Bert McCracken of The Used performing in San Francisco, CA. October 27th, 2017. Photo Credit: Jared Stossel

The Used
w/ Glassjaw
The Masonic
San Francisco, Ca
October 27, 2017

Photos and review by Jared Stossel.

It's interesting to think that The Used's blistering debut self-titled record came out in 2002. That's fifteen years ago that vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, guitarist Quinn Allman, and drummer Branden Steineckert made waves in the scene with a full-fledged assault on the modern day scene that was being dominated by the burgeoning nu-metal scene. With a total of seven studio albums under their belt (including this year's The Canyon, which was released just last Friday), it's clear that the band have shown an embraced maturity within their music.

2017 brings forth not only The Canyon, but a new tour from the post-hardcore quartet (Allman and Steineckert have since parted ways with the band, and their spots have been filled by drummer Dan Whitesides and Justin Shekoski). The tour kicked off last Friday evening in San Francisco, CA, as fans made their way up the steps of the towering SF Masonic, perched atop the steep incline that is the California Street hill. Braving cold weather, fans in hoodies and an accumulation of Used merch - such as the infamous 'The Used Don't Give A Fuck About Shit' t-shirt - made their way inside and up to the barricade.

The evening was kicked off with another blast from the past: the ever-intensifying Glassjaw, a band whose music borders on the lines of post-hardcore and traditional hardcore. Vocalist Daryl Palumbo runs around the stage screaming bloody murder in a captivating fashion, while guitarist Justin Beck, bassist Travis Sykes, and drummer Chad Hasty pound away at their respective instruments. The band - who were together from 1993 to 2004, before reuniting in 2005 - brought forth such intensity that even McCracken noted this during the band's headlining set. "We've had to bring out all of our heavy shit since we're on the road with Glassjaw," he said to a roar of cheers.

While this was the tour kickoff and The Canyon did release on the exact same day, the setlist was comprised with a majority of older material in mind, starting with "Take It Away" (In Love And Death), "The Bird and The Worm" (Lies For The Liars), and "A Box Full Of Sharp Objects" (The Used). It wasn't until song four when fans were given the first taste of new material in the form of "Over and Over Again", an alternative-rock charged offering that changes the band's overall sound while still retaining their core emotional intensity. Additional tracks from Lies For The Liars, In Love and Death, and The Used made up the majority of the set.

After an awe-inspiring performance of "I'm A Fake" in which the crowd chanted the entire spoken word introduction verbatim at the top of their lungs, McCracken and Shekoski made their way onstage to bring forth a more intimate and emotionally critical point in the set: an acoustic performance of The Canyon's opening track, "For You." McCracken explains that the album was his way of processing the sudden and tragic suicide of a friend that occurred last year. If you were in the audience and hadn't even pushed play on the CD you had pre-ordered, or scrolled through your Spotify account to hear the new offering from the band, it's clear that from the very first verse that The Canyon is The Used's most poignant and emotionally charged record. The members turn to hug each other at the end, and it's impossible not to feel impacted by the heartfelt words that flow over the brightness of the acoustic guitar. Their newer material shows just how far they've come as a band.

To close the night out, McCracken states, "This is the first song we ever wrote," before launching into "Maybe Memories", the opening track from the band's first record. Bassist Jeph Howard screams the opening lines before alternating duties with McCracken. The crowd screams right back at them, holding onto every last word before the band leave the stage and depart into the fog-filled Bay Area streets.

The Used Set List
Take It Away
The Bird and the Worm
A Box Full of Sharp Objects
Over and Over Again
All That I've Got
The Taste of Ink
Rise Up Lights
Listening
Sound Effects and Overdramatics
About You (No Songs Left to Sing)
Pretty Handsome Awkward
I'm a Fake

Encore:
For You
Maybe Memories