Hawthorne Heights Brings 20 Years of Tears to NYC
Photography By: Sam Valente
On September 12, 2024, Times Square was the not only the center of the world, but also the center of nostalgia and raw emotion as Hawthorne Heights took the stage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album, “The Silence in Black and White”. The venue, bustling with eager fans, was transformed into a time capsule of early 2000s emo, a testament to the lasting impact of a record that helped shape an era and influenced future ones.
The setlist comprised of all eleven songs from the album, played mostly in order with Ohio is For Lovers closing out the night. Sprinkled into the setlist just before closing out the night were the songs Saying Sorry from their followup album “If Only You Were Lonely” as well as Gold Econoline, a song about getting out on the road in a van, playing to anyone and everyone who would come see them, as well as a tribute to fallen friends (former guitarist and vocalist Casey Calvert and John Beatz from Bayside).
Hawthorne Heights’ performance was a perfect blend of nostalgia and raw emotion. Lead vocalist JT Woodruff’s voice was as powerful and emotive as ever, capturing the raw anguish and hope that defined the album, as well as the soundtrack of a generation. His connection with the audience was genuine, and he frequently paused to reflect on the album’s history and significance, sharing stories such as their TRL appearance and first time in NYC with Alexisonfire and how illegal music sharing helped expand the band’s reach with fans asking them to play songs at shows that hadn’t even been released yet, and expressing gratitude for the enduring support through all of the ups and downs.
Some of us were emo kids, some of us are now emo adults, and some of us are now raising emo kids of our own. Here’s to another 20 years of tears.
