Words & Photos by Amber James
The Used
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You can never go wrong with a set from The Used. They play all the old emo singalongs that we all love and enjoy (even if we don’t show it). All the favorites by them were played and it showcases, just like always, how well Bert McCracken’s vocals are even live.
All Time Low
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Keeping with the old school emo roots, next up on the main stage was All Time Low. Fresh off tours supporting their most recent album, Last Young Renegade, it only made sense that most of their songs in their set were off that album. But, don’t worry, they still played a few old school jams for the OG fans such as “Lost in Stereo” and “Dear Maria, Count Me In”.
Jimmy Eat World
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Hitting that trifecta of emo goodness with Jimmy Eat World, this was by far one of the sets I was most excited for. I’d seen both The Used and All Time Low numerous times before but this would be my first time getting to see Jimmy Eat World. Bleed American was one of the first albums that got me into this “scene” so to speak so getting to see them live plus hear about half of the album live was a dream come true. By far, my favorite moment of their set was getting to hear “Hear You Me” live because of how emotional a song it is.
Atreyu
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Switching it over to the metalcore side of things, Atreyu took to the stage. They played a selection of songs from their entire discography including fan favorites “Exs and Ohs” and “Bleeding Mascara”. They also broke out their cover of Bon Jovi’s “Shot Through the Heart”.
Lamb of God
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Another set that I was immensely excited for was Lamb of God. Having never gotten the opportunity to see or shoot them, I had only heard stories about frontman Randall Blythe’s intense stage performance with his his ridiculous stage jumps that were the stuff of concert photographer legend. At this point in their careers, the band could be hailed as festival veterans and legends and their set only proved that fact ten times over.
Motionless in White
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Steel Panther
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Steel Panther was THE set of the day for me that I was excited for. For the last year or so and especially in the last six months, 80’s hair metal and glam rock and all things leopard print and hair spray has been my thing. 5/10 times I am more likely to be listening to some Journey or Motley Crue than something recent. Needless to say, my excitement in the photo pit was very palpable and obvious to the other photographers. I’m sure “I’M SO EXCITED” definitely made it obvious as well.
Weezer
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