Our 15 Most Anticipated Acts at When We Were Young Festival
In less than thirty days, When We Were Young Festival will kick off in Las Vegas, NV. The scene was shocked when the lineup for the inaugural edition of the one-day festival dropped earlier this year, and with passes selling out in record time, admission to this festival is one of the most highly coveted tickets of the year. The quick sell-out caused the festival to add two additional dates (both with the same lineup) on Sunday, October 23rd, and Saturday, October 29th. My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember, Avril Lavigne, and so many more are set to perform at the festival, which kicks off on Saturday, October 22nd. This was one of the most difficult tasks we’ve taken on all year, but we compiled a list comprised of fifteen of our most anticipated acts for this year’s edition of the festival. You can check it out below.
My Chemical Romance
The New Jersey rock quartet shocked the world back in 2019 when they announced they’d be reuniting. With one new song, “The Foundations of Decay”, taking the world by storm earlier this year, as well as a world tour that sold out every date two years in advance, they’re easily our most anticipated act of this year’s festival. They put on a stellar performance at this year’s Riot Fest, and they’re making waves across the country on their arena headlining tour which stops in Oakland, CA next Wednesday. It’s been a long time coming, and we’re ready to see My Chemical Romance take the stage again after all this time.
Paramore
They’ve stood the test of time and continue to evolve with each album cycle. Other than MCR, the most anticipated performance of the festival will come from Paramore. The Hayley Williams-fronted rock act will take the stage for one of the day’s biggest headlining performances, which will find the band enticing fans with old favorites along with new material from their yet-to-be-announced sixth studio album. On their first tour since 2018, Paramore’s set is not to be missed.
AFI
The Ukiah, CA rock quartet has done it all: hardcore punk, mainstream alternative, the aptly titled “screamo”, goth rock, you name it. Vocalist Davey Havok and guitarist Jade Puget continue to flex their songwriting muscles with the dark wave-esque Blaqk Audio, but AFI is one of the most flawless rock acts out there. The band’s discography continues to grow with aplomb, and whatever they bring to their When We Were Young set is sure to be thrilling.
Boys Like Girls
In 2012, pop-rock act Boys Like Girls released their (so far) last album, Crazy World. The new collection of songs found them experimenting more with country than the emo-tinged pop-punk that fans were accustomed to in earlier years, and the world never saw much of the band after its release. It’s been nearly a decade, and we were shocked (and incredibly excited) to see Boys Like Girls name on the lineup for this year’s When We Were Young. They’ve been touring as of late, and with any luck, we’ll get some new music. For now, we’re perfectly content with screaming the words to “The Great Escape” at the top of our lungs.
Ice Nine Kills
The horror-esque rockers put on one of our favorite performances of the year, on the “tri-headliner” Trinity of Terror Tour, which found them sharing the stage with the likes of Motionless In White and Black Veil Brides (two other bands on the lineup of this year’s festival that will undoubtedly put on incredible shows. But there was something so fun about the theatricality of Ice Nine Kills’ set that paid tribute to some of the greatest horror films of all time as they performed tracks from their Silver Scream album series. Their set has a refined melodic sensibility that really makes them a cut above the rest. Hey, Paul!
Story of the Year
When the pandemic began, most bands pivoted to hosting live-stream concerts to perform and connect remotely with their fans as tour plans were either put on hold or scrapped completely. One of the best sets of the “quarantine” series came from post-hardcore act Story of the Year, who hosted an impeccable series of live-streamed concerts that brought albums like Page Avenue and The Black Swan to life. Their flawless performance, along with a consistently excellent collection of albums, make them one of our most anticipated performances at When We Were Young.
Acceptance
If you ask anyone about the band Acceptance, fans will begin to wax poetic about Phantoms, the pop-punk act's 2005 debut that has certainly made an impression on generations of genre fans. Despite breaking up a year after its release, time brought them back together, and the music from Phantoms has continued to stand the test of time. Since reuniting, the band has unveiled two great new albums, 2017’s Colliding by Design and 2020’s Wild, Free. With a set that’s sure to meld old classics with a selection of new hits, make sure you take a moment to catch Acceptance’s When We Were Young Fest set.
Thursday
We wouldn’t have My Chemical Romance (or really, post-hardcore as we know it) without the contributions of Thursday. Hailing from New Jersey, the iconic five-piece is guaranteed to bring about one of the day’s best performances, whether they’re pulling songs from Full Collapse, War All The Time, or A City by the Light Divided. They were one of the bands that helped push emo into a darker direction. Geoff Rickey is one of the scene’s most influential vocalists, and all it takes is watching one Thursday performance to understand that impact.
The Starting Line
One of the acts I’ve heard being buzzed about for When We Were Young is the emo-influenced pop-punk act The Starting Line. They rarely tour, and they haven’t released a full album of new material since 2007’s Direction (if you aren’t counting the 2016 Anyways EP). They thrilled the sold-out crowd in Mountain View, CA at the Warped Tour 25th anniversary show, and it’s sure to be an incredible moment when they get an entire Las Vegas crowd to sing along to hits like “The Best of Me”.
The Maine
As we stated in our Riot Fest recap last week, The Maine is one of the best bands in the world right now. Full stop. There are very few acts around right now that are producing a catalog of material with the same finesse and consistency as the Phoenix-based five-piece, nor are they delivering as engaging of a live show night after night. Hearing “8123 means everything to me” screamed back at them by a stadium-sized crowd will surely be a moment to remember.
Saosin
I’m convinced that Anthony Green is following us. Whether we’re watching him tear up the stage with his solo performances in San Francisco, witnessing him jump into crowds during the debut performance of supergroup L.S. Dunes in Chicago, or viewing him bring the energy and hyperactivity to the stage with post-hardcore darlings Saosin, he always seems to be within arm’s reach. We’re not complaining; we’re here for it. Any band featuring Green is sure to inspire mosh pits, stage dives, and entertainment of the highest caliber.
Meet Me @ The Altar
One of the newest acts to emerge in the pop-punk scene, Meet Me @ The Altar thrilled us earlier in the year when they opened for Knuckle Puck in Sacramento. Part easycore, part early-2000s pop-punk, the three-piece act is just getting started in their career, and their set is guaranteed to get the pit opened up in Vegas. Make sure you get there early to witness what is sure to be an excellent performance.
The Wonder Years
Hot off the heels of releasing a critically acclaimed album (The Hum Goes on Forever), Philadelphia’s The Wonder Years are guaranteed to bring one of the best sets of the year to the Las Vegas festival grounds. Dan Campbell is one of the best frontmen in music, and his words are further accentuated by a lineup comprised of some of the best musicians in the genre. While we’d be perfectly happy with any performance from the band, we can’t help but hope that, given the “throwback” nature of the festival, we could get a few songs from The Upsides thrown into the mix…
Anberlin
We’re glad that Anberlin decided to stick around. After essentially disbanding in 2014, fans were thrilled to see them return to the stage a few years prior. Now, with a new EP (titled Silverline) under their belts, and an excellent performance at Chicago’s Riot Fest behind them, the Tooth & Nail veterans are sure to be a standout as they comb through an incredible selection of songs from albums like Cities and New Surrender.
The Ready Set
We haven’t heard the name The Ready Set in years. Initially, brainchild Jordan Witzigreuter changed the project’s name to Onlychild, but has since revived the name of the electropop solo project he began in the early aughts. The Ready Set’s style has evolved over the years, with the project’s most recent effort being 2016’s I Will Be Nothing Without Your Love. Suffice it to say, we are excited to see what the new incarnation of The Ready Set will look and sound like.
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