It’s 2024, and the 20 Years of Tears Tour is proving everyone’s parents wrong: Emo was not just a phase. Comprised of emo stalwarts Hawthorne Heights, Saosin, Anberlin, and Cartel, while bringing along relative newcomers Stick to Your Guns and This Wild Life, every act is rocking the eyeliner off of sold out crowds in nearly every venue they stop through. While the “20 Year Anniversary Tour” is a hot genre commodity this year (2024’s late 30-40 yr old’s with cash to burn are perfect the target market for early 2000’s revival acts), all of the bands on stage demonstrated that this isn’t just a money grab. From musicianship to crowd interaction to literally calling out the fact that many of them have been playing and performing the entire time, Emo, screamo, and emotionally driven punk is demonstrating that they still command a place in current society. Hell, while the crowd was majority millenials, the sheer number of under-21 fans in attendance at The Van Buren proves that the staying power of well-written music still strikes a chord with a younger, modern audience looking for something to cry along to and feel a connection.
The tour opened up with This Wild Life (Kevin Jordan & Anthony Del Grosso), a slightly subdued but highly entertaining duo of musicians who performed to a crowd mostly in the merch line. Dubbing themselves as “The Costco version of Dashboard Confessional” at one point, it was obvious that they were anything but. Incorporating acoustic guitars, slide guitar, bass drum, and drum kit, depending upon the song, This Wild Life kept the crowd interaction up, and was a solid kick-off to the evening based on the applause and the quickly growing crowd by the stage.
Stick To Your Guns came up after This Wild Life, providing a greatly different direction for the show. Kicking things off hard and fast, Stick to Your Guns definitely brought out the hardcore edge of the early 2000s. They would have been a sure fit on a tour comprised of 2000s hardcore stalwarts Suicide File and The Hope Conspiracy, so it was nice seeing this level of punk and metal thrown in on the tour. Powering through their set, Stick to Your Guns wasted no time getting everyone in attendance up and moving. The crowd jumped at the change of pace as well, immediately opening up mosh and circle pits in the middle of the venue.
Cartel kicked off the big draw acts of the night. Having been around since 2003, including a stint as MTV darlings in the “Band in a Bubble” docu-series (where they lived, wrote, and recorded their entire album 2007 self-titled “Cartel” album in 20 days while living in a bubble on Pier 54 in NYC). By this point in the night, the crowd truly began to show up, with people jostling for position against the barrier, singing along and getting into the music. While not as well-known today as they were in the heyday of Emo, Cartel kept their crowd interaction to a minimum, instead focusing on crowd-pleasing songs that a large portion of those in attendance knew.
Entering in the second half of the festival, Anberlin took the stage to raucous applause and some minor confusion in the crowd. Gone was founding member and lead singer Stephen Christian, and in his place jumped out someone many in attendance were familiar with: Matty Mullins, of Memphis May Fire fame. In late 2023, Stephen and the band announced that he would be taking a break from the band to focus on his family and other obligations. Starting in 2024, Matty Mullins has taken over touring leads vocals, as well as recording some original tracks with Anberlin. Despite the recent switch-up, the band sounded incredible together, and Matty fit in seamlessly, allowing the spotlight to shine centerstage on all founding members, while killing it on the vocals. Sometimes a curveball is a good thing (many bands have broken up for a lot less reason than the lead singer going on hiatus), and Anberlin hit it out of the park by pulling Mullins onboard.
Saosin and Hawthorne Heights have been pulling dual-headliner duty this entire tour, and when Anberlin left the stage, the electricity was palpable as it flowed through the crowd. Saosin was taking the stage next, and by the sheer number of Saosin shirts in the crowd, one could tell that the venue was about to erupt. Almost immediately upon taking the stage, Saosin launched into the first track off of their 2006 self-titled album (affectionally dubbed “the beetle album” due to its cover art), and the show was off to the races…until it was forced to come to a halt when someone on the edge of the pit hit the floor hard. Medics and security jumped into action while Beau Burchell spoke to the crowd and helped direct people to spread out and give others room. He also offered words of wisdom that certainly rang true for many in attendance: “Guys, we’re all pushing 40, you’ve got to take care of yourselves!” Subsequent and knowing laughter murmered throughout the crowd at Beau’s observation, but in the moment, it rang true. Despite the music still feeling fresh, new, and vibrant, 20 years has obviously taken its toll on some. Once the medics were able to get the person to their feet and walking under their own volition out of the crowd (to a round of applause and support from all), Saosin jumped headfirst back into their album. Crowd interaction was minimal due to the unfortunate delay, but Beau and crew ensured that all of the album got played, and no further pit-related injuries stopped the music or the chaos.
Hawthorne Heights was last to take the stage, finishing out the 20 Years of Tears tour with a complete playthrough of their debut album, 2004’s “The Silence in Black And White.” JT Woodruff and crew took to the stage and immediately launched into “Life on Standby.” “The Silence…” was a gateway album for many into the world of Emo, as Hawthorne Heights brings a more aggressive take to pop-emo (think an intentionally rough-hewn Jimmy Eat World with a harder edge). Playing through the album almost track by track (some songs were intentionally moved around), the crowd went absolutely crazy to the opening riffs of Nikki FM (a personal highlight from the night). Nikki FM was one of two major hits off of “The Silence,” and Hawthorne Heights left the other to close out the night. Everyone in the crowd knew that “Ohio Is For Lovers” would be played, had to be played, but when they skipped over it in the listing, the anticipation began to furiously build towards the end of the show. Leading into the end of the night with “Saying Sorry”, from 2006’s “If Only You Were Lonely,” and their newest track “Gold Econoline”, released earlier in summer 2024, Hawthorne Heights saved what everyone knew best for last, closing out the show with “Ohio Is For Lovers”. The payoff was well worth the wait; it was impossible to hear Woodruff over the crowd singing, screaming, and yelling along. The night proved, as the middle-aged joke goes, that “it wasn’t just a phase”. Emo is still alive and well, and it’s currently touring the US.
