Calling all emo kids! The Creative Control Tour is officially in motion, featuring the iconic bands The Used and Pierce The Veil. This joint trek kicked off on May 23rd in Cedar Park, TX, and it was everything you could imagine from these two veteran post-hardcore bands.
Both groups recently released new albums, and their setlist was a perfect blend of old and new essentials that made the crowd go crazy. Let’s dive into Pierce The Veil’s performance, shall we? The SoCal-bred group re-emerged early this year with their fifth album, “The Jaws of Life.” After a long seven-year hiatus from performing, fans were ecstatic to witness another Pierce The Veil concert in the flesh. And boy, did they deliver!
Within the first twenty minutes of their set, Pierce The Veil performed three brand-new songs from “The Jaws of Life”: “Death of an Executioner,” “Pass the Nirvana,” and “Emergency Contact.” The cool part? They saved these tracks for the beginning, leaving plenty of room to finish with the classics every elder emo remembers “hardcore dancing” to back in the day. We’re talking about hits like “Hold On Till May,” “Southern Constellations,” “The Boy Who Could Fly,” and “Circles.”
The icing on the cake was the final two songs of Pierce The Veil’s set, which are practically synonymous with the early 2000s post-hardcore scene. “Caraphernelia,” featuring A Day to Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon, and “King For A Day,” with guest vocals from Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens, had the crowd screaming along. Although neither frontman was there in person for a live duet, Pierce The Veil frontman Vic Fuentes took over their verses with his own stellar vocal range and positive vibes. The set ended with plenty of fist-pumping, scream-singalongs, and so much more.
Then it was time for The Used to take the stage, and if you’ve attended their concerts before, you know they tend to get a bit crazy! Frontman Bert McCracken lightened things up with his witty banter and bold stage presence, which he took up a notch to celebrate their brand-new record, “Toxic Positivity.” Just released on May 19th, this album is already garnering rave reviews, and they wasted no time diving into fan favorites.
The Used performed two new songs, “Numb” and “Giving Up,” from “Toxic Positivity,” along with other singles like “F*** You” and “People Are Vomit” that didn’t make it onto the album. The rest of the set was a nostalgic journey through the best songs The Used has produced over the past two decades. From classics like “I Caught Fire” and “The Taste of Ink” to “A Box Full of Sharp Objects” and “All That I’ve Got,” it was a night of pure emo nostalgia. The band loves embracing every era of their career and had a blast performing alongside their friends in Pierce The Veil for the first time.
But that’s not all. The two bands have crossed paths numerous times over the years, from touring together on Warped Tour to playing at the inaugural When We Were Young Festival in 2022. However, the 2020s have seen an emo revival, and it was finally time for The Used and Pierce The Veil to come together on the Creative Control tour. And the best part? There are still plenty more chances to see them in 2023!
Check out the remaining tour dates below and get a taste of the bands’ respective setlists:
- May 23 — Austin, Texas @ HEB Center at Cedar Park
- May 24 — New Orleans, La. @ The Fillmore Harrah’s New Orleans
- May 26 — Tampa, Fla. @ Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa
- May 27 — Boca Raton, Fla. @ Mizner Park Amphitheatre
- May 28 — St. Augustine, Fla. @ The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre
- May 30 — Atlanta, Ga. @ Coca Cola Roxy
- May 31 — Nashville, Tenn. @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium
- June 02 — Toronto, Ontario @ RBC Echo Beach
- June 03 — Baltimore, Md. @ Pier Six Pavilion
- June 06 — Richmond, Va. @ Virginia Credit Union LIVE!
- June 07 — Wallingford, Ct. @ Oakdale Theatre
- June 09 — Philadelphia, Pa. @ Skyline Stage at the Mann
- June 10 — Portland, Maine @ Cross Insurance Arena
- June 12 — Asbury Park, N.J. @ Stone Pony Summer Stage
- June 13 — New York, N.Y. @ The Rooftop at Pier 17
- June 15 — Bethlehem, Pa. @ Wind Creek Event Center
- June 16 — Moon Twp, Pa. @ UPMC Events Center
- June 17 — Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio @ Blossom Music Center
- June 19 — Grand Rapids, Mich. @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe
- June 21 — Cincinnati, Ohio @ The Andrew J Brady Music Center
- June 22 — Madison, Wis. @ The Sylvee
- June 24 — Dallas, Texas @ Fair Park *
- June 28 — Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Complex (Outdoors)
- June 29 — Reno, Nev. @ Grand Theatre at The Grand Sierra Resort
- July 01 — Irvine, Calif. @ FivePoint Amphitheatre
- July 02 — Phoenix, Ariz. @ Arizona Financial Theatre
Don’t miss out on this unforgettable night of emo music, energetic performances, and the chance to relive your favorite anthems. Get your tickets now and experience the Creative Control Tour with Pierce The Veil and The Used!
