs are catchy, danceable, mosh-friendly, all-out jams. The band played through the entirety of the new EP, "Where Do You Belong?", plus a few others, and, if you're reading the signs, a hint of what's coming next. (Zelda may have let slip that the band is already deep into EP number two.)

"Where Do You Belong?"

The record itself earned the party. "Off The Deep End" remains a standout, with "Expectations" close behind — a track clever enough to fold the band's own name right into its closing line.

The Drive Home sings and plays guitar and bass in a garage band setup under string lights, with THE DRIVE HOME banner. — The Drive Home hits every note as they performed for a backyard filled with fans, friends, and family | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

Across the EP, the songs pull from the kind of material that doesn't pretend to have everything figured out: addiction, failed relationships, the slow work of spiritual rebuilding.

Coming Home

If there was a throughline to the whole night, it was gratitude. Zelda was full of shout-outs — to his mom-ager, to the family who set up the food and drinks and ran the whole event, to every band on the bill, and to everyone who came together to make it happen. It was the kind of thank-you list you can only give when the room is full of people you actually know.

Group of men lift and toss a laughing man outdoors under green trees, a joyful celebratory crowd scene — Impressively, the crowd hoisted up a fan for crowd surfing | Photography by LJ Portnoy (@ljportnoy)

By the time the last note rang out over Hyrule Castle, the burgers were long gone and the sun was dipping behind the houses. Nobody seemed in a hurry to leave. For a band built on hooks about coming home, it was hard to imagine a more fitting place to let a new record loose.

We left with two copies of "Where Do You Belong?" and an armful of Drive Home merch — and, fittingly, with this show closing out a weekend that had been wall-to-wall music for us. Coming off Breakaway just one day earlier, the backyard offered something a festival can't: a moment of quiet. A beat to sit back, take stock, and feel genuinely satisfied with everything the last few days had brought.