On May 2, 2024, Emo Orchestra performed at Charleston Music Hall in South Carolina with special guests Escape The Fate! I can't put this night into words honestly. Between Escape The Fate and the orchestra being insanely talented; I was left speechless from start to finish!
The doors opened at 7:00 pm and all I saw when I walked inside the Music Hall were elder emos standing at the merch line! You can tell these individuals were waiting for this moment because who doesn't get excited when events like this occurs? And to make it even better; they have Escape The Fate performing all the songs we grew up listening to.
Once it was 8:00 pm, the orchestra came out onto the stage and started performing and, several minutes later, Escape The Fate came onto the stage consisting of; Craig Mabbitt (Vocals), Robert Ortiz (Drums), Thomas Bell (Rhythm Guitar, Back Vocals), Erik Jensen (Bass), and Matti Hoffman (Lead Guitar). The first song they performed was "Not Good Enough For Truth In Cliche" and I have never seen so many started singing along instantly. The last time I saw Escape The Fate was at Vans Warped Tour MANY years ago and, literally almost 13 years later, I'm finally seeing them again performing some of my favorite songs when I was in middle and high school.
During the set; Craig performed "The Anthem" by Good Charlotte and walked around the whole venue interacting with the crowd and letting them sing in the microphone. I was sitting in the reserved sitting area near the middle of the aisle and Craig noticed me and came up to me and grabbed my hand! He went upstairs to the second floor and I was so scared he was going to fall off the balcony, but he didn't! When they played "Aerial" from System Of A Down, I would have never guessed Craig would be able to perform those deep low vocals, but he didn't disappoint! The orchestra during this song was so soul-catching because this is not your ordinary orchestra where people sit down and perform songs peacefully with their instruments; these musicians did not stand still and went insane on the stage
"Smile In Your Sleep" by Silverstein was performed as well during the first half of the show and do you know how hard it was to photograph and not sing along to this banger of a song? This is the song I literally got bullied for in high school because it was "weird" and "not normal;" hearing it performed with a live orchestra and one of the bands that got me through my teenage years truly made my heart feel so full. Each member of Escape The Fate was so interactive on stage with each other and the crowd! Also, their content creator even went on stage to perform "If It Means A Lot To You" by A Day To Remember. Their vocals were insanely amazing, with the ability to hit high notes effortlessly. When they performed vocals with Craig at the same time for that song, I was sitting on the second floor taking in every moment because between both of them; they did the song justice.
After the intermission; they opened up with the song "The War Is Ours (The Guillotine II)" and that song live with the orchestra was the most intense performance I've seen in a very long time, especially with the visuals the screens in the back had. The light production during this song lit up the whole room, making the performance even better. And I could see on the bottom floor people standing from their seats head banging and throwing horns in the air with their hands! They performed "I Miss You" from Blink-182 and requested everyone to look at their partner and just take in the moment, recognize its serenity, and get up and dance with them. When the song started, all I saw were friends and couples dancing at their seats, people holding each other, and some just standing near the stage singing to the Escape The Fate members! Other songs performed were "Ohio Is For Lovers" and "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)"
Wow. That's all I have to say about this event. This event, between the performing band and the orchestra, was spectacular. Each musician on that stage did a phenomenal job and I was so glad I had this amazing opportunity. If you are available to go to one of these shows; I highly recommend going and living out your emo memories!
Keep Up With Emo Orchestra Online: Website