I got a ticket for the final day of the When We Were Young Festival by a stroke of luck and a kind gesture by our friends Say Anything, who graciously gave me their last available GA. Admittedly, I woke up late in the afternoon thanks to a BeatBox-induced migraine coma from the evening before. Still, this proved to be the most fantastic timing, as I had opened my eyes to an email saying that the party would not stop! So, I got up and did my total “goth drag,” as I call it, faster than I ever had before, and made my way to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds for one more day of unbridled childlike joy and bewilderment. This festival had a sense of magic about it; perhaps because the lineup was straight out of childhood dreams (and fanfictions) but also because I finally got to feel like I belonged in the scene that raised me. It wasn’t always easy to be associated with this music or aesthetic, but now I was being celebrated while celebrating those I looked up to. This specific invite started my day on an exceptionally high note, with my confidence on high as I explored sets I missed out on the day prior due to media commitments.

Although, I admittedly did start my day off at Cobra Starship again. When I started working at GSM, I listed them as my favorite artists so I would not miss a third chance to hear “Hollaback Boy,” their parody of “Hollaback Girl.” Beforehand, I ran into my friend Bee (@WhatACatchCases), who had made me a ‘Viva La Cobra’ themed phone case; it was nothing short of fate receiving it on matching purple grass 10 minutes before Cobra Starship took the stage. Their festival show was incredible, and it’s a pleasure seeing them so in their element after some time spent away.

Next, I met up with to venture over to my second-most anticipated set of the day (it’s really hard to rank these!), Motion City Soundtrack. This band is incredibly impactful to me as an artist and person, with ‘Commit This To Memory’ being among my top albums of all time. My friends and I were able to squeeze up to the barricade thanks to the magic of fate. The album-based assignment of the weekend was hit-or-miss, and I was fully self aware that it mostly worked if it were my personal favorite record…and in this case, it was. However, admittedly, this was the happiest I had ever seen the band on stage. Justin Pierre’s confidence has grown significantly since their massive 2020 return to the stage, but it is likely due to the setlist of the weekend that his spirits were so high. Their big hit, “Everything Is Alright,” falls at the beginning of the record after the short interlude “Attractive Today.” Many were organically packed to the stage to enjoy the verbose record, with poetic lyricism guiding the Moog synth-clad instrumentals. Yet, it is difficult to explain with words how satisfying it was to see Patrick Stump take the stage with Motion City Soundtrack to perform his bridge overlay in “Everything Is Alright.” This song is so deeply intertwined into the scene’s culture; the emotions could be felt overflowing throughout the entire fairgrounds, and hopefully many discovered new favorite Motion City Soundtrack songs by stopping in to catch Patrick with Justin.

I took quite a long break in-between my next set, admiring the art installations featured throughout the festival. There was so much to behold around the premises, from paintings to old photos of bands to memorabilia. Every inch of the festival grounds was curated to match the vibes of the lineup and the attention to detail was incredible. I’m glad I got a later start to the day; this allowed me to take everything in, versus the rushed vibes of the previous day. I even got to try a bit more festival food, including Baozza buns. I had one steamed and one friend both margarita flavored. Both of the pizza options I had this weekend were absolutely delicious and I feel like I got lucky because I heard the food was hit-or-miss otherwise.

I then went to the Allianz stage to hunker down for Say Anything. This proves how dedicated I am to my commitments; I am a diehard Fall Out Boy fan but missed their set out of respect for my invitee. As a result, I discovered a new band I enjoyed and rediscovered one I used to love. Basement from the UK took one of the evening slots on the Allianz stage, and I was amazed at the mass of the crowd they generated. A big fear of the weekend was that the set times would deter some fans from checking out the more miniature stages, but that was not necessarily the case. Basement’s fans were warm, welcoming, and happy to be there; they were all visibly moved by the music, making me more eager to understand it as a newbie. They differ from the vibe I’ve been on lately, but I enjoyed their performance and checked them out on Spotify afterward.

Mom Jeans was up next, and I had seen them once before in 2020 when they opened for Motion City Soundtrack. Their stage presence has always been excellent; they balance taking themselves seriously and incorporating a bit of silliness to the set. Samples throughout the set were met with crowd giggles, and the audience knew every word of every song. However, what impressed me the most was quite a surprise. Mom Jeans and their staff brought boxes of merchandise from backstage, throwing the rest of their festival stock out into the crowd. This continued for almost the entire duration of their remaining set until they had nothing left. The act of selflessness and pure love for their fans was profoundly moving. Mom Jeans will have a forever fan out of me thanks to this simple moment of kindness alone.

Finally, it was time to watch Say Anything in action. It was a bummer missing them on Day 1 because ‘…Is A Real Boy is among my favorite albums of all time. It’s one where I can perform it front-to-back as though I were Max Bemis. Still, it’s always such a pleasure to see them live. Bemis’ stage presence teeters between confident and anxious at times; this night, though, he was always confident, not stuttering. Artists aren’t supposed to pick favorite albums like children, but this is the band’s golden child. Everyone on stage was having so much fun, taking a few creative liberties at times to make the performance more interesting for everyone involved. Also, I thankfully don’t have to contact the authorities (Bemis) because they did play “Admit It!!!” to match its studio recording. The spoken-word portion of the song is genuinely so moving, especially just two weeks before a terrifyingly real election. Bemis pointed out the Trump Tower glaring at him, dedicating the song to him in a derogatory way, calling him the sell-out mentioned within the song’s lyrics. Creatives often get told that we are paid in “emotional fulfillment,” but sometimes it’s worth it in such moments. This record, and especially its closing song, were highlights of my weekend, resulting in a euphoric high releasing stress I hadn’t realized I was keeping in my shoulders thanks to the current political climate. It’s nice to know when people you looked up to growing up wound up being good-intentioned.

Overall, this festival was a dream come true. I cannot reiterate this enough, as I pushed through any exhaustive periods this weekend thanks to the feeling of walking on a cloud. It’s beautiful that our scene is finally getting recognized on a grand scale, and I hope for many more incredible When We Were Young Festivals to come!