When my boss, Marc, asked me if I liked emo music, I shrugged and said ‘’sure.” Truthfully, I knew two things about emo music: It involves screaming and kids in tight jeans. But, in the spirit of expanding my musical horizons, and proving to Marc that I was cool, I agreed to go to my very first emo concert. ”’Great!,” said Marc. ”I really want to see Emery, but Scary Kids Scaring Kids is playing too."
And that’s when I got nervous.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids? Sweet name, but did I have enough black in my wardrobe to be a fan? And who was this band Emery (pictured)? Wasn’t emery that abrasive mineral? What if, at the concert, my eardrums exploded? What if someone launched me into a mosh pit? I had walked past a Hot Topic once or twice before, would the concert kind of be like that? I felt like I should call my mom and ask for permission to go. I wondered where I could get black nail polish on short notice. I practiced looks of teen angst. I yelled ”No one GETS me” to no one in particular. I wikipedia’ed ‘Emo.’
Convinced the concert would suck, I was trying to invent polite ways to tell Marc that emo music wasn’t my thing, and then Emery came on stage. And 30 seconds into their first song, I relaxed.
Turns out, I love emo music!
Before, if had you told me I’d enjoy a song with the title ”After The Devil Beats His Wife,” or that I’d be dancing around to the beat of ”Can’t Stop The Killer,” I’d say you were out of your ever-loving-emo-mind. But Emery blew me (though thankfully, not my eardrums) away, and I even bought their CD, I’m Only a Man, after the concert. I never buy the CDs at concerts.
"I know this is gonna sound emo," yelled Emery vocalist Toby Morell, ”But you guys have the power to make a difference! You can change the world!” So maybe that made me roll my eyes, but the guitarist and keyboardist could throw their musical instruments twenty feet into the air, catch them, and continue playing, so I awarded them bonus points for technical difficulty, creativity, and for not nailing themselves in the head.
Any other Emery fans out there? Any PopWatchers with emo playlist suggestions? Ever felt musically adventurous and stumbled into a genre you never thought you’d like? We’ll let’s hear your stories!
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I hate to be a brat, but how does someone who does not know what emo is end up writing for EW? It’s been around for like 10-15 years, for gosh sakes!
I applaud your flexibility–I haven’t tried to expand my musical horizons in a good couple of years
If you want to start with the basics of emo, I’d suggest some Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday. Can’t get more basic emo than that…
I love Emery! Definitely check out their second CD-The Question. Other good emo bands to check out include Senses Fail, Motion City Soundtrack, The Forecast, Sugarcult, and my personal favorite: Anberlin.
i had a friend take me to one of their shows and became a fan too. they’re definitely a really great band to see live.
emery is pretty good. but i gotta agree with the person who said anberlin is their favorite. they are so freaking amazing, especially live!!
Okay. So I have looked all over your website and cannot find any other place to do this.
What is up with the new design?? Those windows on the front page keep lengthening and shortening for no apparent reason, preventing me from easily clicking on Popwatch. I have accidentally clicked on the Hollywood Insider twice today. I have no problem with ads, large photos, and even video loading onto the front page, but let’s keep it relatively static. It makes me not want to come to the site. Please help.
Do not think that the following bands are emo: Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance, sugarcult, taking back sunday, and anything on the Fueled by Ramen label(Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Paramore etc.)
I don’t know if Hot Hot Heat would be considered emo or not, but they are definitely amazing. And Paramore isn’t so bad. Couldn’t say the same for Panic! At The Disco. My friend was listening to their first album and wanted to know why she was listening to the same song for the whole album. All their songs sound the same.
And Theo, Panic! At The Disco couldn’t get more emo…
Can you please bring News Roundup back? Just saying..yeah
Congrats Gretchen, you’ve written one of the most annoying PW posts ever.
gotta say you have me laughing every time. I dont knoe who these people are but your take on the “emo” genre is hilarious. love it.
calling emery emo is definitely a stretch, but defintiely check out their second cd (the question). it’s much much better than i’m only a man
Now I’m beginning to regret saying I wanted to see more music reviews in this column… I agree with Theo, don’t call every young band that wears black “emo” please.
“I wikipedia’ed ‘Emo.’”
Did you actually READ the Wikipedia article on emo? Because it sure doesn’t seem like it.
Moron
Unless you are under the age of 14, I’d be embarassed if my name was attached to the above article. Are you proud of yourself?
Wow. Everyone is being a little harsh on poor Gretchen this morning! Come on people emo has become such a broad title these days it’s not surprising that someone would be confused. Generally I don’t like anything labeled emo however I think that unless it’s Sunny Day Real Estate it’s prolly not real true emo but some watered down form.
Also for the record Fall Out Boy is awful whatever it is. It’s not punk that’s for sure and they didn’t invent boys in tight jeans and eye liner! Grrrr Sorry I just needed to get that off my chest.
Check out The Widow Jenkins…ex members of Emery.
http://www.myspace.com/thewidowjenkins
hahaha
Wow! You’ve successfully broken down your own ignorant stereotype! Congrats!
Nice concert review, you mentioned that one song had a “beat” and that they threw up their instraments in the air. That tells me nothing about the band or music or anything. Did you forget how to unpack your adjectives? Unlike the other comment, I actually hope you are over the age of 35, because if not, then you are so out of touch, you might as well be a bank manager or something.
Wow, a lame-o figured out she loves emo. Stop the presses! I’m regretchen (I think I coined a new term for misery/regret) reading what you wrote.
Way to embrace the emo Gretchen! The word emo has come under fire alot lately, simply because too many bands are being shoved under its label. If you dig sunny, power pop emo then Something Corporate and The Hush Sound are the bands for you. Like your emo with a dash of angst? Then go with As I Lay Dying or the first Taking Back Sunday cd. Rock emo? No Use for a Name. Emo by way of U2? Angels and Airwaves, whose newest cd might just be one of the best cds to come out of the genre in awhile.
emery isn’t emo.
if you wikipedia’d “emo” you would know that
Emo stands for emotional hardcore and its been dead for nearly ten years what you are listening to is pop punk with a few screams. get your head out of you own ass and go to fourfa.com to learn what emotional hardcore actually is.
this was a joke right? aren’t you supposed to report the news…not perpetuate stereotypes. Welcome to the 21st century where “emo” (or what is generically classifed as emo) passes as mainstream. Do a little bit of research into real emo music, and you probably won’t be able to call yourself a fan. It’s quite different from Emery and the rest of that scene. Anyone who thinks emo is “screaming kids and tight jeans/hot topic/black nail polish” needs to have their eyes opened to reality. Cheerleaders and Jocks are just as apt to randomly yell “no one GETS me” as the kid sitting in the corner dressed all in black. And that little kid all in black a lot of the time is just as well adjusted as those cheerleaders and jocks are supposed to be.
no, hot hot heat is not emo. no, sugarcult is not emo. yes, panic at the disco plays one song throughout their entire album and it doesn’t even make sense. yes, fall out boy is annoying, mainly b/c of Pete Wentz. oh emo…i remember when it was so simple back when i was in high school.
Emo has been around longer than I have (I’m 22) and has changed and contorted in many ways. That’s the only way everything from Minor Threat to Paramore can all be considered emo. Check out these bands, they’re not “emo” but I like them more than I like Emery: The Sleeping, The Forecast, Melee, Spitalfield, The Graduate, June, Bayside, The Audition, and Something Corporate.
all music is EMO…i cant stand how music is supposedly classified as emo its insane