Hawthorne Heights Celebrate If Only You Were Lonely at The Rave in Milwaukee

Concert Review: Hawthorne Heights at The Rave — Milwaukee, March 7

On March 7, Ohio emo veterans Hawthorne Heights brought their If Only You Were Lonely 20th anniversary tour to The Rave / Eagles Club, turning the venue’s ballroom into a strong crowd of longtime fans and newer listeners drawn to the pull of mid-2000s emo and post-hardcore. With Letlive and Creeper opening, the show was less a nostalgia show and more a cross-section of how different generations of alternative rock come together on stage.

Creeper

England's own Southampton-based alternative rock band Creeper opened the night with a set that emphasized the theatrical side of modern alternative rock. Since their formation during the mid-2010s, Creeper has managed to find a niche for themselves by blending elements of gothic rock, glam rock, and punk. Lead vocalist Will Gould performed well on stage despite playing an early slot. He worked well between his vocal parts and choruses while the band emphasized their darker aesthetic, which has become a hallmark of their sound.

Although they had a short set, songs from their latest material worked well live. The crowd near the front of the room sang along while those unfamiliar seemed to take to them in stride.

Letlive

If Creeper provided atmosphere, letlive. delivered volatility. Formed in Los Angeles in the early 2000s, the band built its reputation through relentless touring and records like Fake History, which helped place them firmly within the more confrontational side of post-hardcore.

Frontman Jason Aalon Butler is the focal point of the band’s performance. His performance on March 7 was energetic, moving around the stage from left to right, often leaning into the audience with the microphone extended out to the audience at the front of the venue.

The growing audience at the Milwaukee venue was equally engaged with the performance. By the middle of the performance, the dance floor was moving with a constant flow of movement, with mosh pits breaking out near the barricade at the front of the floor.

Hawthorne Heights

When Hawthorne Heights finally took the stage, the crowd erupted in screams. Formed in Dayton, Ohio in 2001, the band became one of the most visible names in the mid-2000s emo surge following their debut The Silence in Black and White and its massive single “Ohio Is for Lovers.” The 2006 follow-up, If Only You Were Lonely, expanded their sound while cementing their established audience.

At The Rave, the band focused heavily on that record for its 20th anniversary. Vocalist JT Woodruff kept the stage banter minimal, letting the songs do most of the work. The opening chords of several songs were enough to trigger immediate sing-backs from the crowd.

The setlist consisted of;

1. If Only You Were Lonely

2. This Is Who We Are

3. We Are So Last Year

4. Language Lessons (Five Words or Less)

5. Pens and Needles

6. Saying Sorry

7. Dead in the Water

8. I Am on Your Side

9. Breathing in Sequence

10. Light Sleeper

11. Cross Me Off Your List

12. Where Can I Stab Myself in the Ears?

13. Decembers

Encore:

1. Spray Paint It Black

2. Bring You Back

3. Dandelions / Niki FM

4. Like A Cardinal

5. Ohio Is for Lovers

The biggest response, unsurprisingly, came during the encore when the band moved into their earlier catalog. When the opening guitar line of “Ohio Is for Lovers” began, the entire room seemed to shift forward, relighting the final minutes of the show.

Nearly twenty years after If Only You Were Lonely was released, the songs still hold up, because the fans haven’t let them go.