The Used and Sleeping With Sirens in Minneapolis
The Used rocked out at The Fillmore in Minneapolis last Tuesday with an eclectic crowd ranging from early 2000s fans to more recent fans, most familiar with their new album Toxic Positivity, which came out earlier this year.
Sleeping with Sirens was the main opening act of the night after Dead American took the stage early. They were formed nine years after The Used was formed as a group. Kellin Quinn, the lead singer of Sleeping With Sirens, said early on in the set that it was a true honor to him to be opening for The Used. “I know they say not to meet your heroes, but they have been nothing but great,” Quinn said.
They played a nine-song opening set which included old fan favorites of “If You Can’t Hang” and “Do It Now and Remember It Later” as well as newer songs such as “Bloody Knuckles” and “Leave It All Behind.”
SWS also played “Better Off Dead” in which Quinn gave a speech about how if anyone in the crowd has struggled with depression or anxiety, they were not alone and that they care for all the fans. He encouraged people to reach out for help if they need it and to remember that no one is alone in their struggles, which is what the song is famously known for.
While transitioning the stage after opening act Sleeping with Sirens, a large sheet-like curtain was hung across the stage displaying The Used’s band name. When they were taking the stage, an intro talk was played, which ended with the prerecorded voice saying, “this is toxic positivity”. As the curtain dropped, they started playing their first song of the set, “Pretty Handsome Awkward”.
Bert McCracken, the lead singer of the band, displayed his personality throughout the show and what Used fans have come to love about his stage presence and no-care attitude. He invited fans on stage during “Paralyzed,” one of whom he kissed as they were wearing a shirt that said something along the lines of “Bert please kiss me,” and he bantered with audience members of his choice throughout the show.
The set was a little under an hour and a half but ranged from their early music to their most recent songs and singles from “The Taste of Ink” to “The Worst I’ve Ever Been.”
Both bands are a mixture of alternative, rock and post-hardcore, from two different waves of the scene. It was cool to be able to see them side-by-side in what sounds like a supportive tour for both groups. It was clear that many people at the show were there for nostalgia’s sake, but it’s pretty cool to be able to see that the scene is, indeed, not dead.
Sleeping with Sirens Setlist / The Used Setlist / Upcoming tour dates
by Shannon Brault