If you’re into Emo music or pop-punk chances are you’ve probably heard of the band Free Throw. These dudes from Nashville have been around for over 15 years putting out nothing but bangers. They are currently on tour opening for Hot Mulligan and I was fortunate enough to catch their show in Las Vegas. At first I was a little worried that their turnout would be negatively affected due to the fact that Sick New World was on the very same day, and just down the street. I understand that SNW is a metal fest, but if you think us Emo’s can be put into a box, you’re sadly mistaken. When it came to the turn out that night, I couldn’t have been more wrong with my previous assumptions. The Brooklyn Bowl was absolutely packed from front to back, and from top to bottom. There were tons of fans there from elder, to younger emos, and I even saw some little ones there for their first concert! (I wish my parents were that cool)
Free Throw was preceded by two awesome bands, first was Charmer, and the second band was Just Friends. Charmer was pretty mellow, but Just Friends was a wild ride! They had two vocalists, and the male vocalist was off the charts, over the top, nonstop energy from beginning to end. They had that room moving in no time at all. This show got kicked into high gear and that’s where it remained till the very last note.
I was stoked to see how many people there loved Free Throw. During their set there was pretty much a continuous stead ebb and flow and crowd surfers pouring over the barricade. They jammed out some of their most popular songs like “The Coroners Dilemma” (my personal favorite), “Pallet Town”, “Hey Ken, Someone Methodically Mashed the Donuts”, and “Two Beers In”. Let me just say, I really do miss the emo tradition of having absolutely unrelated and fun song names.
This was my first time getting to see Free Throw live, and it was amazing. The amount emotion that goes into their performance, especially from vocalist/guitarist Cory Castro, is absolutely nuts! This man screamed to the crowd till I thought his lungs would burst. One thing I’ll never forget is the look on his face while singing some of these songs, the crowd singing right along with him. It was a phenomenal ride from beginning to end with crowd participation, crazy mosh pits, and uniquely memorable moments. They closes their set with “Two Beers”, one which everyone in that room seemed to know the words to.
The night ended with a fantastic show put on by the one and only Hot Mulligan. The self-proclaimed inventors of post-emo music, and Americas “number one hot new band” (their words not mine). I will say that over the last two years I’ve watch Hot Mulligan explode onto the scene like a ketchup packet that’s been sitting in the sun too long. This band has taken the scene by storm and I honestly don’t see them slowing down any time soon. This was their last headlining tour for a while before they head back to the studio to work on more material for the masses.
Hot Mully hit Vegas with a monster setlist of 22 songs played back to back. As soon as one was done we were off to the next. Crowd surfers were flying over the barricades, the entire crowd was jumping in unison, and every person there knew every word to every song. Personally I’ve followed HM closely over the years so I get the hype but I always seem to forget how hard the crowd goes when they hit the stage. Vocalist Tade Sansville mentioned between songs that he grew up listening to Free Throw, and how much their music inspired him and played a crucial role in molding his taste in music. They put on such a phenomenal show, and their music is so passionate and catchy that it’s almost impossible to not break out into song right along with them. They played all of their biggest songs, including “*Equip Sunglasses*”, “John ‘The Rock’ Cena” and my personal favorite “BCKYRD”. I love how hard people go for this and, it makes for such an amazing experience.
I think an important part of any great show isn’t just the performance that you are watching, but the people that you’re surrounded by. Bands tend to draw certain types of crowds and the pop-punk/emo scene has always been one of my favorites. These are people who aren’t afraid to be themselves. They are accepting, inclusive, and they make sure that everyone around them is also having a good time. These are the shows you go to alone and leave with new lifelong friends. The energy at these shows is not just electric, but it’s also wholesome. A place for people to go to get out their frustrations and forget about the bullshit just for a night. This tour has come to a close but keep an eye out for these bands in the near future. I sense some amazing things coming from all of them.
