JESS BECK | Go Venue Magazine
If your favorite color is STROBE LIGHT, this would’ve been the show for you buddy.
All three acts incorporated elements of strobes in their performances (although none more than Sleeping with Sirens) that created a dazzling spectacle for the viewers on Tuesday, 9/19/23 at the Fillmore in Minneapolis.
It was one helluva musical rollercoaster.
Dead American, Sleeping with Sirens, and The Used took the stage, and they didn’t just set it on fire – they nuked it from orbit!
Or wished they could have unprotected sex with it.
But what do I know? I’m not Bert McCracken.
Anyway…
First up, Dead American. I mean, if your band name is Dead American, you better bring some good ol’ American spirit, right? These guys from California did just that.
The energy? Let’s just say they made a case for needing a gym membership to play in this band. The crowd was into it, but I’m pretty sure half of them were trying to figure out if they were watching a rock show or a live strip tease when drummer Kyle Rosa took his shirt off.
*whistles*
Then, Sleeping with Sirens sauntered onto the stage. I was excited because, well, obviously Kellin Quinn and I are best friends (and I’ve made this abundantly clear on my social media profiles), but they are one of the best live acts you’ll see anywhere.
And sure, I’ve covered them four times now, and I’ve also been a fan for a while, but fuckin-A, did they bring their A-game or what? Kellin Quinn’s voice is like a mix between a caffeinated squirrel and an opera diva, and I absolutely mean that in the best way possible.
Hey, real quick – what the fuck do a road trip and a shower have in common?
Failing miserably to hit the high notes, whether alone or surrounded by strangers.
I’ll let you work out in the analogy which one the strangers are in, but I digress.
You could see (and often times hear) people in the audience trying to hit those high notes…and well…doing not that. But hey, we’ve all been there, right? I mean, it certainly wasn’t ME doing that thing, but like…whatever man…that’s just your story or whatever…
They played a number of hits, including “Do It Now Remember It Later,” “Better Off Dead,” and of course, “If You Can’t Hang,” and the crowd was swaying like a bunch of emo pirates in a storm.
Finally, The Used took over after dropping this big ass shower curtain, and I swear, lead singer Bert McCracken has made some sort of pact with the devil to maintain that level of energy after all these years. The man was jumping around like he just drank a barrel of Red Bull and washed it down with a gallon of pure adrenaline (and maybe whisky? I dunno…he seems like a whisky guy). The Used’s setlist was like a trip down memory lane for the early 2000s emo kids, and I saw grown-ass adults crying during “The Taste of Ink.”
It was fucking beautiful.
We were all one, united sad kid with ADHD, anxiety and depression, but fuck it felt good to be there in that moment, holding hands with my fake boyfriend for the night (shout out to the random dude in the crowd for playing along).
The Fillmore itself was like a pressure cooker about to explode. The mosh pit was a battleground, and I’m pretty sure at least one person lost a shoe and a piece of their dignity in there.
But for the most part, everyone did a great job of looking out for one another, and this audience might have been the least stinky in recorded history, so keep that shit up!
Overall, it was a night of pure chaos and nostalgia. Dead American kicked things off, Sleeping with Sirens kept the emo flames alive, and The Used delivered a punk-rock punch to the gut. If you weren’t there, you missed out on a wild ride. But hey, there’s always next time, and I’ll be first in line to get my eardrums assaulted by these legends again. Rock on, Minneapolis, and we’ll catch ya at the next one!
The Used
Sleeping with Sirens
Dead American
All images © Jess Beck
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