A Nostalgic Night In LA With Hawthorne Heights

March 22, 2026 at The Belasco in LA, I got to see Hawthorne Heights live for the first time in ages. It was part of their 20th anniversary tour for “If Only You Were Lonely”, and honestly, it felt like a trip back in time.

The night started off with letlive. and Creeper warming up the crowd with some killer sets. Then Hawthorne Heights hit the stage, and the energy in the room exploded. They played all the hits from the album and everyone was singing along. The whole place felt alive.

They did a crazy encore with songs like “Spray Paint It Black,” “Bring You Back” (they dedicated that to Casey Calvert), “Dandelions,” “Niki FM,” “Like A Cardinal,” and of course, “Ohio Is for Lovers.” When they played “Ohio Is for Lovers,” I was singing along so loud I almost started crying. Those words just hit different, and I felt like I was back in high school, feeling all those crazy emotions again. Honestly, I almost lost it.

Hawthorne Heights is my high school hero band. Their music got me through some tough times and made me feel like I wasn’t alone. Seeing them live was like catching up with old friends and reliving all those memories. It was honestly one of the coolest nights I’ve ever had.

They played with so much energy and seemed like they were having a good time too, it felt like a big celebration of everything those songs meant to us fans.

Overall, I’ll never forget that night. It was full of nostalgia, good vibes, and just reminded me how much their music still means to me.