Like I said last week, concerts are back baby! And I for one could not be more excited about it. Actually, the crowd at this show seemed inclined to agree. What better way to get fully back into the swing of concert-going then seeing emo mega-stars Hawthorne Heights for about the tenth time.
That’s right, even though I saw them do a cool and interactive livestream performance during the pandemic, you know I was going to jump at the chance to see them, especially if they’re playing so close to home. Well before Hawthorne Heights took the stage though, the crowd was in full amped mode during the opening performances, as well. Nightbeast was the first to take the stage, and they were the perfect amount of energy to kick off the evening. While nothing inherently stuck out to me about their set, I can’t deny how fun they were to watch. Specifically the stoic-ness of the bass player compared to the chaos coming from their co-lead singers.
Next up was local band, I Fight Fail, who managed to impress me right out the gate. This is very rare, and I can probably count on my hands the number of times it’s happened in the past. Especially for bands I’ve never heard of before. In fact, the crowd was so into their set that they started chanting the staple, “one more song!” for them. That has to be a good feeling. And lucky for the band and the crowd, the powers that be granted them one more song. For a smaller venue that was pretty well packed to the brim, it was cool to see the outpouring of support for them.
Of course, for all the support given to local act, nothing really compared to the screams and cheers for Hawthorne Heights when the took the stage. Now, as I said before, I’ve seen these guys play so many times before, and I feel like this is the most enthusiastic I’ve ever seen a crowd for them. It was equal parts cool and infectious. On their part, Hawthorne Heights did a nice job interspersing the hits with some lesser-known tracks. We all know a Hawthorn Heights concert wouldn’t be complete with arguably their two biggest hits, “Nikki FM” and “Ohio is for Lovers.” The sheer volume of the crowd singing on the latter song was something that made my heart swell a little bit.
Clearly, the band was thrilled to be there, too. After so long without live music and support, they talked about how grateful they were to get back on the road, see their fans, and just play music again! As always, it was a treat to see them play, and I look forward to seeing them many more times in the future.
