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“Emo music is alive and well in 2023” - Derek from Mayday Parade during their set this past Sunday night.
I’ve got two show reviews down below and I totally agree that emo music is fucking alive and well today. There’s been something very special about this resurgence in the last several years, and there’s a new crop of bands coming up that I hope help to keep this train chugging for a long time to come.
Next week I’ll have another show recap and an update on the music/concert journal I created. I’m still waiting for it to process through Kindle Publishing and then that will be available for y’all. Thanks for sticking around - and please forward this email to someone who you think would enjoy it too!
Missed last week’s newsletter? Read it here
🖤 Elisa
IT’S NOT A PHASE
Things found on the interwebz this week:
FROM THE PIT
Sad Summer Fest wrapped its run on Saturday, and I braved two hours of traffic down the 5 to get to the fest in Irvine. I got there in time to see Mom Jeans and also got to enjoy Hot Mulligan and Pvris. Their sets were so fun that I was able to gladly ignore the summer heat while I roasted out there in the pit. I inched my way up between sets and ended up in a great spot 2nd row from barricade to see The Maine, and even got a high-five from John O'Callaghan as he ran into the crowd for a song!
Andrew McMahon is one of my all-time favorite songwriters and performers. He’s on the shortlist (along with Thrice, Circa Survive, and The Mountain Goats) of artists that I never miss when they roll through my city. While I’ve been lukewarm on his new album, hearing a few of those songs live definitely had me enjoying them more. My only gripe with his set was that it was limited to a 40 minute opener time slot! I’ve been so used to seeing Andrew’s headliner shows that anything less than 90 minutes is just not enough time to enjoy his extensive catalogue.
Taking Back Sunday is a band that I listen to in my car, screaming along while cruising down the highway. I have so many memories from high school of splitting earbuds with my friend and we’d trade off vocal parts, and I miss her every time I sing those songs by myself.
I’ve been lucky to see TBS countless times over the years - my favorite still to this day was their double headliner tour with Angels and Airwaves in 2006. And I was spoiled last year when they opened up for several of the dates of the My Chem tour that I followed. I’m so glad they’re still making music and their new single’s now in my current summer playlist.
I’ve seen TBS perform at this same venue before, and it’s a great fit. There’s something magical about shouting the lyrics to “Cute Without The E” up into the open Southern California sky.
See the full setlist → Setlist.fm
Taking Back Sunday
The very next day, Yellowcard’s 20th anniversary tour for Ocean Avenue came through LA’s YouTube Theater. I was fortunate to get barricade all the way stage left! It was my first time to see The Wild Life, while they had the shortest set of the night, they packed in a lot of entertainment and I would love to see them play a headlining show. And its been YEARS since I’ve seen Anberlin, probably not since they toured with Scary Kids Scaring Kids back in like ‘09? I love rediscovering a band through their live show. Mayday Parade won the award for most emotional song of the night during “Miserable at Best.” So fucking good and I tear up every I hear them play it.
Back when Yellowcard did their “final” shows a few years back, I was absolutely heartbroken at how fast they sold out, and I wouldn’t get to see them one last time. Last year at Riotfest I was redeemed when they made their big comeback and played Ocean Avenue front to back for their set. When this tour was announced, I knew I had to get the jump on tickets as soon as possible.
This band is just fun to listen to and I spent most of the set smiling so big as I sang along. They don’t sound like a band that’s been broken up for several years, and with the new EP they’ve put out recently I hope they’re back to keep making music and touring. Ryan kept thanking important people from their career, and expressed how fortunate the band feels to be playing again. For me in the middle of a career crisis meltdown, it felt reassuring that in time, things work out and opportunities that seem to be closed may just pop up again later down the line.
Screaming along to Ocean Avenue with all 6,000 people at this sold out show was joyful and cathartic. I left the show riding high and just feeling good about life.
Yellowcard
See the full setlist → Setlist.fm
DIARY ENTRY
At this point I have a cemetery-themed series going on. What do y’all think, should I keep up the theme?
CHEER UP EMO KID
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