What a long time coming this concert has been!
And I’m not just referring to the fact that COVID has postponed this show for over a year. Scary Kids Scaring Kids is a band I have been listening to since middle school, but since they broke up in 2009 and I didn’t start going to concerts until 2010, that means I couldn’t see them then. Also, by the time they were getting back together, lead singer, Tyson Curtis Stevens, passed away from a drug overdose. I figured that was it for the band. So imagine my surprise when I heard they were getting back together with ex-Saosin singer, Cove Reber to tour in celebration of their first full-length release, The City Sleeps in Flames! I jumped on those tickets so fast! I also saw that they had a very reasonably priced VIP package, so you know I scooped that up, too. Last night was the night, and here’s what went down!
Firstly, the show was at a bowling alley near Cleveland called Mahall’s which I had actually been to once before for an Emo Nite after the APMAs. It was a little junky back then, but boy did it undergo quite the glow-up! The VIP activities happened first, where we were all given our laminates, then went up to the alley part of the venue for the Q&A with the band. I could tell they were as excited to be there as we all were, and it was fun to hear some of their insights to reuniting for this tour and what the future holds in terms of new music. After the Q&A, we all got a polaroid shot with the band, a signed poster, and exclusive tour shirt. With a little bit of time to kill before the first band took the stage, I got a couple games of bowling in with some of the other VIP members still hanging around. I am very bad at bowling, but scoring the old-school way with pen and paper was really fun! It was also nice to connect with other people who are just as big of fans of the band as I am.
When the show finally did start, there were a string of pretty impressive openers including, Villa, Picturesque, and The Classic Crime. While the crowd was small, their energy was not, and it went up several notches when Scary Kids Scaring Kids finally took the stage. The set opened with the title track and the crowd, understandably, went nuts (myself included). After that, a lot of other songs off of the The City Sleeps in Flames record were played, including some for the first time ever! I loved hearing “Empty Glasses” and “My Darkest Hour” the best probably. I also enjoyed that they mixed in some songs off of their sophomore release, most notably “Holding On” and “Faces.” The band even played live a newer song they recorded in remembrance of Tyson called “Loved Forever.” It’s such a powerful track in honor of their bandmate and friend. Scary Kids Scaring Kids is a heavy band and I loved watching them and the crowd really get into in. Believe it or not, but there was a mosh pit, which proves that it only really takes at least two people to mosh.
I love this band and I loved this experience. I hope with new music in the pipeline that it’s not the last time I see them. While no one can truly replace Tyson, I thought Cove sounded excellent and he fit right in with the rest of the guys. For my first VIP experience, it may be hard to live up to in the future, but it’s definitely got me wanting to check out more if the opportunity arises. Finally, if you’ve never listened to Scary Kids Scaring Kids, well, I hope I just convinced you to!