Las Vegas hosted the second-annual “When We Were Young Festival,” which brought together over 60,000 fans to enjoy a lineup of popular emo bands. The stacked lineup included performances by Green Day, Blink-182, Good Charlotte, 30 Seconds to Mars, 5 Seconds of Summer, The Offspring, and a handful of surprise guests. Fans of all ages braved the sun for two days of nostalgia and great music.
The festival lineup had over 50 bands, and ticket holders spent weeks planning their must-see performances. The Las Vegas Fairgrounds, which spanned 40 acres, were arranged with four stages: Two main stages, the Green and Pink stages, were side by side, while the Ghost and Stripe stages were placed on the opposite side of the fairgrounds. In the center, you could find various food options, as well as festival and band merchandise tents.
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While fans began to pour in on Saturday, the Pink stage hosted the first band of the day, Fenix TX, while the neighboring Green stage prepared for the Ataris immediately after, and from there, the day moved quickly with a succession of bands, including Games We Play, Magnolia Park, Zebrahead, Knucklepuck, The Movielife, and Now More Than Ever.
Motion City Soundtrack, a popular ’90’s band, delivered an outstanding performance that attracted a large audience despite their early time slot in the lineup. They were followed by Something Corporate, who maintained the high energy of the event. At the same time, on the opposite side of the fairgrounds, The Veronicas, an Australian pop duo, competed for the audience’s attention.
The festival lineup this year included singer-songwriter Michelle Branch, which surprised some people. Many questioned how she fit into the essence of the festival. However, her fans showed up in droves to support her, racing from the primary stages where the pop punk band New Found Glory was preparing to play. Michelle opened with “Loud Music” and played a handful of fan favorites, including “Breathe,” “Game of Love,” “Goodbye to You,” “All You Wanted,” and “Are You Happy Now.” Her performance ended with her classic hit, “Everywhere,” and the crowd went wild. They even started a “circle pit” that inspired the hilarious Facebook group “Meet Me at the Michelle Branch Circle Pit When We Were Young Fest.”
Another must-see artist at the “When We Were Young” festival was Yellowcard. They claimed the Green stage at 2:00 p.m. and were hands-down one of the top performers of the weekend. The crowd attending Saturday’s event missed seeing Cassidee Pope join the band on stage for the famous song “Only One.” However, they were surprised by a live performance of the collaboration track “Three Minutes More” by lead singer Vic Fuentes of Pierce the Veil. This marked the first time the song was performed live.
Yellowcard recently announced their triumphant return to the music industry, stating that they have been warmly welcomed and are experiencing more success than ever. Their infamous “Ocean Avenue” album, released in 2003 and certified double platinum, started a new wave of sound when it included violin and relatable, summery lyrics. During their performance, Yellowcard played seven songs, making sure to have a handful of favorites from that album, such as “Way Away,” “Breathing,” and “Only One,” concluding with “Ocean Avenue.”
At the Pink stage, Vic Fuente and his band, Pierce the Veil, performed a mid-day set. As the sun shone down, some fans began to lose their earlier enthusiasm. However, the band’s performance of “Pass the Nirvana” renewed the crowd’s energy. One lucky fan was even invited on stage, where Fuentes complimented her handcrafted ‘Pierce the Veil’ shirt and gifted her the guitar he was wearing.
5 Seconds of Summer, the Australian pop group, performed an impressive performance during the day. They played their hit songs “Youngblood” and “Teeth” on the Green stage while its neighboring stage prepared for more performances. In the meantime, music lovers enjoyed performances from Tigers Jaw, Citizen, The Wrecks, Finch, Goldfinger, The Academy Is…, Turnover, Hot Mulligan, Plain White T’s, Beach Bunny, and MXPX on the other side of the fairgrounds.
As the day reached its midpoint, fans at the Pink stage were confronted by a towering skeleton bust with glowing red eyes, flipping the middle finger against a backdrop of a fiery graveyard with the words “Sum 41” emblazoned in bold letters above. As Deryck Whibley and the rest of the Sum 41 crew took to the stage, the massive crowd surged forward as the band kicked off with their hit song “Motivation.” Fans moshed to their favorite tunes like “The Hell Song,” “In Too Deep,” “Fat Lip,” and “Still Waiting” and even included a rendition of ‘Queen’s’ “We Will Rock You.” Pausing to make an announcement, Deryck revealed that in 2024, fans could look forward to releasing a new Sum 41 album titled “Heaven and Hell,” but that the album would also be the band’s last. The bittersweet news was met with a wave of boos, but the band couldn’t help but feel grateful for the fans who have supported them throughout their incredible career.
The pop-punk band Good Charlotte performed for the first time in five years, sticking to the festival’s core emo theme. Due to their limited performances these days, they were one of the most anticipated bands on the lineup and drew an enormous crowd. As dusk settled in, the Madden brothers took to the stage and launched into their energy-driven single “The Anthem,” bidding farewell to the relentless Vegas sun. The band’s performance was a nostalgic affair as they played a barrage of their biggest hits, such as “Girls & Boys” and “Hold On.” On Sunday, fans were treated to one of the biggest surprises of the weekend when Lil’ Wayne appeared during Good Charlotte’s set and collaborated with the band on a rendition of his hit song, “A Milli.” Lil’ Wayne helped the band close their performance with “Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous.”
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Throughout the evening, dedicated fans flocked to the ‘Ghost’ and ‘Stripe’ stages, where bands like Reliant K, Gym Class Heroes, Saves the Day, and The Front Bottoms kept the energy alive. Simple Plan, a fan-favorite, performed on the Ghost stage simultaneously with Jared Leto’s band, 30 Seconds to Mars, leaving fans with a tough decision. While some found it easy to choose Simple Plan over 30 Seconds to Mars, everyone agreed that Simple Plan deserved to perform on one of the main stages, given the band’s significant influence on the emo culture.
Jared Leto is a renowned Hollywood actor, famous for his roles in movies such as Suicide Squad and Morbius. However, he is also known by his fans as the lead singer of the band 30 Seconds to Mars. When it was time for the band to perform, Leto wasted no time as he took to the stage, donning a sparkling silver cape that billowed around him as he hyped the crowd with the song “Up in the Air.” With his brother Shannon Leto on the drums, Jared sprinted across the stage as fireworks crackled and fell around him, captivating the audience.
During the performance, the captivating lead singer did not limit himself to the stage. He interacted with the audience by climbing along the barricade while singing the song “Closer to the Edge.” Furthermore, the performance included a special appearance from Tim Mcllarth, the lead vocalist of Rise Against, who had given a powerful performance earlier in the day. The two vocalists joined forces to perform the hit song “This is War” by 30 Seconds to Mars. During the final song of the performance, “The Kill,” Leto invited a select group of fans and photographers to join him on stage to conclude the show. As the song ended, confetti cannons erupted, marking the end of the band’s performance.
As the confetti began to fall and settle around the crowd, the familiar sounds of “The Kids Aren’t Alright” by The Offspring filled the air, and the audience quickly shifted their attention to the neighboring Green stage. With a career spanning over three decades and a repertoire of countless iconic songs, the veteran band established itself as one of the top performances of the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Ghost and Stripe stages were hosting some noteworthy bands, such as Movements, Thrice, Waterparks, Less Than Jake, AJJ, Set it Off, Bowling for Soup, Joyce Manor, Jean Dawson, Lit, Kenny Hoopla, and the Ekkstacy.
As the event progressed, the attendees appeared increasingly exhausted, some even leaving early. Despite this, the majority of the crowd persevered through their discomfort, eager to witness the final performances of the night by Blink 182 and Green Day. Leading the way, Blink-182 made sure to play all of their timeless hits, including “The Rock Show,” “Stay Together for the Kids,” “First Date,” “What’s My Age Again?,” “Dammit,” and “All the Small Things.” The band played “One More Time” accompanied by fireworks as the crowd sang along. The band announced an upcoming tour before bidding farewell to the “When We Were Young” fans.
As the night came to a close, the fairgrounds gathered around the Green stage while the sounds of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” echoed through the crowd. Restless fans watched as a costumed pink bunny shimmied across the stage, signaling that the show was about to begin. The crowd erupted in cheers as Billy Joel and the members of Green Day took the stage and began their set list with “American Idiot.” The performance included several top hits such as “Holiday,” “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Brain Stew,” “21 Guns,” “Minority,” “Basket Case,” and “When I Come Around,” and they ended the night with the iconic song “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” accompanied by a firework finale.
As we reflect on the weekend and our experiences at this year’s “When We Were Young Festival,” we can’t help but feel grateful. We moshed to Michelle Branch, shed tears during Yellowcard, soared across the stage with Jared Leto, rediscovered our existence during Blink-182, and formed an unbreakable bond during Green Day. We want to say a big thank you to all the fantastic bands that performed. We are grateful for this one-of-a-kind festival that allowed us to reconnect with our past and present selves.
Green Day
Waterparks
The Offspring
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Thirty Seconds To Mars
Good Charlotte
Sum 41
5 Seconds of Summer
Yellowcard
Michelle Branch
Rise Against
Motion City Soundtrack
The Veronicas
Jaden Hossler
WWWYF Fans & Grounds
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHEN
