In celebration of the 20th anniversary of their debut album “The Silence In Black And White,” Hawthorne Heights brought the 20 Years of Tears tour to The Epic Event Center in Green Bay, WI. A night filled with crowd-surfing, head-banging, and happy tears. Joining the tour were This Wild Life, Emery, Amor for Sleep, Anberlin, and Thursday.
Kicking the night off was an acoustic pop-punk duo from Long Beach, California, This Wild Life. With it being Kevin and Anthony’s first time performing in Green Bay, you could tell they wanted to start the epic night off right. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a clean shirt or wardrobe match between band members, but man, these two had the sickest matching set. It was such an eye-catcher with the skulls, flowers, and custom knife logo. I’m a sucker for that little extra style to a performance. And there’s nothing like ending a set with a few push-ups and jumping jacks, right?
With a quick set and equipment change, the crowd was eager to keep the energy going. I can say with confidence, they were not disappointed as Emery took the stage. I could see an incredible mix of generations singing along throughout the crowd—a mother-and-daughter duo looking at each other and just enjoying the moment they got to experience together. While each member has a strong and skillful solo resume, it was a special moment to catch them all together live.
Long hair and head banging. The perfect combination for your dream performance, right? That’s exactly what Armor for Sleep brought up next. With Ben Jorgensen on vocals and guitar, the crowd was feeding off his emotionally charged lyrics and vocals. Bringing that head-banging energy was guitarist Erik Rudic, Chad Sabo on the bass guitar, and Nash Been on drums. Fans who have been following the group since the early 2000s forced their way up to the barricade just for a moment to sing their favorite lyrics with their favorite band. It was such a rad moment to witness.
As the night continued, I knew who was coming up next just by looking at the sea of graphic t-shirts with one word repeating. Anberlin. Green Bay was also handed a special "treat,” with Stephen Christian stepping out onto the stage. As legs and arms began to pop up over the top of the crowd, I knew the crowd surfing had begun. Fans were smiling ear to ear as they surfed their way up to the stage, high-fiving and fist-bumping Stephen as they were helped over the barricade. The first thought post-crowd-surf? Immediately getting back into the crowd to do it all over again.
The crowd-surfing and moshing continued as Thursday made their entrance. With a performance of their first new song in 13 years, “Application for Release from the Dream” fans were treated to the perfect mix of new and classic Thursday era. Lead singer Geoff Rickly jumped up on the drum stage, swinging the microphone cord in circles as the lights began to flicker. As I looked back over my shoulder, I could see the fans loving every second of it.
I was brought back to the moment I heard my favorite band for the first time as the house music stopped and the lights went down. Hawthorne Heights. It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since they released “The Silence In Black And White”. They are a reminder of how incredible music can hold up over time and be passed down through generations. That mom and daughter from earlier in the night? Yup, right up front, screaming every word to every song. Just when I thought the venue couldn’t get any louder, my ears began to ring. But I was with every one of those fans, enjoying every moment of it. Lead singer, JT Woodruff, took a moment to thank everyone for coming out and how rewarding it has been to put together such an awesome night of music. I was quickly reminded that it's much more than just a show! Much more than putting a performance together. I have so much respect for the entire crew for how well the entire night went. They created a safe space for everyone to escape reality. As the night closed out, tears began to fall across the Epic Event Center. Tears of pure joy. And maybe a little sadness, as they didn’t want the night to end.
