Emo Night LA: Taking Back Tuesday
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Hell, The Masquerade; Atlanta, GA
After a year of watching friends on the West Coast attend Emo Night, I was beyond excited to see Taking Back Tuesday finally head south to Atlanta on April 19. Bringing together a few hundred 20-somethings, the night was filled with the songs that made us cry and feel things as teens. Despite the night getting off to a shaky start – I never want to hear “club goin’ up on a Tuesday” ever again – it was Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” that got the party started. Which, for anyone who knows me, is the perfect way to
start a party.
As the Emo Night crew spun hits by Hawthorne Heights, Say Anything, and other hitmakers from the mid-2000s, scattered expletives and raised drinks could be heard and seen as former scene kids recognized the songs of their youth. The invitation to take the stage was taken advantage of as several people made themselves stage regulars to lead singalongs while reaching out to grab hands and going all out to perform to old favorites, like “Seventy Times Seven,” “The Black Parade,” and more. I took advantage of this myself on multiple occasions, fulfilling a dream of mine to sing “Misery Business” on
stage (with a handful of strangers, no biggie) and turning up to Panic! At the
Disco’s breakout, “I Write Sins, Not Tragedies.” Here’s a picture to prove it – taken by Ryan Purcell.
Other highlights of the night included a pit starting on stage to “Fat Lip,” a dancer popping and tutting all night, and a rousing singalong to MCR featuring a dude dressed in his best bulletproof vest.
A few internet celebs were in attendance, such as Aaron Chewning and Sara Hopkins, but it was Cartel’s drummer and Atlanta native Kevin Sanders’ presence that got the crowd hyped as “Honestly” rang through the speakers.
Though Emo Night boasts merch with slogans like “Sad as Fuck” or “ride or cry,” I left in higher spirits than I came. Even though the music still gets to me and makes me emotional from time to time, there’s nothing like being in a room full of people who feel the same way as you, singing the songs that said what you needed to hear as a teenager. For just a moment, everyone was back in high school and thoughts about bills, work, and school were tossed aside to dust off lyrics memorized back in the days of straightened hair and studded belts.
Needless to say, Taking Back Tuesday’s first night in Atlanta was one to remember. Hands down.
Over the course of Boston Calling’s three-day festival there were plenty of moments that struck a chord with the audience. These came from acts big and small, and we at LOL wanted to recap some of our favorite sights and sounds. From fresh faced newcomers to seasoned festival veterans, every act at Boston Calling performed with aplomb – read on
for some of the stellar moments observed by our staff during the three day festival.
Next Big Thing Halsey was an absolute stunner, especially considering the length of her career (less than a year!). With the amount of buzz around her Room 93 EP, which has been featured heavily n MTV and Buzzfeed, it was shocking that her time slot was so early in the day. However, the little starlet packed a huge punch with her single ‘Hurricane’, a ballad that is equally biting as it is heart wrenching Halsey has a tremendous future ahead of her if she continues with this momentum, be sure to check her out on tour with Imagine Dragons this summer!
Middle School Flashback Gerard Way is the obvious choice for this category – the singer did not perform any of the hits from the My Chemical Romance roster but it was obvious that those in attendance were tenured fans. His performance was eerily reminiscent of the past, glad in the same signature black and red getup and bleached hair dyed back to black. The singer’s positivity has still remained contagious but the extremely warm welcome he garnered can be attributed to the loyal support of his t-shirt wearing fans and nostalgia factor.
Best Crowd Interaction While an argument can be made that many artists on the Spring bill are deserving of this slot, there was nothing quite like the reactions that Tenacious D elicited from their
audience. Fans were hollering lyrics at the top of their lungs, with just as many laughs being elicited as cheers. Not many musical comedy acts are able to support their humor with a musical talent to match but Jack Black and Kyle Glass managed to balance the two in a spectacle that highlighted and played off of both skillsets. The minimalistic presentation but entirely engrossing performance was a testament to how well the duo command a crowd.
Most Underrated Performance I will not lie, when Chet Faker was forced to drop off of the Boston Calling bill, Sunday lost a bit of its luster in my eyes. Despite this, his replacement act and City Hall Plaza veterans, Lucius, came in and blew us all away. The vocal chops of Jess Wolfe and Holly Laesig, who met at Berklee, were enough to convert even the most disgruntled and fit the overall tone of the festival perfectly.
Best Summer Song I need some heaviness to my singles, especially in the summer. It’s the season of ruining
your speakers with heavy bass and head banging in the car so Run The Jewels’ “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” is my go to selection from the Boston Calling lineup. Any song by the duo should be on your summer playlist- they’re absolute fire and need to be on your radar.
Best Individual Artist Marina (and her Diamonds) showed the Boston Calling crowd that pop music done well is always something to celebrate. Her brightly colored fans came out in spades to jump
around to new tunes off of her album Froot and older hits like “Primadonna” the pop diva was returning to the stage with. Her performance was classy, energetic, and jam packed with happy, electronic vibes.
Best Band TV on the Radio were a band that brought so many musical styles that it was almost impossible not to find something in their set to jam out to. The translation of recorded
music to its live presentation is a spectacle not to be missed. Their lead singer, Tunde Adebimpe, has the sly swagger of a frontman who can execute a flawless performance every night while depending upon his fellow performers to pack a hefty punch.
Best Overall Performance Bow down to all that is St. Vincent. Annie Clark and keyboardist/guitarist/backup vocalist Toko Yatsuda stunned with a performance that was equal parts calculated movement and improvised perfection. The duo’s tiny, robotic choreography was not lost at any distance and fell perfectly in line with the music, while Clark’s purposeful collapses emoted a break in facade and composure that all could relate to. Clark’s venture into the crowd also won her bonus points, still looking effortlessly cool and composed with audience members clamoring at a chance to touch the singer. St. Vincent earned her spot as this festival’s highlight and possible the best act to grace the Boston Calling lineup.
Most Popular Beck. Beck. Beck. Did anyone on Friday talk about anything other than the Grammy winner? Yes, but he was on everyone’s minds and had an absolutely stunning performance that met or exceeded expectations. An incredible amount of people swarmed the plaza leading up to his performance, braving the Boston wind-chill to watch an hour and a half set that blew the audience.
Best of Boston This one is (obviously) going to Boston band, The Pixies. While we salute the other hometown artist’s tributes to the city, there’s nothing that gets a Boston crowd going quite like a hometown act with gritty guitars and a killer light show. Pack decades of
hits like “Debaser” and “Where Is My Mind?” into the mix and you have a perfect choice for the closer to this city’s one and only festival.
Honorable
Mention
Best Cover Don’t ask a Boston girl how to pronounce her name, but MØ’s cover of “Say You’ll Be There,” the 90’s hit from The Spice Girls, was absolutely EVERYTHING. The singer’s energy was off the walls but you could tell this was one of, if not, the song that she was most excited to perform. The singer wore her hair specifically to pay homage to the girl group and loved every second of it, just like the crowd.
Written by Kara Kokinos. Photos by Eric Riley and Kara Kokinos.
For our last giveaway of the month, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Boston Calling to give away a pair of three-day tickets to this May’s festival!* The line-up this year is pretty incredible and includes Tove Lo, Pixies, Gerard Way and Grammy award winner, Beck, just to name a few! The festival will take place from May 22nd to May 24th and will take place at City Hall Plaza.
Entry form can be found here! Contest will run for one month!
*Disclaimer: neither transportation or housing are provided.
Today is your last day to enter our Boston Calling ticket giveaway!! Winner will be announced tomorrow, so if you still want a chance to win a pair of three0day tickets to this May’s festival, enter by clicking this form! Good luck!
For our last giveaway of the month, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Boston Calling to give away a pair of three-day tickets to this May’s festival!* The line-up this year is pretty incredible and includes Tove Lo, Pixies, Gerard Way and Grammy award winner, Beck, just to name a few!…
Do you want to win tickets to this May’s Boston Calling Music Festival? If so, check out our contest where we’ll be giving away a pair of three-day tickets!!
February marks Lucy Out Loud turning five (YAY!!), so to celebrate we’ve put together a bunch of awesome giveaways that we’ll be announcing throughout the month!
For our first giveaway, we teamed up with our friends over at the Boston Calling Music Festival to give away one of their hoodies! Entering is simple – RT this tweet and follow us on Twitter. That’s it!
A winner will be picked on February 19th! Our next giveaway will be announced next week!
Mother nature keeps bringing us cold weather, so we’ve decided to extend our hoodie giveaway a little bit longer! We’re sick of this below zero weather and snow that just won’t stop coming.
The giveaway will now be extended to February 28th!! Keep your eyes peeled because the day before this contest closes, we’ll also be announcing our biggest giveaway of the month!!
That’s right. Your eyes do not deceive you. Taking Back Sunday and The Used have announced another co-headlining tour together, after the success of their Spring tour.
It has also been announced that frnkiero andthe celebration will be joining the tour (their first) as special guests.
Check out the fall tour dates below!
9.8 – Columbus, OH @ The LC Pavilion 9.10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE 9.11 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s * 9.12 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room 9.14 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room – Old National Centre 9.16 – St. Paul, MN @ Myth 9.17 – Sioux Falls, SD @ The District 9.19 – Kansas City, MO @ KC Live! At Kansas City Power & Light District 9.21 – Billings, MT @ Shrine Auditorium 9.23 – Idaho Falls, ID @ Idaho Falls Civic Auditorium 9.24 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory * 9.25 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo 9.26 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater 9.29 – Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall 9.30 – Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall 10.2 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre 10.3 – Fargo, ND @ The Venue 10.4 – Des Moines, IA @ 7 Flags Event Center 10.6 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant 10.7 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom *
All dates with Taking Back Sunday and The Used except: *- with Taking Back Sunday only
I don’t think that there’s anything that James Dewees won’t do on a record. It’s been half a decade since we’ve heard from Dewees in the form of Reggie and the Full Effect, but he’s back in … well, and I’m sorry, but I have to say this … in full effect. Sorry.
Attempting to add humor into music, especially music as dark and personal as RATFE’s can be, is walking on thin ice. Tough, but not impossible. Along with bands like Ludo and Wheatus, Dewees has always found a great balance to this tricky formula, and No Country for Old Musicians continues down that path, wasting no time in doing so. Right out of the gate, the ridiculous and twangy “Introduction” crashes (literally) into “Super Croc VS Mega Doosh,” which packs a Three Cheers-era My Chemical Romance sound.
The craziness continues during the span of the entire album, whether it’s the intergalactic spaghetti western “Guerrera,” the story of being pulled into the underworld because your plea bargain to exchange yourself for Bruno Mars failed on “37,” the fantastically ridiculous fake accent during “Sundae, Booty Sundae,” or a handful of other short half song/half skit pieces scattered throughout.
Dewees’ sense of humor is definitely noticeable, but it isn’t overpowering or overdone. On the songs and snippets that focus more on the comedic side, they make sure not to overstay their welcome, typically clocking in under a minute, acting more like quick intermissions than actual songs.
“Who Needs Another Drank?” is quick-witted and fun, and starts off with a sound-bite shoutout to Albany, which earned an instant bonus point in my book. “Kanji tattoos … Still in Style???” is a hands-down highlight, opening with clinking bells and swirling synths and eventually building to a chorus that makes you want to dance around in the rain and scream and swing your hair around in circles.
As much insanity as there is on No Country for Old Musicians, and I think the album art itself acts as a pretty good indicator for what you can expect, Dewees returns from a five-year break, still boasting his unrivaled ability to seamlessly stroll the line that separates absurdity and authenticity. All jokes aside, there’s a whole lot here to enjoy.
Release Date: November 19th, 2013 Rating: 3.75/5 Runtime: 46:37
Tracklist: 1. Introduction 2. Super Croc VS. Mega Doosh 3. 37 4. Fowlin’ Around 5. Revenge is a dish best served at Park Chan-Wook’s 6. Guerrera 7. Gimme back my leg 8. Robo Fonzie meets Frank 9. Who needs another drank featuring Floppy disk-0 10. Sundae, booty sundae featuring Fluxuation 11. Kanji tattoos still in style 12. We make a breakfast 13. To the Fruit Wizards of Donnington 14. DMV featuring Common Denominator 15. Disregard 16. Danka Shane
Matt Pryor’s work as a part of The Get Up Kids has made his a pioneer within our music world. His honest, brutally passionate lyrics have always held a standard that others can only hope to achieve. Though The Get Up Kids may be where his primary recognition comes from, his productions stemming from The New Amsterdams and the Terrible Twos (his kid’s music group) have also made quite the impression.
Later this year, Pryor will be releasing his newest solo record, Wrist Slitter – his third album on his own. But, being the marathoner that he is, he teamed up with James Dewees, of Reggie and the Full Effect and My Chemical Romance fame (and, you know, The Get Up Kids as well), to release a short split EP beforehand.
The first of his three tracks, “I Can Be So Cold,” is a full-band effort reminiscent of what we’ve grown to love about Pryor’s music. His definitive voice is just as it has always been, coupled kindly with trademark lyricism, slammed piano keys, and harsh guitars.
“Failing You” is a sprinted pop-punk gem. Racing by in under two minutes, it’s a brief anthem for dealing with letting someone down and trying to get beyond it. Pryor screeches “I’m trying, dying, I’m failing you every time. Your patience is just wasted … I just go on and on for hours until everything around me disappears,” screaming over not being able to “control the monster when it starts.”
Closer “Peculiar” begins gently, sounding like a gradually-building music-box lullaby. A strange fading swirl of electronic static ebbs and flows throughout the background, drawing flashbacks to old JamisonParker tracks. Pryor’s looped vocals “My whole life, regretting, the time is resetting, I’ll always remember this moment forever” repeat themselves as the distorting chaos grows. The song ends, leaving an echo of “forever” ringing in the listeners’ ears. It is, in the simplest of terms, haunting and gorgeous.
Rating short EP’s like this is always tricky for me. On one hand, I want to spitefully give it a “0” because I’m petty and bitter that it is only three songs. Then again, on the other end of the spectrum, I want to give it a “6” because it’s really damn good. So, we’ll average that out to a “3.” Yay, math! (Don’t worry, there won’t be any more of that noise. We’ll focus on music.)
Release Date: September 30th, 2013 Rating: 3/5 Runtime: 7:15
Tracklist: 1. “I Can Be So Cold” 2. “Failing You” 3. “Peculiar”
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