Emo Nite, House Parties, & 3Oh!3

A bit back, a heck of an event rolled through Pensacola’s Vinyl Music Hall. They put away the stage barriers, dressed the stage as if it was someone’s living room, and brought the idea of a house show to a larger venue.

Emo Nite LA, the event started by three friends (Babs Szabo, T.J. Petracca and Morgan Freed) at a small dive bar has grown into a full-blown phenomenon. But above all else, Emo Nite LA brings together people who share the love of emo rock music from the 90’s, 2000’s, and today, changing the idea of what a music event can be.

First event was at The Short Stop nearly 4 years ago, then went to The Echo, moved to take over both The Echo / The Echoplex and has traveled to cities including New York City, Dallas, Denver, St. Louis, London, Orlando, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston and more.

They have been able to bring together some of the most incredible names in music who have become part of this Emo Nite “family”, including Halsey, Sonny Moore (Skrillex) and From First to Last, The Used, Post Malone, Good Charlotte, All American Rejects, Demi Lovato, New Found Glory, and so many more.

They have been able to throw regular events in dozens of markets across the country and have had spots on lineups at festivals like Life is Beautiful, Slam Dunk, BUKU and Vans Warped Tour.

Here’s what David Reiling thought and captured from the night:

2008 doesn’t seem like a decade ago – it seems like a lifetime ago. What was up is down, left is right, and everything is just so…different. However, when I stepped into Vinyl Music Hall in Pensacola, Florida for the 3Oh!3 Want House Party tour, I may as well have stepped into a wibbly wobbly timey wimey machine and walked into a…well…they said Want House Party, and that was no exaggeration.

Emo Nite quite honestly threw me for a proverbial loop. I did a bit of research before the show so I knew what I was shooting, but my preconceived notions of a DJ “cover set” by lil aaron was not in line with what was delivered. The music definitely took me back a decade (or more) but the dancing and atmosphere of the night was set. This was all for fun. With a couch and lamps on stage, the crowd on stage, and the singing (screaming?) along. The smiles and laughter and dancing were all proof that these people came for one reason and one reason only: To have a blast!

3Oh!3 came up with the crowd primed and prepped and ready to dance the night away. I will readily admit that I wasn’t very familiar with their material, but more than a few times throughout their set I said to myself “Oh! I remember that song, that was them?!”. My camera didn’t stand a chance. The laser wolves (yes, laser wolves!) beams of light shooting from their eyes. The screaming fans that would roar with approval at the songs and dance rang throughout the venue almost as loud as the beats.

What started off as a night of unfamiliarity outside of my punk rock comfort zone, become a night of laughter, dancing, smiling, and one very tired photographer. The people came for fun, and they got a Thanksgiving dinners size helping of all they could handle.