Hawthorne Heights Sell Out Slowdown!

Story and Photos: Spencer Fleming

Midwest Emo legends Hawthorne Heights rolled through Omaha on Wednesday (3.11) and threw down in front of a sold out Slowdown crowd! Bringing along LA punk staples Letlive and English rockers Creeper this was a solid package. Let's get into all the action!

I arrived shortly before 7:00 and got a good spot in the crowd ready to take in Creeper for the first time. I was tempted to check out their songs on streaming but sometimes it's fun to go in fresh. As the band stepped out all clad in black leather and bloody lips I knew we were in for a spooky good time. Creeper got the crowd pumped with goth-dance vibes and wicked pop melodies. I joked with one of the people next to me that they were like Vampire Ramones. Their music was more metal than the Ramones but the all leather and jet-black hair gave me that vibe. Their set was a lot of fun and the crowd ate it up. The whole room cheered as Creeper kicked the show off with a bang. You can check out Creeper on all streaming platforms now. Their latest album Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death is a really fun ride. Give it a spin today!

After Creeper was a band I've been looking forward to seeing for a long time. Back in 2018 when Stories From The Crowd was just starting out I was perusing the internet and read a story about a new band in Forbes of all places. The band's name was The Fever 333. After reading the article I listened to their first single "Walking In My Shoes" and I immediately knew they were going to be something special. The article explained that Fever's lead singer Jason Aalon Butler had been in a band for many years called Letlive. After several tours and a handful of albums Letlive had run its course and Jason needed a new project. After meeting up with Travis Barker (Blink 182) and legendary producer Jon Feldman (Goldfinger) Jason recruited the insane drumming of Aric Improta (Night Verses) and the wild guitar shredding of Stephen Harrison (The Chariot). In the spring of 2018 The Fever 333 came to Nebraska and played back to back shows across Omaha and Lincoln. I was able to spend some time getting to know the band and Jason in particular was so gracious with his time. He made a fan for life.

Fever 333 remains active, but early last year Jason got Letlive back together for a string of reunion shows and some high-profile festival appearances, like When We Were Young. When Hawthorne Heights announced they were going on tour with Letlive I knew I had to be at this show.

The set started with a ferocious drum-stomp that included a metal trash can. You could instantly tell the crowd was in for something different. After two songs Jason was up to his old tricks running into the crowd and hyping everyone up. Before the set started I told some of my fellow photographers "Get ready, he WILL try to make it up to the balcony with his long microphone cord". Jason started his antics by jumping into the crowd directly in front of the stage, then making his way to the table tops, and dancing across while making sure not to spill anyone's drink. The room was exploding with energy as everyone grabbed their phone to get a clip of the madness.

The thing I love so much about Jason is he goes off on stage but he also takes time to address social issues and give the crowd some real words of inspiration. Jason spoke about respecting women in the music scene and how being happy and true to yourself is one of the most punk rock things you can do.

After addressing the crowd Letlive had one more banger in the set and Jason took an opportunity to show why he's one of the best in the game. I see the crowd pointing up above me and sure enough Jason made his way to the sketchy platform on the balcony and was wailing on the mic. Everyone held their breath for Jason's safety. Knowing he's a pro I stepped back to snap some pics! He truly does give the crowd everything he has every time he steps on stage (or the top of a merch tent, or nearby balcony).

I don't normally wait after the show but my friend Audrey and I braved the cold Nebraska air and hung out by the bus so we could catch up with Jason for a few minutes. It was a long wait in the freezing cold, but when Jason finally stepped out and was so hyped that we waited for him, it felt like a tropic breeze going through the air. Jason and I talked about how his kids are growing up so fast (mine too), plans for a new Fever album, and how the tour was going. It was a quick hang but I'll never forget it. If you ever get the chance to see any of Jason's projects it's a must-see affair.

Alright alright, so what about the headliners Hawthorne Heights??

Hawthorne Heights and I go wayyyyy back. Like, I had the swoopy Emo hair way back. In 2004 I remember seeing the video for "Ohio Is For Lovers" blowing up on MTV (back when they played real music), and it felt like the band was everywhere. Hawthorne Heights became a staple of Warped Tour and did some high profile tours with bands like Fall Out Boy, Atreyu, and Silverstein. I was there for all of it. I had both of their breakout albums Silence In Black And White and If Only You Were Lonely. When HH toured with Fall Out Boy they came to Omaha and did an acoustic performance and signed CDs. Those CDs have since frittered away but I remember it was a big deal back then.

Hawthorne Heights are pure road-dogs. Since starting Stories From The Crowd I've had the chance to cover them several times through their headlining shows, the Emo Orchestra, and even their own curated "Is For Lovers" festival. The band has never lost their DIY spirit and they always bring an amazing show. This time around HH was celebrating 20 years of their biggest album If Only You Were Lonely. Like many of the shows on this tour, the room was completely sold out! The Midwest has a deep love for Hawthorne Heights. Lead singer and founding member JT Woodruff told the crowd how much they love playing Omaha. "You guys are just like us. We're from Ohio and we know what it's like to be surrounded by corn fields and sadness." While we don't have the beautiful weather of the West Coast or the fast-paced lifestyle of the East Coast we do have an amazing music scene and great sense of community.

JT told the crowd to forget about all the things going on outside and come together to scream our Emo hearts out. The crowd obliged as HH ripped through their classic album. I did some revisiting and If Only You Were Lonely is a front to back banger! So many hits! It didn't take long for some younger folks in the crowd to do some crowd surfing. Just thinking about crowd surfing these days makes my back hurt, but I won't dog on anyone else for it. Get after it!

HH treated the crowd to the full If Only You Were Lonely album before breaking out their smash hit "Nikki FM", a new song "Like A Cardinal" and of course their Midwest anthem and the song that started it all "Ohio Is For Lovers". The crowd shouted along to those famous Emo lyrics "Cut my wrists and black my eyes, so I can fall asleep tonight, or die!" For a few moments we all had swoopy hair and skinny jeans. We were only concerned about who's playing Warped Tour this summer and when is the new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater coming out. Nostalgia tours have been super popular the last few years, but Hawthorne Heights doesn't rest on the hits, they've been putting out new music all along. This year is no exception. HH's new song "Like A Cardinal" is out March 20. I'm sure there will be an accompanying album and tour so give them a follow on social media so you can catch them next time.

Hawthorne Heights has said that they want to tour forever and be like the Emo Grateful Dead. As long as they're still going I'll be there to cover it!

Thanks so much to Hawthorne Heights management for photo access.

Thanks for reading and we'll see you at the next one!