Hawthorne Heights Hosts a Celebration of All Things Emo at The Fillmore NOLA

New Orleans, Louisiana (August 12th, 2024) Monday night, emo fans of all ages gathered at The Fillmore in New Orleans, to celebrate 20 years of their favorite emo and post-hardcore music.

***This Wild Life performs at The Fillmore in New Orleans © Kristen Derr***

Describing themselves as “Hot Topic Mumford and Sons”, “Discount Dashboard Confessional” and “Kirkland City and Colour”, This Wild Life kicked off the evening with their upbeat acoustic rock. The duo, consisting of Kevin Jordan and Anthony Del Grosso, formed in 2010 in Long Beach, California. Jordan and and Del Grosso set an optimistic tone for the evening, laughing and joking with the audience, and encouraging them to sing along to Catie Rae and their cover of Taking Back Sunday’s Cute Without The ‘E’.

***Emery performs at The Fillmore in New Orleans © Kristen Derr***

Melodic post-hardcore rockers Emery, known for their dynamic performances, did not disappoint. Formed in 2001, in Rock Hill, North Carolina, frontman Toby Morrell, along with guitarist Chris Keene, bassist and rhythm guitarist Devin Shelton, keyboardist Josh Head, guitarist Matt Carter, and drummer Dave Powell, energized the crowd. This was my first time seeing Emery live, and the experience left me with few words and a feeling of amazement. I don’t know how it is that I missed out on this extraordinary band for so long, but Emery definitely gained a new fan Monday night.

***Armor for Sleep performs at The Fillmore in New Orleans © Kristen Derr***

New Jersey band Armor for Sleep delivered yet another energetic set spanning their 20+ year career. Frontman and guitarist Ben Jorgensen, guitarist PJ DeCicco, bassist Anthony DiIonno, and drummer Nash Breen, led the audience through one heavy and melodic song after another, wrapping up their set with The Truth About Heaven and Car Underwater. Jorgensen then invited the entire crowd to come meet them at the merch booth after the show.

***Anberlin performs at The Fillmore in New Orleans © Kristen Derr***

In spite of recent line-up changes, Anberlin’s set was as intense and powerful as ever. Along with guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, and bassist Deon Rexroat, new frontman Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire and touring drummer Daniel Nelson debuted two new songs: Walk Alone and Seven (with Mullins joking that he doesn’t plan to turn Anberlin in “a metalcore band”), before ending their set with fan favorite Feel Good Drag.

***Thursday performs at The Fillmore in New Orleans © Kristen Derr***

If tonight was meant to be a celebration of life and music, New Jersey post-hardcore band Thursday sure had a lot to celebrate. Frontman Geoff Rickly is celebrating six years sober, guitarist Norman Brannon (formerly of Texas is the Reason) is celebrating his first time performing in New Orleans, and, as a band, they are celebrating their first new song since 2011: Application for Release from The Dream. Along with Rickly and Brannon, guitarist Steve Pedulla, drummer Tucker Rule, and bassist Stu Richardson celebrated the band’s two decade long career by playing (to paraphrase Rickly) their old songs and their even older songs, including favorites Paris in Flames and Jet Black New Year. Thursday is one band that I will never miss when they come around, and I’m sure everyone else in attendance on Monday agreed that we hope they will stop in New Orleans more often.

***Hawthorne Heights performs at The Fillmore in New Orleans © Kristen Derr***

Closing out the night, the visionaries behind the entire evening, Hawthorne Heights, celebrated the 20 year anniversary of their 2004 album The Silence in Black and White. Frontman JT Woodruff, bassist Matt Ridenour, guitarist Mark McMillon, and drummer Chris Popadak have a way of connecting with fans that makes everyone feel welcome and accepted. In between songs, Woodruff told funny stories of the band’s early days on the road (including fans telling him how they illegally downloaded the album on Limewire), and reminded the audience to be good to one another and to give our friends and family encouragement when they need it. During Gold Econoline, a song about the early days of touring as a band, he asked everyone to think of someone they miss. They wrapped up their set with Ohio is For Lovers, then said goodnight without playing an encore. The lack of an encore was a fitting way to end the evening, leaving the audience with the feeling that this isn’t the end. Here’s to 20 more years of emo, post-hardcore, and friendship.