Unexpected reunions and surprise guests ruled the day at the third annual When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas last weekend. The 2024 installment of the nostalgia-fueled fest drew thousands of fans to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds to celebrate some of the most iconic albums from an era of the scene that will never be forgotten. Atlas was in the pit all day with all of our favorites- check out the best moments from day one!
Neon Emo Lights Up The Strip
If anyone remembers 2006, it was a time of blindingly colorful outfits, skinny jeans and checkered shoes and this lineup dared to ask the question- what if we brought that back just for a weekend? It was clear that plenty of fans never left that part of their lives and they turned out in full force for the second coming of Cobra Starship and the party that is 3OH!3.
Cobra gave the fans a taste of the setlist at their sideshow two days prior, but their setup for WWWY had the audience boarding Starship Airlines for the ride of a lifetime. Emerging in full flight regalia- tassels and all- Gabe Saporta immediately launched into … the wrong album. The purple hoodies got the band back on track and ¡Viva La Cobra! was in full swing. The gasps could be heard across the lot when Fall Out Boy singer Patrick Stump appeared for a biblically accurate version of “Kiss My Sass”- an immensely special experience for longtime fans of a band that has clearly been missed.
3OH!3 threw their own celebration for 15 years of Want, the irreverently hilarious debut album that’s kept them singing lines like “Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips” for over a decade to crowds that can’t get enough. The duo took the neon theme to heart, dressed in reflective outfits to guarantee that even those just passing by couldn’t miss their wild set.
Queens of the Scene Lift Each Other Up
Tonight Alive hasn’t been spotted on a stage since their hiatus began in 2018 and their reunion was a huge draw for the early fest audience. The Ghost Stage was packed with fans who’d traveled far and wide to sing along to songs from The Other Side, which the band played in full. They also reminisced about sharing the stage with many acts on the day’s lineup over 10 years ago and seeing old friends is a big part of what this event promotes for both artists and fans.
The Verizon Stage offered some shade from the unseasonably warm day and We Are the In Crowd got everyone jumped to Weird Kids for their festival reunion. The barricade had more than a few fans shining with tears at such an anticipated and dearly missed set and that energy extended to the rest of the day.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Choosing a sunny rock band to spend the afternoon with was easy when The Maine took their place on the Allianz Stage. The Arizona emo group blinded the audience with their all white fits to play their debut album in full and get the fans involved as they’ve been doing for the past 17 years. They pulled out all the old MySpace hits and John O’Callaghan jumped down to the barricade to sing along with the 8123 crew.
Directly after that set, it was time to turn the corner to catch The Starting Line in a rare appearance on the west coast. Say It Like You Mean It was a formative album for this Philly band and the effect it had on the scene ripples to this day- as evidenced by the sheer amount of people shouting along to “The Best of Me”. The weather was a paid actor for these sets, with the sun shining brightly and just a hint of that desert breeze transporting the audience back in time all day.
Rock Royalty Sets WWWY Ablaze
By far the most difficult part of When We Were Young weekend is choosing which sets to catch throughout the day. With overlapping timeslots, attendees made plenty of sacrifices but as day one came to a close, the main stage was the place to be. The Used brought their own pyrotechnics to add some heat to golden hour and their performance of In Love and Death- a moment not to be missed.
Following that was another Arizona staple band, Jimmy Eat World, breathing life into a tired audience with a spirited and emotional performance of Bleed American. Fans had a moment to relax as the sounds of this ballad-driven record washed over them- a brief respite before the closing chaos.
Forgoing an album play as expected, Fall Out Boy took When We Were Young on a journey through the Days of Fall Out Past. The band played selections from each of their albums, changing the scenery behind them to reflect the aesthetic of the albums and absolutely roast the audience with their massive pillars of flame. An FOB show is a joyous experience (as this publication has detailed many times over the years) and this set was made even more special with the appearance of Wiz Khalifa on a cover of “See You Again” for the night’s first 8 Ball song.
The band shot columns of flame into the sky on “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark”- a spectacle that could be seen by pedestrians far down the street before ending with “Saturday” and a stunning fireworks display that had the crowd rejuvenated and in awe.
The festival wasn’t finished with us, however. My Chemical Romance emerged from their continued pseudo-hiatus for two nights only to perform The Black Parade in album order for the first time since 2007. The stage was sparsely and sparingly lit to emphasize bright spotlights and deep shadows as the group took their places in all black suits for a once in a lifetime set for many of the fans in the crowd.
“Everyone’s got a favorite- and you’re my favorite, sweetheart,” singer Gerard Way giggled to the audience- one of very few speaking interludes in the performance. The fans went wild at every song, knowing that this could only happen at When We Were Young. After the record was complete, MCR had a few precious minutes left to squeeze in “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” and “Helena” to bid us all “so long and goodnight”.
When We Were Young Festival is an exhausting slog through an incredibly long day, but there’s no doubt that the payoff is entirely worth the aching backs and feet. Aging emos slipped insoles into their scuffed show shoes and took their Ibuprofen to relive a time that was formative for so many of us through childhood, high school and beyond. Nostalgia grab? Maybe so, but getting the chance to experience bands and albums that shaped a generation is a ticket that’s tough to beat.
Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz lamented the idea that we’re all getting older but just for a weekend, we really were all young again. It’ll be a treat to see what this festival comes up with for next year- Atlas will be back because we know it was never a phase.
