Sometimes, you may feel that your ~emo phase~ is long gone from your memory, but as soon as you hear that iconic G note from “Welcome to the Black Parade,” your inner emo soul revives. For those of you who never got to experience this phase, Urban Dictionary defines it as a phase that “includes dyeing hair, feeling like no one understands you and listening to punk rock music from 1990-2009.” Recently, news surged that the Vans’ Warped Tour is going to end this year, and a wave of nostalgia crashed over me. Everyone who’s had an emo phase probably started to reminisce these years in which we would dream of watching all of our favorite bands live. Even though our emo phase is behind us, here are a few things that will hopefully make you smile and want to relive some of those moments:
Going to the Warped Tour was considered the climax of your year. There were SO many bands that would take part in this tour, such as Fall Out Boy, Pierce the Veil, Sleeping with Sirens, Falling in Reverse, Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, and Taking Back Sunday, just to name a few. If you were like me, a heart-broken emo girl that couldn’t attend these concerts, you probably watched their sets on Youtube.
Bryan Stars was the CNN of our emo phase. He would interview multiple bands and, even though the videos were about 1 hour long, you would sit through these videos out of devotion for your favorite bands. Damon Fizzy was another famed YouTuber who posted videos focusing on talking about these bands.
Hot Topic. Do I really need to say more? This was our safe haven. From studded multicolor belts, to merch from your favorite bands, and AP Magazines, what more could you want from this store?
Chances are that if you went through an emo phase, you probably showed it off with your aesthetic. Most of us dyed our hair (shoutout to Manic Panic), wore excessive eyeliner and/or eyeshadow, and dressed repping our favorite bands’ merchandise. The photos that came as a product of this phase seem a bit silly right now, but we rocked it.
You’re bound to have some type of music from your ~emo days~ in your current music playlists. These bands are probably MCR, Paramore, AFI, Linkin Park, or other bands that participated in the Warped Tour. Personally, I’m sure I have over a thousand of these songs in my Spotify playlists and listen to them every once in a while. Once a fan, you’re always a fan.
The best part of this phase are the memories that will carry on with you; those items that you randomly forgot existed hidden in your closet, such as your favorite band’s tee and the pictures of your phase. It’s ok to reminisce these moments and not be ashamed. It’s cool to laugh at yourself and see how little or how much you’ve changed. Here are two pictures from my phase, where you can see my Hot Topic clothing, messy eyeliner, and bleached chunk of my hair.
What was I staring at? Probably a Sleeping with Sirens poster I had hanged in my bedroom. Here’s to reliving our ~emo phase~ every once in a while.