Emo, a music scene and emotional individual whose sensitivity could affect them in various ways. With this “emo” sense being a thing in the early to mid 2000’s to even now, it was likely never a phase to some, a lot being consider “elder emo” within the scene, hence when it started way back when, even dating back further. But emo became such a staple within society that it grew into creating a music scene unlike any other seen before. Hence forth the “Emo Orchestra” was created, featuring your favorite bands, performing such famous songs, the first rendition featuring Hawthorne Heights, with this recent second rendition featuring Escape The Fate!
Escape The Fate have been around since the early 2000’s, having countless line-up changes, with the sole original member being drummer Robert Ortiz. Frontman Craig Mabbit comes close second, with the other members being fairly new. With their recent album “Out of the Shadows” releasing in 2023, the band has toured for it already, with this current run alongside the Emo Orchestra being a continuation of promotion of said album, since it’s re-release of a “2.0” edition. But aside from that, this was an Escape The Fate show, that took place in Los Angeles, California on a Saturday night May 18, 2024, to a not sold out crowd, but still packed house. Having played at one of the historic theaters known as the Orpheum Theater, a very elegant looking place. The band would sadly sing 4 of their own songs, with a mass majority of the rest being “covers” of various bands such as My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, All Time Low, The Used, Good Charlotte, Underoath, as well as A Day To Remember, Blink-182 and even System of a Down.
ESCAPE THE FATE:
Some of the tracks sung included “Thanks for the Memories” by Fall Out Boy, “The Bird and the Worm” by The Used. “The Anthem” by Good Charlotte, “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” by My Chemical Romance, and “Aerials” by System of a Down. Many others were played out, including their own like original track “Not Good Enough for Truth in Cliche”, “Dearly Departed”, “This War Is Ours (The Guillotine II)”, and “One for the Money”. All the rest were more cover songs, which the crowd gladly sung right along too, and they were done fairly well by the band and the orchestra, but it was a tad disappointing to not have more Escape The Fate material thrown in. It should have been divided up as it was into an Act I and an Act II, but one act doing straight Escape The Fate material, and the other act doing straight covers. Perhaps that set-up would have played out better? During the performances they had some guest appearances with Mest vocalist/guitarist Tony Lovato making an appearance with his baby girl on stage, with another singer by the name of K Enagonio joining in on a few songs as well. Both spots were done rather nicely though, and brought in much more fun. To top it off, one of the guitarist shouted out to the sound guy to play out one more song, which turned out to be “Pump Up the Jam” by the Tecehnotronic, where Craig got his groove thing on. Wrapping up the show in its entirety for the evening.
In the end, it was an interesting combination, both groups of musicians, did their fair part, with frontman Craig goofing off with the crowd, cracking jokes, or singing whilst walking among the crowd of on lookers both downstairs and going upstairs as well. It’s an experience to have to witness, to take it all in. If you were or still are an “emo” person, then perhaps this would have been totally for you! If you didn’t consider yourself as such, then you would still great a refreshing take with music that was catchy and rather upbeat. Escape The Fate being in their prime, with no intent on stopping, but experimenting with further musical endeavors for many years to follow them.
SETLIST:
ACT I:
1. Not Good Enough for Truth in Clinche (Escape The Fate)
2. Thanks for the Memories (Fall Out Boy)
3. The Bird and the Worm (The Used)
4. Aerials (System of the Down)
5. The Anthem (Good Charlotte)
6. Smile in Your Sleep (Silverstein)
7. The Ghost of You (My Chemical Romance)
8. Miss Murder (AFI)
9. If It Means a Lot to You (A Day to Remember)
10. Dearly Departed (Escape The Fate)
ACT II:
11. This War Is Ours (The Guillotine II) (Escape The Fate)
12. Face Down (The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus)
13. A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White (Underoath)
14. Dear Maria, Count Me In (All Time Low)
15. I Miss You (Blink-182)
16. My Friends Over You (New Found Glory)
17. Ohio is for Lovers (Hawthorne Heights)
18. I’m Not Okay (I Promise) (My Chemical Romance)
19. One for the Money (Escape The Fate)
20. Welcome to the Black Parade (My Chemical Romance)
