This year’s When We Were Young Festival marked the third iteration of what has become affectionately dubbed by some as “emo Coachella” and was arguably the best year yet. Featuring an incredibly impressive lineup of iconic bands playing key albums in full, incredible food, interactive vendor installations, and more, When We Were Young proves that just like the genres it champions, it will stand the test of time.
WWWY, held at the expansive Las Vegas Festival Grounds, brought together yet another incredible lineup of iconic bands from the early 2000s and 2010s with a focus on the nostalgia factor. It wasn’t uncommon to hear fellow attendees talk about how certain albums that were being played were crucial to their adolescence and how surreal it felt to be hearing them in full in 2024.
Spanning 60-plus incredible bands across five stages, with the same lineup and set times each day, the only downside to WWWY was trying to figure out the best course of action to see as many bands as possible. But, the chaos and planning only added to the overall experience.
The festival kicked off bright and early, with The Paradox opening on the Ghost Stage at 10:40 a.m. Despite the early time, lines to get into the festival were already expansive and only grew as the morning continued. Electric sets from supergroup LS Dunes and MySpace royalty Millionaires early on in the day set the high-energy, nostalgic tone for the rest of the day.
The afternoon was filled with a number of standout sets. Neck Deep and Mayday Parade led countless pop-punk singalongs from their legendary albums, while Underoath brought an unforgettable performance of album They’re Only Chasing Safety in its entirety. Dashboard Confessional’s set on the Purple Stage, one of the largest stages at the festival, had some fans emotional as they performed classics such as “Vindicated” and “Stolen.” Even lesser-known acts held their own, drawing massive crowds and earning new fans along the way.
Aside from the music, the festival’s other experiences were just as amazing. Countless food and drink vendors offered a wide variety of options, including drinks from Beatbox and food from Shake Shack, Prince Street Pizza, Tacotarian, and more. Ghost Energy had an impressive activation lounge, as did Wynn Las Vegas. Creative photo opp installations were scattered throughout the festival, including the fest’s now-iconic pink carpet and countless emo-tinged inflatables. There was even a truck offering tattoos tailored to the festival’s performers and alternative culture with an impressively long line throughout the day.
One of the highlights of the day occurred early afternoon at the Ghost Stage, where Denver duo 3OH!3 performed their 2008 album WANT in full. Donning neon-yellow high-vis outfits, Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte’s stage presence was one to be reckoned with. They jumped around, engaged with the crowd, and teased a “DONTTRUSTME” snippet halfway through the set to give a taste of what was to come. They closed their set with the iconic single as thousands of attendees screamed back the iconic hook back at them.
In a similar vein, Cobra Starship’s showmanship is one to be rivaled. The band, playing their second show in 12 years, acted like not a second had gone by since their glory days. Coming out to a “Cobra Airlines” skit video in pilot and stewardess costumes, the band kicked off their set with the catchy “Nice Guys Finish Last.” Two songs in, frontman Gabe Saporta asked, “Wait, aren’t we supposed to be doing ¡Viva la Cobra!?,” prompting an outfit change into the legendary purple hoodies. Just when we thought the set couldn’t be topped, they brought out Patrick Stump for “Kiss My Sass,” much to the enjoyment of the crowd.
Other highlights of the day included Senses Fail’s performance of Still Searching, showing frontman Buddy Nielson’s impressive stage presence (including, but not limited to, throwing multiple inflatable sharks into the crowd for “Shark Attack”), The Maine and their unrivaled crowd connection, an emotional performance of The Greatest Generation by The Wonder Years, and Movements getting festival-goers deep in their feelings for a dusk performance of Feel Something. Chiodos was one of the most surprising sets, seeing Craig Owens perform with the group for the first time in eight years. To add to the fans’ excitement, he announced the band’s 20th anniversary tour during the set, sharing that the group will be touring on a stacked lineup with Hawthorne Heights, Emmure, and The Callous Daoboys.
The energy of the festival only increased as the sun set and the Las Vegas skyline lit up around the festival grounds, serving as a stunning backdrop for performances like Pierce The Veil playing Collide With The Sky, Jimmy Eat World’s hit-laden Bleed American set, and Dance Gavin Dance playing Mothership on the Verizon Stage.
One of the few bands that didn’t perform an album in full was Fall Out Boy, but, their set ended up being one of the most memorable of the festival. Performing what can best be described as their Eras Tour, their set was full of outfit changes that reflected each era of the band, enhanced with some of the most incredible stage production of the festival, maybe even of any recent show. Tracks from Folie à Deux were performed with the inflatable bears from the album cover, while the Save Rock and Roll era was elevated with an on-stage volcano and an impressive amount of pyrotechnics. Furthermore, they surprised fans with a special guest appearance from Wiz Khalifa for “See You Again,”a callback to their 2015 Boys of Zummer tour. Overall, their set was a captivating timeline of the beloved band’s rise from humble Chicago beginnings to becoming one of the largest rock bands in the world.
As some attendees scattered to other stages to see Nada Surf, Pretty Girls Make Graves, and Escape The Fate, a majority flocked to the Purple Stage to witness My Chemical Romance play what is arguably one of the most important emo albums, The Black Parade, in full. Many may remember the band’s triumphant return at the first iteration of When We Were Young, and the excitement for this set was just as palpable. Their production was minimalistic—a white backdrop surrounded the band, who were dressed in simplistic all-black outfits, providing a stark contrast. However, the stripped-back visuals allowed for the music itself to truly be at the forefront.
Although attendees knew what to expect from the album play through, hearing songs like “The End,” “Cancer,” and “Disenchanted” that hadn’t been played in over 15 years felt incredibly surreal. Furthermore, “Cancer” and “Mama” featured hauntingly beautiful new violin arrangements. The Black Parade is truly an album that still resonates with listeners 18 years after its release. Hearing songs that helped myself and many others during our darkest moments in our younger years live as adults in a much better place made the set feel like a celebration of music, life, and the collective community.
This year’s When We Were Young Festival was more than just a festival—It was a celebration of a musical era that continues to resonate, decades later. The fest truly captured the heart and soul of what makes this music so special and gave both artists and fans a chance to connect over their shared love for the songs that defined their lives and ours.
Needless to say, we can’t wait for what next year holds.
