Do You Remember When Bands Like All Time Low and 3oh!3 Were On MTV's Silent Library?

Pop-punk band compete with friends on MTV’s Silent Library show. Credit: MTV Vault

We’re still in the middle of a pandemic. While things are slowly starting to turn a corner, things are still looking pretty dreary in the world. Naturally, I’ve been doing what everyone else is doing: consuming vast amounts of film, television, books, and music to help pass the time in between work. As things wind down every night, I tend to fall down YouTube rabbit holes (the fun kind, don’t worry).

I’ve always been fascinated with old interviews, film reviews, and seeing if I can find old television shows that may not necessarily be streaming anywhere. Finding what has been forgotten as time has gone on. For whatever reason, a neuron fired off into my brain, sparking a memory: me watching MTV and laughing my ass off as a number of ridiculous things were done to band members that I’d seen earlier in the year at Warped Tour. But what was the show?

And then I remembered: Silent Library. One YouTube search later, and I’m suddenly laughing my ass off all these years later. It’s hard not to.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Silent Library show, it was a game show (based on a Japanese reality game show) that ran for four seasons on MTV. It was hosted by Zero Kazama, with each episode showing a group of six people in a library setting where they have to make as little noise as possible. Each team member is given six cards, and on the count of three, the cards are flipped. Whoever has the card with the skull and crossbones has to compete in an absurd (usually disgusting, painful, and/or ridiculous challenge). If they and their team members manage to make little to no noise throughout the process (they are in a library, after all), the team gets cash. The objective: make as little noise as possible throughout the game and walk away with as much money as possible.

The show garnered much of its viewers during its episodes featuring celebrity guests: Justin Bieber, Asher Roth, the cast of Jersey Shore, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, and even members of the New York Giants all competed. But some of the most notable episodes included popular scene bands: you know what we’re talking about. They wore neon or Glamour Kills, played pop-punk songs, and made appearances on festivals like the Vans Warped Tour and Bamboozle (R.I.P.)

All Time Low, We The Kings, Hey Monday, Stereo Skyline, Forever The Sickest Kids, NeverShoutNever, Anarbor, Patent Pending, The Ready Set, and 3oh!3 were all, at some point, competitors on Silent Library. If you find yourself feeling blue during this latter part of quarantine, you can find all of these episodes below. Go back to a simpler time and enjoy. And of course, always remember…silence!