Emos have a reputation for their phrase, “It’s not a phase.” They are also known for dark eyeliner, black-painted nails, and emotional lyrics like “I can’t make it on my own because my heart is in Ohio,” by Hawthorne Heights, but for older folks in the scene, like Benjamin Mena, emo means community, and a celebration of like-mindedness with a costume and a two-step.
Mena, who dressed up like Bam-Bam from The Flintstones with white spray-painted hair and an inflatable wooden club, called last weekend in Las Vegas the great emo migration because of the When We Were Young music festival.
WWWY took place Oct. 18-19 and headlined nostalgic bands like Weezer and Blink-182. People traveled from other countries for the festival, like Cody Malloy and Amber Schadeck from Alberta, Canada, who came together to mosh and let out their inner child.
“I love how we all get it. I loved the vibe from the older emos,” said Malloy.
According to a review in Off The Record Press, the weekend brought in over 80,000 people. Other headliners included Panic! At the Disco, The Offspring and Avril Lavigne.
The week surrounding WWWY was jam-packed with sideshows like The Story of the Year at the Brooklyn Bowl, The Hawthorne Heights Pool Party and Casino Night with bands like The Paradox and Plain White T’s at the Strat Casino, where you also got to gamble with your favorite bands. “All Time Low” also played a pop-up show on Fremont Street for the release of their new album “Everyone’s Talking!”
Fullerton College Alumna Tiffany Chen, who graduated with a degree in chemistry, attended ATL’s Red Rocks show last month and was concerned when lead singer Alex Gaskarth cancelled their show 5 songs in due to laryngitis but before they announced the pop-up, she saw speculations about it online and added it to her itinerary for the weekend along with their record signing at Zia Records.
Chen gave out bracelets that she personally beaded with colors that corresponded with different ATL album covers.
“I am extremely exhausted and my feet are in pain but I have no regrets,” said Chen. “This was my first ever When We Were Young festival and I absolutely loved it so much! My inner emo child is very happy and fulfilled!”
Someone in the “Knocked Loose” mosh pit was dressed like a referee and was taking care of the surrounding crowd. He wore a highlighter yellow t-shirt that read “Pit Viking,” black knee pads and he used a mouth guard. Anytime someone dropped an item, he held it up to attempt to return it and if someone fell, he and other moshers stopped movement to get the fallen up immediately.
An attendee who went by “Pit Kid” carried a green and black flag on a pole that read “Mosh Pit Crew.” His flag could be seen across a sea of people at Panic! At the Disco’s set. He previously used a cardboard sign, but recently upgraded it to a more durable material that he shared with attendees like Reneé Lalonde, who got to run with the flag in the pit at the Hawthorne Heights Pool Party.
Though many left with achy bodies, the gratification is enough to have people ready for the next WWWY experience.
“I have been lying in bed all day! All worth it!” said Pit Kid. “I’ll be back next year.”
