Photo Gallery: The Menzingers / A Wilhelm Scream / Ramona @ Empire Live, 05/12/2023

By Hilary Crannage On May 14, 2023

The crowd was thinner than normal at Empire Live, but by the time the show opener, Ramona, finished their first song, that all changed. Ramona started the night with a high-energy song that got the crowd’s attention. The best way to describe their style is Blink-182 but with a kick-ass female lead. In my opinion, they perfectly embodied that punk vibe that would make any elder emo nostalgic. I particularly enjoyed how the band engaged the crowd by pointing out a yeller in the crowd and mentioning that the last yeller they had the previous show was kicked out. Another notable part of their set was one of the vocalists sharing his brilliant theory that there would probably be less emos if everyone drank more water. They kept a hard and fast energy throughout their set and ended with the crowd excited for more.

Next was A Wilhelm Scream. If you’re familiar with what it is (I guarantee you’ve heard it), you’d agree that this band embodied the sound. Their energy on stage reminded me of the legendary band Sick Of It All; by the way they pulled off the dance of organized chaos. The two guitarists, bassist and lead singer all owned the stage in their own rights without bumping into each other and were all orchestrated by the drummer. Their high energy and playful demeanor on stage complimented even their heavier songs. Besides putting on a fantastic show, the band made a point to spread a message of positivity and mental health awareness. It’s great to see bands use their platform to remind people that they aren’t alone in their personal struggles. After spreading their message, the lead singer pointed out a few young families in the crowd and dedicated the next song to them before starting right back up where they left off. The energy they kept up throughout their set left the crowd wanting more and ready for the headliner, The Menzingers.

It was obvious from the moment The Menzingers stepped out on stage that the crowd was full of die-hard fans. People sang along to every song as passionately as if they were on stage themselves, and the band went with it. Compared to their predecessor, The Menzingers brought a calmer energy, but that didn’t stop the crowd from jumping around in waves. One of their guitarists, in particular, carried that energy and was constantly jumping around the stage. Not surprisingly, their song “American I love you, but you’re freaking me out” was the crowd favorite and had the loudest sing-a-long. The show took a wonderful turn when it was discovered that a rogue pigeon was hanging out in the rafters, prompting everybody in the venue to chant “PIGEON PIGEON PIGEON!” The band gave the bird shout-outs throughout the remainder of the show and ended the night with a memorable show and one dazed and confused bird.