This festival lineup with Hawthorne Heights headlining ended their summer long tour at Worcester Palladium with support from friends in Anberlin, Cartel, and more.
The first band up was the local band Evil Felipe, hailing from Massachusetts and this being a big opportunity for them. The crowd had not fully formed yet and there may have been some nerves with the girls on stage but for their first big show of this size they did an amazing job. Evil Felipe is a four piece all women band, with the lead singer multitasking and taking on the role of vocals, guitar and trumpet. An unique sound that made for a fun opener.
The next band up was This Wild Life. While with their softer sound, they may have seemed out of place with the rest of this lineup, they did not hold anything back and left everything out on stage. The band mostly appearing as a duo between lead vocalist and multi-tasking backup man who was playing just at least four different instruments and backup vocals at various points. This band was not shy in between songs. The onstage banter ranged from poking fun of themselves by calling themselves ‘the discount Dashboard Confessional’ to being more vulnerable with the crowd by talking about their struggles with social media and being an independent band. The instrumentals and actual sound may be acoustic leaning and softer for the most part but their personalities and lyrics make a big punch, making it clear why they were brought along on this tour.
Emery hit the stage next and what a change of pace that was. As soft and peaceful This Wild Life may sound, Emery was a slap in the face of metal music directly after them. If anyone in the crowd had not been paying attention, it was impossible to not be paying attention with their set. Their stage presence was big from all members and the sound matched. It in some ways felt like the real kick off of the evening and everyone was excited during and after their set.
Next was Stick to your Guns, staying with the theme of the heavier bands. Anyone who has ever heard of Stick to your Guns before knows their music is fast pace and high energy, the whole band’s stage presence matches their sound exactly. From the moment the band hit the stage, the crowd was fully invested and participating in the fun. There was many crowd surfers, mosh pits and jumping fans along with the cheers and singing along. This band is no strangers to Massachusetts or this venue, even calling it their second home at one point during their banter in between songs. After seeing them, it is clear they have many fans in this area and why they would be back so often. Their set had everything you could want out of a band’s live set and it was hard to believe in such a stacked list this was only the middle of the show.
The night was steadily moving along and we were getting closer to the last acts of the night. Third from last, was blast from the past, Cartel. Cartel is a name that any elder emo should know by know with their various hits during such a big time in music for this scene. As they are more of a stable of the older scene than a current heavy hitter, this tour was the perfect fit for them and it gave them the stage to not only play all their old hits but show the crowd some of their newer music as well. Their sound was a clear slow down since the last two bands but that wasn’t a negative. Smooth vocals and upbeat instrumentals filled the venue and it was hard not to be in a good mood with their catchy tunes. Their stage presence was a bit more laid back and they let the music speak for itself. The vocalist opened up how they hadn’t been on tour in a little bit and they were thankful for Hawthorne Heights for inviting them on this tour and also thanked one of their friends for filling in for them. If anyone had question if they were appreciated on the talent list, it was clear by the amount of people singing along to their biggest hits such as “Say Anything (Else)” and “Honestly” that there were many fans in the crowd.
Anberlin was up next. They hit the stage with an unexplained surprise as Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire, joined them during their set as their lead vocalist. At one point in between songs he did address who he was introducing himself as ‘Matty, who you usually see with Memphis May Fire’. It was not explained if this change was just for the tour or maybe a permanent change in the band moving forward. With that question swirling around in fans heads, there wasn’t time left to ponder on the thought because they moved forward with their performance and did not miss a single beat. The whole band brought high energy, their lights giving a dramatic and shadowed effects to the members that gave an interesting effect with their heavy music. For a new vocalist to the band, Matty did an amazing job, he nailed it with the vocals and getting the crowd involved. It is clear he is an expert and in his element on stage and if this was a permanent change, judging by the crowd reaction it would be pleasantly received.
Finally it was time for the stars of the night, the true kings of ‘Twenty Years of Tears’, Hawthorne Heights. For elder emos when thinking of classic emo bands, Hawthorne Heights has been a fixture at the top of that list for twenty years just like the tour title suggests. With their hits such as “Ohio Is For Lovers”, “Niki FM”, and “Saying Sorry” every fan of this genre of music has at some point belted out those lyrics. As if the title of the tour didn’t make it obvious enough that the band knows and has no shame in how old they are and how long they have been around. Their in between song banter included poking fun of themselves and fans with quips like ‘you can drink water and take Advil when you get home, now is the time to give it everything’.
You don’t make it this long as a band without talent and passion for music. Their live set does not miss a single note, lyric, or beat of their music and sounds just like it came from the albums all these years later. It may be twenty years later since some of their songs have come out but that does not slow them down from giving the fans their everything and making sure they get the same back. With iconic lyrics that are so meaningful, it is exactly what emo music is about and the perfect end of the night is screaming lyrics along with the band.
HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS
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ANBERLIN
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CARTEL
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STICK TO YOUR GUNS
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EMERY
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THIS WILD LIFE
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