It was a beautiful day covering the 2017 Vans Warped Tour at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. It would be a struggle for any band to condense what they are all about in a 25 to 30 minute set list that they have. Dayton, Ohio’s own Hawthorne Heights said, “screw it” and took their fans on a memorable trip down memory lane with their blistering performance at the Vans Warped Tour.
Hawthorne Heights is composed of J.T. Woodruff on vocals/rhythm guitar, Matt Ridenour on bass/backup vocals, Mark McMillon on lead guitar/backup vocals, and Chris Popadak(love that last name) on drums. For an emo band that saw MTV play but never mainstream radio play, they have gold records and songs that brought people back to when times were a bit more innocent. In the 25 minute song, Hawthorne Heights kept the focus on what got them there and what would make the fans happy, and that is to hear some of their favorite songs. Their catchy melodies, surprisingly good harmonic vocals, and tight musicianship make them a must-see on the festival stage, especially at the Warped Tour. They kept fans singing and jumping with songs such as “Pens and Needles”, “This Is Who We Are”, “Silver Bullet”, and their classic setlist closer, “Ohio Is For Lovers”. Critics like myself argue that Hawthorne Heights started the emo generation, and as emo music is making a comeback, they are primed and ready to lead the emo charge once again.
In the meantime, check out Hawthorne Heights on the remaining Warped Tour dates:
Friday, August 4th at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California
Saturday, August 5th at Qualcomm Stadium at Jack Murphy Field in San Diego, California
Sunday, August 6th at Pomona Fairplex in Pomona, California
Hawthorne Heights will also be performing at the iMatter Festival before embarking on an Australian Tour, then will be on the Vans Warped Rewind Cruise with the likes of Good Charlotte, Reel Big Fish, Simple Plan, and Bowling For Soup. Check out tour dates below:
Sunday, August 13th- iMatter Festival in Horseheads, New York
Monday, August 28th- Amplifier Bar in Perth, Australia
Tuesday, August 29th- Fowler’s Live in Adelaide, Australia
Thursday, August 31st- Corner Hotel in Melbourne, Australia
Friday, September 1st- The Small Ballroom in Newcastle, Australia
Saturday, September 2nd- Bald Faced Stag Hotel in Leichhardt, Australia
Sunday, September 3rd- The Zoo in Fortitude Valley, Australia
Monday, September 4th- Shark Bar, Miami Tavern in Gold Coast, Australia
Tuesday, September 5th- The Kings Arm in Auckland, New Zealand
Thursday, September 14th-Saturday September 16th- Music 4 Cancer Festival in Sainte Therese, Quebec, Canada (appearing with Pennywise, Less Than Jake, Guttermouth, Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Planet Smashers, Morgan, Pepe et Sa Guitare, Adrenalized, and Rosewood)
Saturday, October 28th-Wednesday, November 1st- Warped Rewind at Sea 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana (appearing with Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Bowling For Soup, Reel Big Fish, Cartel, Less Than Jake, The Starting Line, and Face To Face)
For more information on Hawthorne Heights or for tickets and VIP, go to www.hawthorneheights.com
