Jan 16

Jan 16 Show Review: Scary Kids Scaring Kids Return With First Show in Over Ten Years - Sacramento, CA

Cove Reber of Scary Kids Scaring Kids performing at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, CA. January 13, 2020. Photo Credit: Jared Stossel

Scary Kids Scaring Kids
w/ Secrets, Push Over, The Never & Now
The Boardwalk
Orangevale, CA
January 13, 2020
Photos and review by Jared Stossel

From the early 2000s until what I would pinpoint is around 2014-2015, any remnants of the “scene” that once built the foundation of the post-hardcore/pop-punk/emo landscape had either gone on to far larger playing fields (Panic! At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, etc.) or had broken up altogether. The end of 2019 (playfully dubbed “Twenty Nine Scene”) saw a multitude of bands announcing brand new music, reunion shows, and even full-fledged tours in certain cases. But to see post-hardcore darlings Scary Kids Scaring Kids announce that they would be reuniting, given the circumstances surrounding an event that occurred after the band had split, was almost unthinkable.

After releasing two full-length albums and touring nearly non-stop, Scary Kids Scaring Kids announced they would be disbanding, after one more full-length tour they would take on in 2010. Just four years later, vocalist Tyson Stevens passed away from a suspected heroin overdose. Continuing on with any band after the death of a member, particularly the vocalist, can be a daunting task. But they’ve pulled it off immaculately, recruiting vocalist Cove Reber (Dead American, ex-Saosin) to carry the torch and assume vocal duties. Reber’s inclusion in the band’s future plans was announced along with the 15th-anniversary tour of their debut album, The City Sleeps In Flames, which kicked off on Monday night at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, CA, one that Scary Kids Scaring Kids frequented years ago along with many of their post-hardcore brethren that made up the scene.

While they did perform The City Sleeps In Flames, a number of songs were out of order. This was done in order to save crowd favorites like “The Only Medicine” and “My Darkest Hour” for the finale, as well as to pepper in the massively popular stylings of tracks like “Degenerates” and “Faces” from their self-titled sophomore effort. In addition to Reber, guitarist Don Vedda and Jordan Flower rounded out the full touring lineup (bassist DJ Wilson and guitarist Steve Kirby did not return). The core of Scary Kids’ original lineup resides within rhythm guitarist Chad Crawford, keyboardist Pouyan Afkary, and drummer Peter Costa. While the show lasted a little over an hour, the six-piece packed in more than enough material and energetic moments to satisfy the sold-out crowd on a cold Monday evening.

The band were joined with support from metalcore act Secrets, Sacramento local band The Never & Now, and the eclectic “supergroup” Push Over, which featured Thomas Erak (The Fall Of Troy) and Kurt Travis (Royal Coda, ex-Dance Gavin Dance, ex-A Lot Like Birds). The latter performed their first show ever, and each band on the bill brought something exciting and unique to the evening.

The first time that I saw Scary Kids Scaring Kids ended up being on their farewell tour at The Avalon (which no longer exists) in Santa Clara, CA, just a few minutes outside of San Jose, CA. The show brought forth an unbridled amount of energy, yet my most vivid memory was of a number of them being beligerently drunk when performing. Several fights broke out during the show, one of which was between the band and a security guard. I hadn’t seen anything like this up until that point. The show almost went off the rails at several points throughout the evening, but it was so enticingly exciting, yet incredibly terrifying. While they were older than me, these guys were young. They had so much ahead of themselves, and it looked like they were a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. It didn’t seem likely that a reunion of any form would ever be in the cards.

But time is an incredible thing. It allows people to heal, pursue other ventures, and really see where their hearts lie. I was excited to see them reform and bring that experience with them. They looked and sounded better than I could have ever remembered, while still retaining that spark about them that made people clamor to them in the first place over ten years ago. Just one song into their first show back in over ten years, and it was clear to see that the future is looking very bright for Scary Kids Scaring Kids. Welcome back, boys.