Back to the Disaster

I promise this blog isn't going to be all concert reviews, I just have a bunch real close together and I procrastinate. I gotta get my shit together, I know. Especially now, because I've started to "advertise" the blog! Yay! So excited to get this out there into the world and share it with all of you! The Instagram page is up and running! Check us out here. If you're on IG, please follow and share with your friends! I'm so excited to build a little community here and start meeting everyone.

OK, so let's get into it. I took a little trip to Reno, NV to see Senses Fail, The Used, and Rise Against on the Nowhere Generation tour. Apparently, the millions of people in the Bay Area got overlooked when planning this tour, but it's cool because my boyfriend and I got a little vacation out of the deal. We saw this show on July 20th at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino and, let me tell you, my liver is still recovering from staying at a casino for 3 days straight. But really, having an arena at a hotel is genius. Entry was super quick (I got in line at 6:55 pm and got in with a few minutes to spare before the 7:00 pm start time) plus we didn't have to worry about parking or having to wait to exit a packed parking garage/lot. It was so nice. The arena itself was also really nice, it was a pretty good-sized place but it seemed like any seat in the house would offer a pretty good view. We sat in assigned seating in some really great seats, front row of the middle section, dead center, and right next to the engineering booth. The general admission pit area was really small, so I'm glad I stuck to the assigned seats. Or as emo daddy Buddy Nielsen lovingly called them, the old people seats.

Senses Fail started right on time, 7:00 pm on the dot. I've seen them a few times before and was excited to see them again, they always put on a good show. Since they're considered the opening band for this tour, they only played for 30 mins, but they were able to pack in a nice variety of songs. They played a few songs from their new album and of course some of the hits. From what I can remember, they played Lady In the Blue Dress, Can't Be Saved, Buried a Lie, Calling All Cars, and ended with Bite to Break Skin. I think they also played Rum is for Drinking Not for Burning, but don't quote me on that. Of course, they also played the mashup of rock covers they usually do: Disturbed, Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit. If you've seen them before, you know what I'm talking about. They put on a great show as always, but I really wish it was longer than 30 minutes. It just felt so short! They were one of the main attractions for me, so it was kinda weird to see them as the first opening band, but it was a great set nonetheless!
If you're reading this, you probably already know Senses Fail, but if you wanna check out them or their new album "Hell is in Your Head", you can do so here: instagram / apple music / spotify

Next up was The Used, also right on time at 7:50 pm. Gotta say, as someone who is always a little fashionably late, I was impressed by the punctuality of this show. The Used was the main attraction for me. I've always loved them, but over the years they've crept up into my top 5 bands of all time. Actually, I think that happened after the first time I saw them at Warped Tour in 2018. I left that set feeling all the feelings. What can I say, I'm just a big emo kid after all. Anyways, I've been not so patiently waiting to see them again, so I was PUMPED when they came on, and they did not disappoint! They played for around 45 mins to an hour, but I could've watched them all night, to be honest. They played a ton of songs, the majority being from the first 2 albums. Luckily I don't have to rely on memory because I got a set list!!

An unexpected perk of being next to the sound and light engineer. Speaking of lights, holy shit those lights were bright! Like, blindingly bright. If I brought sunglasses, I would've put them on. It was wild. I was so focused on the band and the music that the lights didn't bother me much, but my boyfriend and our friends could not get past it. So heads up if you're going to see them, watch out for the lights and maybe bring some shades! Aside from that, their set was perfect. Bert's vocals sounded great, the band sounded great, and the energy was great. Bert also made a quick mention of working on a new album. Hard to say how serious he was but I'll be keeping an eye out for that! It was everything I was hoping for and then some. I can't wait to see them again, it can't come soon enough!
Again, I'm fairly confident you know The Used, but if you don't, or you just wanna check them out, here you go: instagram / apple music / spotify

Last but not least, Rise Against. It was very apparent by the variation in crowd sizes that the majority of people were there to see Rise Against. Makes sense since they're the headliners, I just wasn't expecting it to be so heavily swayed in one direction. I like Rise Against but I don't know them as well as the first two bands. Once the show went on, though, I realized I knew almost every song. Guess I know them better than I thought! Since they weren't my main attraction, I didn't have many expectations from their set but they put on such an amazing live show! Now that the crowd filled out, the energy was off the charts! They had such a wonderful stage presence. They were able to turn this arena show into what felt like a more intimate experience. Although this wasn't my first show if 2022, they made me feel like it was.
You know the drill, check out Rise Against, and their latest album "Nowhere Generation", here: instagram / apple music / spotify

The Nowhere Generation tour is making its way east, so if you're able to still catch it, I'd highly recommend it! If you've already attended and wanna share your experience, post a comment!

The next show I have lined up is Taking Back Sunday this Sunday (ha, how fitting!). Stay tuned for a much more timely review of that show next week!

Only two weeks behind on this, but better late than never, eh?

So July 6th was my first pop-punk show since January 2020 and oh my god it was glorious! I saw State Champs at the Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz, which is one of my favorite venues in the area. They played with a local band called Giveaway, Forever Came Calling, and The Summer Set. We got there towards the end of Forever Came Calling's set. We completely missed the opening band, Giveaway, who I didn't realize was a local Bay Area band until after the show. Always love to see the bigger bands giving local bands a chance. I checked them out a little bit before the show and really enjoyed them, they remind me a little of Finch. Hopefully, I can catch them at a local show sometime soon!
Check out Giveaway here: instagram / apple music / spotify

Though I didn't get to catch much of Forever Came Calling's set, they were great! They played their entire album 'Contender' for its 10-year anniversary, which was cool. Even cooler to see the band members just hanging out in the crowd and at the bar throughout the rest of the show. Ugh, I live for this shit! I checked out their album earlier in the day before the show and it's great! They've won me over as a fan for sure. I'm hesitant to give them a label but would consider them pop-punk/punk/emo. It looks like they're doing a tour starting in September, if you can catch them I'd highly recommend it!
Check out Forever Came Calling here: instagram / apple music / spotify

The venue was pretty bare up until this point, but it started filling out in prep for The Summer Set. I wasn't familiar with them either and checked them out before the show. They have a very poppy sound and I wasn't sure if I'd like them but wow, they put on an amazing show! The second they started playing the energy completely changed. I didn't know any of the songs but I enjoyed it just as much as if I knew every word. Also, have to give a special shout-out to Jess Bowen on the drums, she absolutely killed it up there! In such a male-dominated genre, it's always nice to see more women being a part of it. They had some great merch that said "emo kid at heart" (which I now know is a line from one of their songs), so I obviously had to buy a sweatshirt and a beanie. If you can catch a show of theirs I would highly recommend it, they put on a really fun show and I honestly wish they played a little longer.
I can't describe the feeling I felt during their set, standing in a crowd on the floor, seeing everyone hyped and jumping up and down, just being lost in the music. It's a feeling I haven't felt in 2.5 years, something I've missed so much but didn't realize how much I missed it until I got it back. This is where I thrive. Thanks for that, guys!
Check out The Summer Set here: instagram / apple music / spotify

Then, the whole reason I came to this show, State fuckin' Champs! Man, I was so hyped to see them and they did not disappoint. The only negative thing about their set was that their audio was messed up or something and you couldn't hear Derek's mic at all, especially over the drums. They never caught it during the show but that didn't take away from how great it was (at least not for me). They played songs from all of their albums which was awesome. It seems like most bands usually skip an album or two so it was a nice change. It was just so amazing to be a part of the crowd again, similar to how I felt during The Summer Set but this time with songs I know and love. I was able to get pretty close to the stage too which just put the cherry on top. I can't wait to see them again, hopefully next time with a working mic. I left the show consumed by this passion for music and live shows and from the show, I was inspired to pursue concert photography. I have no basic photography training but I'm excited to get started!
Check out State Champs here: instagram / apple music / spotify

This show meant so much more to me than I could've imagined. After 2.5 years, I finally feel like myself again, like I found the piece of me that was missing. Thanks, State Champs for bringing me home.

Well, in typical me fashion, I geared up this blog and then abandoned it for 9 months. Sounds about right.

How has 2022 been for everyone? For me, 2022 is the year that concerts are back and I couldn't be more thrilled! Most of the shows I have planned are happening through the second half of the year and I can't wait to get back to it!

Concert season kicks off next week for me with State Champs and The Summer Set. Kicking off summer with a pop-punk show, and better yet, they're playing at one of my favorite venues! I've been waiting 2.5 years for this and we're coming back strong! State Champs is a newer band for me (I discovered them in the last 3ish years), so I haven't had as many opportunities to see them live. I don't know The Summer Set, so I have to check them out before the show. I'll post a review after the show, so stay tuned!

Here's my concert line-up for the rest of the year(so far):

• State Champs & The Summer Set
• Senses Fail, The Used, & Rise Against
• Taking Back Sunday
• Sum 41 & Simple Plan
• Incubus & Sublime with ROME
• My Chemical Romance
• When We Were Young Fest

Are you going to any of these tours? Let me know which shows you have coming up in the comments!

Welcome and thanks for checking out my blog! 

One of my biggest goals for this blog is to share and discover new music. The best way I can think to do that is through playlists, so what better way to kick off this blog than sharing the ultimate playlist? To give you guys a better sense of what exactly I listen to, I thought it would be fun to pick one song from every artist in my library and compile it into a playlist. Some are the hit songs, some are more unknown, and some are ones that I just like.  This was really fun to do, so I hope you enjoy!

What are your favorite bands/artists? Let me know in a comment below!

 

Welcome to Back to the Disaster! A blog centered around the pop-punk/emo scene of the early 2000's to today, for those of us who proved "it wasn't a phase".  A scene that is so dear to me that I wanted to create a community where those stuck in 2006 (hi, it's me) have a place to reminisce, share our favorite bands/songs, and discover new ones!  Lace up those chucks, get out your blackest eyeliner, and I'll  see you in the pit!

If you have anything particular you'd like to see covered, leave your idea in a comment below!