The Used Tour 2023
Fans packed Buffalo RiverWorks for the long-awaited comeback of The Used to Buffalo, NY. It had been a minute since the band had passed through the “city of good neighbors,” and you could feel the excitement in the air. The venue quickly filled with young and old fans ready to rock out to what would be an absolutely epic night. Coming along for the ride were crowd favorites Seeping With Sirens and Dead Americans. Fans who had opted for the VIP package had enjoyed a special meet and greet with the band, bags full of goodies, and were taking full advantage of their early entry access by lining the front of the barricade. With the line to get in and cars packing into the parking lot, Buffalo was excited to welcome back this OG emo band from Utah properly.
Taking the stage first was Dead American. If you haven’t heard of this band before you’re missing out. This five-piece band from Southern California projects the perfect blend of modern sound elements along with post-hardcore vibes. Led by singer Cove Reber, the band pulls influence from artists such as Taking Back Sunday, Underoath and Senses Fail. For this crowd that was a perfect warmup to the night. Almost immediately the band drew the crowd’s attention with energetic movement and hard-hitting lyrics. The band’s songs cover a wide horizon of issues and emotions laying heavy on topics of struggling with addiction, relationships, and daily life issues. Their most recent album New Nostalgia is chock-full of favorites such as “Not Buying In”, “Anything Different” and “Choke”.
Crowd favorite Sleeping With Sirens was up next. Kellen Quinn’s vocals have always been distinct and unique in the best way and are a key staple to the band’s popular sound. The energy the band carried on stage kept everyone in the venue on their toes. Jumping off the elevated platforms on stage and multiple microphone swings kept the energy of their performance electric throughout the night and fans flooded the GA floor. Formed in 2009, the band from Orlando, Florida, has always been known best for their post-hardcore style and pop-punk sound. Fans danced and sang along to favorites including one of the band’s more popular songs, “If You Can’t Hang” off their 2011 album Let’s Cheer to This. Heavy-hitting drums and punching guitar sounds made this set absolutely incredible. Kellen Quinn even stopped by the band’s merch table to chat with some very excited fans, sign some merch, and take some pictures.
Finally, up next was The Used. Florals decorated the entire stage as well as the microphone stand giving off an almost dreamy, euphoric vibe. As the lights dimmed fans exploded into cheers, eagerly awaiting the band’s presence on stage. Lead singer Bert McCracken wasted absolutely no time catapulting into their first heavy-hitting song. McCracken wore a dark Bowie Jacket and familiar skeleton gloves as he turned the atmosphere in the venue electric. There’s always the question of what kind of songs will be included in a band’s setlist. Most older fans were clearly hoping for the band’s older hits, while younger new fans were more keyed on their more recent releases. Neither age group had much to worry about as the band played the perfect mix of both from start to finish. Playing songs such as “Take It Away”, “Paralyzed” and “All That I’ve Got” were just a few of the colorful setlists from the night. At one point during the show McCracken spewed a string of playful F*** You’s to the crowd who happily took the opportunity to answer back, with middle fingers in the air and all. The rare and heavy lyrics of the band’s sound had the fans singing along to every song. Malicious guitar sounds and dark vocals pair beautifully with the band’s unique sounds and it’s easy to see why they are still around. At one point McCracken brought a handful of lucky fans onstage to sing along. With the set coming to an end and fans soaked in sweat, the band pulled out two of their most popular songs “Bulimic” and “Box Full of Sharp Objects.” If you couldn’t make it inside the venue for the show you were sure to have heard fans singing along in the next state over.
As fans slowly made their way out of the venue, we can only hope that the band doesn’t wait as long next time to visit Buffalo. Want to catch this awesome tour? Head over to The Used’s website and grab your tickets before they sell out. You can catch them in a city near you throughout mid-October!