Ohio icons Hawthorne Heights have joined the mass of international artists taking a long-overdue trip back down under; this time in celebration of the 20th birthday of their classic and career-defining record, 'If Only You Were Lonely'.
Tuesday night (28 April) was the final leg of the Australia tour, the headliners join by New Jersey post-hardcore/ emo-core legends Armor For Sleep and adored pseudo-local rising stars hailing from Melbourne (by way of Darwin) Tapestry.
Front-loading the review is Tapestry; I love the gorgeous men who share the stage together under this moniker.
I was lucky enough to play alongside them on their first east-coast tour some ten-odd years ago. Being there from the start and seeing the evolution and growth fills me with a sense of pride I would imagine akin to that of a proud parent.
Tapestry's time onstage is short, sweet, and sets the tone for what's to come. The swooning, crooning, and majestic vocals of frontman Tom Devine-Harrison strike the right chord.
He demonstrates his impressive range, from ethereal to aggressive, putting on a masterclass in refinement and technique – besting some great proportion of road-hardened veterans within this and adjacent genres almost effortlessly.
Fans of Tapestry will attest to the tight delivery of the band's musicality; executed with gusto, flair and bravado of artists that want it – and want it bad.
There's no cliche stage move synchronisation or over-the-top stage production to mask poor performance; just honest, natural, and from-the-heart energy that truly feels authentic and personal.
Playing a curated collection of their fan faves and cult classics, such as 'The Pain You Desire', 'The Love You Deserve', 'Retrospect', and their newly-released single 'Bedsheets', they close their set with 'I Don't Belong Here'
Based on the crowd's engagement, enthusiasm, and willingness to lend their voices in sub-par weather conditions, it's obvious that if more touring is not currently on their agenda for the remainder of the year, it should be.
The soaring crescendos, tight and subtly technical downbeat, and emotional energy is something this band owes it to the public to continue to share far and wide.
Full disclosure: I had not thought about Armor For Sleep in years before the announcement of this tour. Even fuller disclosure: I was grossly unimpressed with myself for failing to remember one of my absolute favourite pop-punk-emo acts from this era.
However, I do find some solace in them having never actually joined the Australian tour circuit in their quarter-century career, meaning that while forgetful, there is good reason they may have fallen off my radar. Oh, and the whole 'mostly been broken up since 2009' also likely played a significant part.
They did not disappoint. In my first outing to the newly refurbished Brightside Outdoors, this emotional set had me well and truly in my feelings. What was once a dank and uninspired car park, is now home to a live music venue I could have only imagined during my club-rat era.
Seeing this Valley staple being graced by the ebbs and flows of a band that were fundamental in developing my music preference takes it one step closer to a surreal moment.
As is often the case with artists exhausting all aspects of their musical proficiency, stage antics are far from the drawcard to this live experience with fans, the audience opting to be engulfed in the sweet (and sad) euphoria of the emo-legends.
Bursting out of the gates with 'Stay On The Ground' (a personal favourite, and contender for overall highlight to the evening) and 'Remember To Feel Real', Armor For Sleep show no signs of disappointing even the most diehard of fans.
'Awkward Last Words' phenomenally sets the tone for the evening with its slow, morose intro before rapidly exploding with the ever-in-vogue two-step and almost-expected sing-alongs, climaxing in the chorus.
In what seems to be a theme with this band in particular, I was pleasantly shocked at the commencement of 'Basement Ghost Singing' – a track layered with sharp-delays, creating sonic depth and intrigue that takes me immediately back to the days of owning an Epiphone Les Paul in the granny flat, trying to figure out what thrifted effects pedals could possibly recreate the sound I had recently heard.
Moments like these one of the biggest drawcards to these dare-I-say heritage-listed artists. While revelling in the music that acted as a foundation to your youth is an emotional roller coaster in of itself, being teleported back to these specific memories that have lain dormant for decades is something I challenge almost any other form of art to inspire.
In case my self-actualisation hadn't done a number on my psyche, Armor For Sleep close out with not only 'The Truth About Heaven', but arguably their pinnacle; their claim to fame; their zenith; 'Car Underwater'.
While quote-unquote whiny vocals, on-the-nose lyrics of sadness and a good share of palm-muted guitars may not be everyone's cup of tea, it sure is my swig of lager and I think a wander to the bar will give me the necessary strategic advantage to wipe these emotional tears from my eyes.
In what's become a trend of this review; I'll level with you. I didn't like Hawthorne Heights in their prime, peak, or whatever you want to call the MySpace emo era. No, they were in fact, too emo for me (he says with a Placebo tattoo adorned on his body).
You see, there were the emo kids and the screamo kids. There was the Hawthorne Heights and Dashboard Confessionals crowd, and there was the From First To Last and The Used crowd. Sure, retrospectively it's different flavours of the same ice cream, but at the time, they just didn't quite hit the mark for me.
That's absolutely not to say I didn't appreciate the talent and respect the musicianship at the time, however I wanted chocolate and they were serving strawberry.
I'm the first to admit that I may have been late in the full development of my frontal lobe and now (hopefully) representing the sharpest I may ever be, I tell you that Hawthorne Heights deserve every ounce of their success.
If you explore their catalogue – not only 'If Only You Were Lonely', but the one record prior and half-dozen post – they are lined with not only some timeless classics, but some deeply underrated B-sides. While the argument could be made their first two records house the majority of these hits; luck is on our side as this defining era is what we're all here to celebrate.
Starting with a bang and some considered and curated stage production and design, Hawthorne Heights follow the trend of the evening, commencing with energy and vigour as they deliver 'This Is Who We Are', before rolling on into 'We Are So Last Year'.
Classic tracks like 'Pens And Needles' and 'Saying Sorry' – two more highlights of the evening for this reviewer – take me back to passing around copies of Blunt or Alternative Press in the '00s (to the ridicule of teens who'd not explored the depth of music beyond their parents AC/DC and Cold Chisel cassettes – no shade; both of those bands absolutely rip).
Where modern music is forever pressing for harder, faster, more technical or the next 15-second snippable moment, the innocence of riffs and rhythms that could have found themselves at the hands of many-a talented and enthusiastic would-be musician is humbling in a way I hadn't expected it to be.
The riffs are catchy, the performance is tight, there are no jaw-dropping solos or swept arpeggios, and you know what, that's totally fine – more so than that even.
Lead vocalist JT Woodruff is impressively tight and consistent throughout – flawlessly executing not only an impressive vocal performance, but maintaining the musical foundation through his guitar performance.
These songs – like a plethora from this era – are dynamic, rhythmic and plain, old fun. They incite sing-alongs, bouncing bodies and flailing arms, and some of the most mediocre dancing I've laid eyes on (or partaken in).
Sure, something could be said to the lyrical content that was unescapable throughout this paramount of very-public depression that ravaged suburban malls worldwide, but hey, suck it up; embrace the emo; and remember there's every chance at least one of these songs has 'saved your life' (or at least been used as some petty ammunition as you navigated the puberty blues).
Of course, highlights of Hawthorne Heights culminate in some of their biggest hits rounding out the evening. 'Dandelions' (a sneaky 2023 addition to this nostalgic set list), 'Niki FM', and finally; the one, the only, 'Ohio Is For Lovers'.
The Brightside is the only venue truly fitting for the spectacle of this evening. For those who've partied within the walls of this former church until lockout is in full effect and you're searching for somewhere to keep the party going as you watch the sun rise; tonight has been a soundtrack to your formative years.
As the euphoric melancholy of another gig down, more acts you never thought you'd see live being accomplished, the eerie discomfort of the Valley on a Tuesday evening greets you upon exit.
However, just remember how happy the 12-, 13-, or 14-year-old version of yourself would be at you going to the emo club on a school night, having a few beers, and seeing Hawthorne Heights live and in the flesh playing their bangers for you and a few hundred of your new friends.
