Fans packed themselves into Tempe's Marquee Theater this Tuesday to watch The Used, co-headliner Taking Back Sunday, and supporting act Tonight Alive tear up the stage. A sold out show but certainly not a sell out crowd of sweaty bodies and eager eyes filled the room from wall to wall showing love and support for headliners and supporting bands alike.
Having missed the previous bands the show starts for me with Tonight Alive, a pop-punk band from Sydney, Australia. Tonight alive has garnered their own fan base in the states already, but now as a supporting act for bands like The Used and Taking Back Sunday it's an uphill battle to win over the audience. Front woman and lead singer Jenna McDougall was without a doubt up to the challenge.
Now scientifically speaking, music can move our muscles without any effort from the brain. Don't ask me how because frankly I don't know, but the proof is in the performance. The music moves through Jenna in perfect harmony with the band. There is never a dull moment during the set as Jenna makes use of the whole stage punching, spinning, and thrashing her way through every song. To say Jenna is a comfortable, confident performer is an understatement; the stage is home to her and she smiles at her audience like a childhood friend. As talented as she is entertaining, her live vocals are accurate, impressive, and authentic.
Stacks of grey broken televisions foreshadow The Used taking the stage. Later proving to be an intricate backdrop piece later as light bulbs illuminate "USED" from within the shattered screens.
The set begins with their newly released single "Cry" from the upcoming album "Imaginary Enemy". Instantaneously the crowd's anticipation erupts into moshing and singing. The energy only gets more intense from here as the band starts a fan favorite and the first song from their album "In Love and Death", "Take It Away". Showing no sign of slowing the momentum another popular Used song "The Bird and the Worm" keeps everyone on their feet shouting lyrics word for word.
After "Listening" we in the audience get a break from the insanity as the band starts "I Caught Fire". Though not before some brief shadow puppets from Used front man Bert McCracken making innovative use of his lighting. Despite being an accomplished, 32 year-old musician , Bert interacts with his audience with child like playfulness. Goofy faces, comments, and antics are that much more entertaining coming from a hardcore vocalist. Still he retains a stance of forward thinking as speaks about unique human beings, saying "There are two types of people in this world, those who believe there are two types of people in this world and those who don't. I don't".
There's no holding Bert McCracken back from sharing his views as he points out the ample security guards moving through the audience. Poking fun at the "tough guys" giving fans a hard time "why don't you go be tough guys at the gym?" comments McCracken. He even dares to challenge Marquee Security telling the crowd "Remember, they have no authority over us". Though it might seem his taunting remarks do not come unprovoked as several security guards muscle their way through the crowd. On a positive note Bert shows support giving a shout out to Tonight Alive before starting "Put Me Out". After commanding the audience to form a circle pit he remarks in reference to the increasingly musky air "you can smell the genitals" giving the audience a good laugh.
The Used never disappoints, conducting a wall of death for "Pretty Handsome Awkward" at every show in AZ over the recent years. Ending the set Bert states the band is finishing with "the best song ever written". His enthusiasm is shared by the fans as the opening riff to Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" throws the room into absolute pandemonium. This quickly transitions into an original Used song, "A Box Full of Sharp Objects". The show comes to a close as the used plays the chorus to another iconic song, Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name". The lyrics to which being "F*** you I wont do what you tell me!" seem to fall in line with Bert's rebellious attitude. Meeting and surpassing my expectations, its safe to say The Used has not lost their touch when it comes to live performances.
