Emo nostalgia shined brighter than ever at When We Were Young 2025

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Wow, the energy at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Sunday, October 19th was incredible! Even before the first band came on, the place was absolutely packed. People were claiming their spots right up against the stage barricade, and it was so cool seeing everyone dressed up in these amazing vaudeville-inspired outfits. You could just feel the excitement building as people talked about all their favorite artists – it was a total vibe!

By nightfall, the emo-pop punk festival had attracted nearly fifty thousand people, filling the venue to capacity. Despite the large crowd, a strong sense of community was evident, with fans of all ages – from teenagers to young adults and even parents – proudly wearing their favorite band’s merchandise and excitedly anticipating the headlining acts.

Let me rewind a bit and tell you how my day started. I got to the festival around 10 AM with a VIP ticket, which gave me access to a special viewing area on the left side of the stage for most of the day. When the first band, The Summer Set, started playing, I was right at the front, enjoying the show.

A sunlit start and a souvenir in hand at 2025 When We Were Young

The band’s energetic pop-rock created a welcoming atmosphere. Although I wasn’t familiar with their music, I found myself tapping my foot along to songs from their latest albums. While people were still arriving and getting settled with drinks and snacks, I quickly went to do a little shopping after their set.

I only bought one item of merchandise: a white festival t-shirt for $50. It featured the festival’s rat mascot on the front and the artist lineup on the back. Interestingly, the lineup on the shirt was outdated – it didn’t include the two artists added recently and still listed Sleeping with Sirens, who had previously cancelled. At least there were no spelling mistakes this year, unlike last time.

Mayday Parade took the stage next, and I was really excited to see them. Their performance was like a trip down memory lane for anyone who loves emo music. When they started playing “Jamie All Over,” it felt like everyone in the crowd knew every single word and was singing along.

Derek Sanders’ vocals were incredibly strong, and the energy from the crowd, especially the younger fans, was amazing – everyone was jumping and dancing. The band played all their biggest hits, accompanied by cool animated music videos. “Black Cat” was a standout for me, sounding even better live than on the recording.

The Story So Far brought a different energy to the stage. Their quick, upbeat pop-punk got the crowd jumping, even though I didn’t know their songs as well. It was a great change of pace from Mayday Parade’s big, singalong songs – a bit rougher around the edges, but still definitely fitting the festival’s emo and pop-punk vibe.

After finishing a few sets, I needed a good break, so I wandered over to the side stage while getting a snack. I caught part of Plain White T’s performance – I enjoyed singing along to their song “1, 2, 3, 4” and was surprised to hear their cover of Fall Out Boy’s “Dance, Dance.” The hot dog and lemonade ended up costing me $30, though!

I really enjoyed seeing how different they were from the heavier bands – their vocals were so bright and clean! The way the setlist was organized made everything flow really well, too. I even chatted with some people who’d been at the main stage, and we all agreed – this band deserved to be playing there instead of Yellowcard. Seriously, they were that good!

I was so excited for Simple Plan, I practically ran back to the main stage! It was a bit of a push to get through the crowd, but I had to get back to my sister, who’d managed to snag a spot right in the pit. They played all their hits, like “Welcome to My Life,” and even the Scooby-Doo theme song! The whole set felt like a fun pop-punk reunion, and the energy was just incredible.

During the concert, with confetti falling constantly, a red guitar pick landed right in front of me on the floor. No one else seemed to see it, so I quickly picked it up. It had a skull on it and the words “shred ’till you’re dead!” – I kept it as a special souvenir to remind me of that amazing night.

All Time Low played next, and while I mainly knew their song “Monsters” from the radio, I enjoyed the rest of their set too. The crowd seemed really into it, but the band itself seemed a little disappointed with the energy. They even jokingly called us out for not moshing during “Monsters,” which kind of killed the vibe for the rest of their performance.

The Offspring took the stage late in the afternoon, and from that point on, I already knew most of the songs from every artist who performed after them. Lead singer Dexter Holland had the same cool, slightly rebellious look as he did in their classic music videos, and the band sounded just as energetic as they did during their peak years.

The whole crowd seemed to know every lyric and sang like it was the 90s again. For many fans, the show was a burst of energetic, classic punk rock, and their older songs sounded great live. To everyone’s surprise, the man who originally played the ‘white guy’ in the ‘Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)’ video even came onstage at the end of the concert.

I was thrilled when Weezer finally started playing. They were definitely one of the bands I was most looking forward to seeing. The band, led by Rivers Cuomo, delivered a solid performance without any flashy extras – no big showmanship or talking to the audience, just really tight playing and songs that felt instantly familiar.

The band kept playing one popular song after another, but surprisingly, everything they played was from their 2008 album or earlier. I snapped a picture of the crowd behind me – there were tens of thousands of people dancing, and it seemed like they could keep going all night. I couldn’t see much of the stage myself, which is why I spent the next three hours trying to find a better view.

Right as Weezer was about to begin, a really tall man – around seven feet tall – who had been leaning against the barrier suddenly stood up and started recording on his iPad. Being only five-foot-six, I couldn’t see the band at all after that.

I was really trying to escape the guy who was blocking my view, but he wouldn’t move, and neither would anyone around us! Luckily, Blink-182 was playing on the stage next door, and over the course of their two-hour set, I slowly edged my way to the right. It was a tiny shift at a time, but eventually, I managed to get into a much better spot where he was only blocking a small part of the stage – maybe a third on the left.

Panic! at the Disco finished the night with a fantastic headlining performance. I’ve been a long-time fan, so it was a real highlight for me. They played their entire first album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, and the crowd went wild during their hit song, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies.”

The band finished the show with a repeat performance of the song, and Brendon brought out Spencer Smith, a longtime friend, to play the drums for the encore. The crowd was ecstatic – it was only the second time in twelve years that Spencer had played with the band, following a performance the previous day.

The show took an even more unexpected turn when Panic! played “New Perspective,” a song they hadn’t included in Saturday’s set. It felt like a special treat for the Sunday crowd—a rare performance that most fans wouldn’t have anticipated. Combined with the incredible lights, pyrotechnics, and fireworks, the last song of the night created a perfect ending to an amazing day.

Where nostalgia met now

Between each band’s performance, the energetic atmosphere of the festival kept everyone moving. When things slowed down – like during a set on the Pink Stage while the 7-Eleven Stage was between acts – many people, myself included, would sit down to rest, but the music was always present.

Even while sitting down, I could hear music from Avril Lavigne and Blink-182 everywhere, and the park felt like one giant, lively party. Thinking about it now, When We Were Young 2025 was a huge success for fans of emo and pop-punk music.

The festival delivered exactly what fans hoped for with performances by iconic bands like Weezer, Panic! at the Disco, Mayday Parade, The Offspring, and Plain White T’s. It also showcased up-and-coming heavier bands on smaller stages, helping to expand the music scene. Throughout the event, it was clear these songs still resonate with audiences, as everyone sang along with the artists they grew up with.

Wow, after the show, my ears were still buzzing, but in the best way possible! Seriously, seeing everyone there, it felt like all our teenage feelings weren’t just memories – they’re still very much real, and When We Were Young totally proved that. It was amazing!

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2025-11-03 22:01