Emo Nite returned to St. Louis with a huge dose of nostalgia. The LA based party has been touring across the country, inviting all sad kids to join the sing-a-long.

Emo Nite has been gaining more and more popularity and they’re back in St. Louis. The night started out slow, with some Drake and Travis Scott playing in the background while the venue filled up and the fans got their drinks. About 45 minutes in, the curator came out and jumped right into it. He opened with Fallout Boy, followed by Taking Back Sunday. The crowd didn’t hesitate and immediately started singing along every word. After a few songs, and everyone seemed warmed up, the curator started pulling fans onto the stage. Soon the stage was filled and Emo Nite was in full effect.

Emo Nite began in a dive bar in LA, where every Tuesday they played old emo rock from the 2000’s. Eventually, they took their parties to the road and started touring across the country. The tour always featured a special guest to come DJ their favorite playlist and St. Louis was blessed with bringing out Craig Owens of Chiodos and Badxchannels. I was personally ecstatic because I’ve been a fan of Chiodos since 2005. Before Craig Owens came out, everyone was temporarily booted from the stage. As soon as he set foot on stage the entire venue erupted. He began his energetic set with Thrice, Taking Back Sunday and My Chemical Romance. He finally played “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last A Minute on the Creek” by Chiodos and I couldn’t help but to put my camera down and sing along. Craig Owens preformed this song in full and shared the mic with fans while everyone sang along.

Emo Nite is much more than a sing-a-long dance party, it’s about sharing nostalgia and remembering the awkward struggles we had as angsty teenagers. It is worth checking out, even if you’re no longer listen to that genre anymore. After attending Emo Nite, you’ll end up revisiting old emo albums from high school, I guarantee it. I know I did.


Avatar

Ismael Valenzuela

St. Louis based photographer and writer.