Emo kids rejoice! August 21, 2019 Hawthorne Heights sold out the Backstage Bar & Billiards on Fremont Street. With them they brought post-hardcore veterans, EMERY; along with the highly underrated metalcore act, OH, SLEEPER. Las Vegas’ own The American Weather kicked off the night as the local opener. Good for them!
The American Weather
Opening up the night for us were The American Weather. These guys class themselves as Indie-Garbage according to their Instagram page. These guys have great energy, and a very well established fanbase here in Vegas. Several handfulls of fans in the crowd could be seen screaming along the lyrics to their songs. I love that! Yet another gem in this little scene out here with incredible energy! All I have to say really; don’t miss them the next time you see them on a bill in the future.
Check out The American Weather below!
Oh, Sleeper
Man oh man… I cannot even tell you guys how excited I was that this band was on this bill. OH, SLEEPER is a very high energy metalcore act. They are the heaviest band on this tour. It contrasted the night very well, to be honest. I found these guys through a friend not long after they made their debut on the circuit. I was happy to hear them play “Vices Like Vipers”; which is my favorite song from their first album, “When I Am God.”
This band is definitely for all of you that enjoy the bests in metalcore. If you dig August Burns Red, The Devil Wears Prada, Haste the Day etc, you are sure to enjoy these guys as well!
Check out Oh, Sleeper below!
Emery
Slowing us down just a little bit were the guys in Emery. I say just a little bit because their music is a tad bit calmer than the previous band. But the energy did not fall off at all with these guys. They’re definitely another one of those bucketlist bands of mine that I had yet to see since they emerged in the early 2000’s. For those who don’t know, the early 2000’s was a treasure trove for these kinds of bands! There were so many that broke out into our view, and it’s pretty amazing to look back on. By this point in the evening, Backstage Bar was in full swing at capacity, and the chances of being able to move around was slim. BUT that’s okay. We were all in good company with eachother, as fans.
Check out Emery below!
15 Years of ‘The Silence in Black and White”
It’s hard to believe that this landmark emo album just had it’s 15th birthday pass. I remember when this album came out, and even though I made fun of these guys to my friends; at the time it was one of those dirty little secret loves of mine. (I really don’t care now, though. I love ALL of this post-hardcore/emo stuff from the early 2000’s.) The album was released on November 30, 2003 and at the time, Hawthorne Heights were one of the biggest things in the scene. From sold out shows, and an ever growing fanbase. There was no stopping them and their success. This is ever apparent now, especially since they are STILL selling out shows all over the country.
Listening back to this album I can honestly say that it’s more timeless than some people would like to believe it is. I also still get chills every time I hear Casey Calvert’s screams on these recordings. (Rest in peace, buddy.)
For this show, the amount of nostalgia in the air was inescapeable. All around the venue I saw happy faces singing along to all these songs that we kind of grew up listening to. It very much reminded me of the show they played earlier this year with Silverstein at Brooklyn Bowl. After 15 years, and the crowd is no longer filled with rowdy kids. We are all grown, and still enjoying all the good vibes that these songs gave us all when they were first released. I think it’s safe to say that Hawthorne Heights has stood the test of time despite their ups and downs through the years.
Conclusion?
I can safely say that you all might very well see me at every future Hawthorne Heights show that comes through Vegas. They are a feel good band. They strive to make their audience forget all the crazy shit that goes on in the world and just enjoy the show. To enjoy the music, and to embrace the togetherness. Afterall, every time I’ve seen them, I have always, always had that feeling of togetherness with the crowd at their shows.
Until next time, friends…
Check out Hawthorne Heights’ top tracks below!
ALL LIVE PHOTOS BY COURTNEY WARE for ZrockR Magazine 2019, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.