3OH!3 + Emo Nite

3OH!3’s debut album Want has been one of my favorites since it was released a decade ago. Hearing they’d be performing it front to back on tour with Emo Nite LA? Stoked is an understatement.

I ran from another show (Don Broco) a few blocks away to August Hall where 3OH!3 was.

My timing was somehow impeccable, because Sean Foreman was standing outside when I got there. My initial reaction is generally to say something dumb like “Hi I love you,” so instead I acted like I didn’t notice him.

It was a wild goose chase looking for coatcheck. I had to go downstairs to coatcheck, only to find out that the ATM was upstairs (so two levels up from where I was), but when I got there, I didn’t actually have service to put money in my bank account to take out, so I had to go back to main floor, move money, then back upstairs to get cash, then back down two more floors to actually go to coatcheck, then back to the main floor for the show. That was… a lot of stairs.

By the time I finally made it into the venue, the emo had stopped and Lil Aaron was rapping and I was confused.

“You know the words!”

No, I don’t know the words. I don’t know any of these words.

I was not a fan. I could kinda see why they’d think he’d be a good opener for 3OH!3, but honestly 3OH!3 has always been one of those weird not-really-an-emo-band-but-somehow-emo-kids-can-all-agree-they’re-amazing kinda deals.

Anyway. My friend Elyse told me she was on a bench on one side of the stage, so I went to join her there until he was done. I probably would’ve enjoyed it if I was drunk, but I was not drinking, so. Then we got a tiny bit of an Emo Nite party before 3OH!3 hit the stage.

We went from there being plenty of space to dance, to everybody crammed together. I got as close to the front as I could manage.

Seriously though. I love Want SO MUCH, so it was SO COOL finally seeing it live. My roommates freshman year of college can vouch. I listened to it almost every day the entire year. It might’ve been a problem.

Girl behind me: “I’ve waited for this since middle school!”
Me: “Oh god I’m old.”

There was a couch onstage, as well as two wolves with laser eyes, because why the hell not.

They didn’t totally play the album front to back. They skipped “Don’t Trust Me,” then after getting through the rest of the album, they left the stage so Emo Nite could come back out and party for a bit, then they joined the fans onstage for “My First Kiss” and “Don’t Trust Me.”

The two of these guys are so cute. A bunch of songs they had coordinated dances to, ugh I loved it.

“We don’t play a lot of this live.”

Nat Motte walked into the crowd for one song, I can’t remember which, but he walked all the way to the back, then turned around and came back to the stage. We were WAY more crammed up front after that somehow lol whoops.

They did the original version of “Starstrukk” which made me very happy. They didn’t do that at Warped. The girl behind me who apparently has been listening to them since middle school was the only person in my immediate vicinity I noticed screaming it just as hard as me.

Sean before “Still Around“: “I don’t tell many people this, but this is about my herpes.”

“Holler Til You Pass Out” is one of my favorite songs. AHHHHHH I love it. Can’t believe I finally got to see it live.

Just the whole album honestly. So many emotions. (For an album that… probably shouldn’t warrant emotions, but ya know what, whatever.) I was so so so happy.

I bought a Want shirt before I left the venue. Gotta represent.

Apparently some people were confused about what this night was supposed to be. I 100% expected it to be a 3OH!3 show put on by the folks from Emo Nite, but I guess a lot of people were disappointed it wasn’t a normal Emo Nite? I mean… all the advertising said “3OH!3” on it. I don’t understand where the disappointment could possibly stem from if they weren’t there to see 3OH!3. Whatever. I love that Emo Nite is touring artists now. That’s such a cool thing, especially artists like 3OH!3 playing songs they never do live.

The following pictures were all taken by Chris Simms: