Emo music is often associated with a nostalgic feeling that reminds those of us that listened to it of our teenage years. These are the years we spent screaming our hearts out to Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and so many more amazing bands that touched our hearts.
Unfortunately, after what our parents called an emo phase, many of us have lost touch with this genre and what it really meant to us.
“I haven’t been to any concerts with emo music in years,” Dayna Doidge, a Communication studies major at CSUSB, said.
However, there are still a variety of local cover bands and concerts that will have you headbanging to the lyrics you once loved.
One of these bands is Panic! at the Rock Show- A tribute band to Panic! At the Disco. Their most recent concert was on March 16 in Long Beach, where they played songs such as “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” “The Death of a Bachelor,” “Nine in the Afternoon” and “LA Devotee.”
“Emo rock music is pure nostalgia. There really isn’t much music out today that reflects the emo scene in the early 2000s. It seems as if 2003 through 2006 were the golden years of this music and there isn’t really much out there that is similar,” Reed Diaz, the guitarist of Panic! At the Rock Show, said. “For me, it brings me back and hearing a group of people that feel the same way about these songs, singing along, is a great feeling.”
A second band that specializes in the emo genre is Emo After Dark, who were founded in 2018.
“We want to provide the best party atmosphere with the best live experience to all of your favorite saddest songs that we’ve all loved listening to growing up”, according to their Facebook page @emoafterdark.
The majority of their events have been at the Gaslamp bar in Long Beach; however, they have expanded more recent events to Garden Grove, Hollywood and Hermosa Beach. They cover bands such as Fall Out Boy, Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, The Killers, Panic! At the Disco, Blink 182, Alice In Chains and much more. Their next major event will be held on April 24, at Saint Rock in Hermosa Beach.
A third band that takes us back in time is Sadurdayz, who are based out of Los Angeles.
“When we were teenagers we all went through so many changes and for a lot of kids, music was a way to express yourself. We would all dress a certain way, cut or grow our hair and dye and bleach our hair plus wear dark makeup to rebel. These events are a great way to come together with your friends and relive those moments,” Justin Tyler, a band member of Sadurdayz, said.
If cover bands are not your thing, there are still options for emo bands that visit Los Angeles while on tour. The most recent ones have been Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco, who both played at the Forum in Los Angeles. However, the price point of these shows will be more expensive than a cover band, but the special effects will heighten the concert experience.
Regardless of which route you choose, a cover band or the original artist, it’s possible to relive those emo days and feel the passion of music that once had such a huge effect on our lives and emotions.
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