Karla Rendon
Editor in Chief
The atmosphere was heavy with elation and nostalgia Tuesday as I noticed the overwhelmingly large line formed on Glendale Boulevard as hundreds of music lovers waited to enter the Echoplex.
This was no ordinary wait for Echo Park’s beloved music venue, as people were anticipating a monthly event – Emo Night L.A.
An event perfect for those who donned the “Mom, this isn’t a phase” trend in their early adolescence, Emo Night L.A. serves a perfect blend of pop/punk hits, decorative balloons that read, “ride or cry,” and “Sad AF” and of course, emo angst.
With the DJs blasting beloved mid-2000s artists and emo gems such as Panic! at the Disco, Yellowcard and My Chemical Romance, attending the monthly event feels like a trip down memory lane.
What differed from this Emo Night was that the creators added a new feature to the event; live bands and a second venue. The Echoplex’s sister venue, The Echo, was open to those who preferred to see live bands instead of the DJ set downstairs.
Although there were significantly fewer people upstairs, The Echo still buzzed when Ryan Ross, former Panic! at the Disco guitarist made a surprise appearance.
As Ross excited fans upstairs, security protested the DJ welcoming guests onto the stage downstairs. The Echoplex was hectic with a frenzy of overly-nostalgic and drunk music lovers. If they were not incoherently and passionately screaming along to each song, fans were either moshing in the sea of people or capturing the helter skelter with their phones, most likely enjoying the adorable Snapchat filter the area offered.
The night concluded with the crowd high off energy and adrenaline as Captain Cuts, the last to offer a DJ set, bid their farewell with the emo anthem “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” by Fall Out Boy.
Emo Night L.A. continues to impress nostalgic fans, and the additional venue and live bands feature was an impressive extension to the already remarkable event.
Although it is unfortunate the event is only on a monthly basis, it keeps guests wanting more and always having to look forward to the first Tuesday of each month.
Karla Rendon can be reached at karla.rendon@laverne.edu.
