Punk rock band The Used stopped by Austin’s Mohawk on Wednesday, February 19. Nearing the end of their 2020 North American tour, the band drew in a sold-out crowd with their nostalgic yet timeless emo tunes and even showcased some of their newer singles.
Originating from Utah, The Used formed in 2001 and quickly rose to fandom in the emo-punk scene that swept across the world in the years that followed. The band currently consists of Bert McCracken (vocalist), Jeph Howard (bassist), Dan Whitesides (drummer) and Joey Bradford (guitarist).
Though I don’t dip my toes into emo music as much as I used to, I’ve lately been reminiscing on the bands I loved most during the scene’s prime. I’m talking Dashboard Confessional, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, blink-182. The list could go on, but I’m sure you get the idea. The Used was certainly at the top of my list those days, all thanks to my older brother, who played their self-titled album for nearly three months straight.
I sadly never got the chance to see The Used during my high school years, so I freaked a out bit (maybe more) when I heard they were going back on tour. My time had finally come.
There couldn’t have been a better venue to host The Used than Mohawk, one of Austin’s best for hardcore rock bands. Every nook and cranny was filled, fans screaming along to their hits which took us all back to those years we loved and appreciated emo most. Mosh pits formed on the lower level while balcony dwellers jammed out above. Even a proposal happened on stage, after McCracken announced they had a special surprise that he rarely had the honor to witness.
One of my favorite things about emo concerts is the camaraderie. It’s as if there is this unspoken but shared experience that the fans have. As different as we may be, we all fell in love with the same scene and lived during an era that teens these days will never understand. If there’s one thing we fans we can agree on, it’s that emo is not dead, and The Used is living proof of it.
Songs in the full set list included the following (those with links are my personal favorites!).
- I’m a Fake
- Take It Away
- The Bird and the Worm
- Empty with You
- Listening
- Just a Little
- I Caught Fire
- The Taste of Ink
- All That I’ve Got
- Buried Myself Alive
- Blow Me
- Pieces Mended
- Pretty Handsome Awkward
- Paradise Lost, a poem by John Milton
- A Box Full of Sharp Objects
For more information on The Used and where to catch them next, visit https://theused.net/, and be sure to follow our other music adventures around Austin here!
Feature Photo by Leigh Kettle
Leigh is a native Texan gone temporary New Yorker and now proud Austinite. Passions include but are not limited to music (both as a spectator and dabbler), traveling & cultural adventures, film & television, true crime, design (of the fashion, interior, and graphic sorts), and photographing & writing about all the aforementioned. Self-acclaimed coffee connoisseur & wino, cat aficionado, book worm, and nature junkie.