Those Days Are Gone, These Days Have Just Begun

^{Article by Natalie Silva}

What better way to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Free Throw’s debut album Those Days Are Gone than with a sold-out show at Metro Chicago?! Featuring openers Harrison Gordon and Ben Quad, emo lovers far and wide flocked to the venue to see these three acts tear up the stage on Friday night. 

Bringing the energy from the moment they walked on stage, Harrison Gordon of Normal, IL set the bar high for the evening to come. With a slew of killer songs like “The Next Great American Spirit Strikes Back!” and “BLEACH,” and an impressive fanbase to back them up, the band lived up to their reputation of being one of the best up and coming emo bands in the scene. Sporting matching “Loyalty” shirts from a tour stop and giving the crowd the interaction they craved, Harrison Gordon matched their music with personality and converted those who weren’t already into new (loyal) fans. By the end of their set it was hard to remember that they were an opener, and as Cory Castro of Free Throw said later, this is sure to be one of the last times they will tour as one. Giving thanks to Free Throw for the foundation they laid in the genre, Harrison Gordon finished their set with “Kirby Down B” before passing along the torch to Ben Quad. 

Ben Quad is a newer staple in the emo clique of artists like Arm’s Length, Hot Mulligan, and Origami Angel, all of whom the band has played alongside. This Oklahoma City band is easily recognized by their math rock influence, and lead guitarist Edgar’s tapping that always wows the crowd as he dominates center stage. With vocals switching off between Sam on rhythm guitar and Henry on bass, and Isaac’s drumming rounding out their sound beautifully, Ben Quad is the perfect image of balance. Playing through their hits like “We’re Gonna Be Here For A While” and “Would You Tell Picasso To Sell His Guitars?,” the band had the crowd jumping and moshing and staying warmed up for the main event. The crowd had a nice chuckle between songs, with Ben Quad’s “tuning music” featuring a mix of house beats and WII interludes. The band also had a matching shirt-off with Harrison Gordon, arguing that their “Laugh Now, Cry Later” shirts were way cooler. A personal and crowd favorite song is always “You’re Part of It,” which was second to close out Ben Quad’s set. Shortly after, and in an eruption of applause, the audience said farewell to one set of emo men, and hello to the next. 

To put it plainly, Free Throw rocked. There is no better feeling than seeing one of your favorite bands get the recognition and praise they deserve. Formed in Nashville in 2012, Free Throw has spent a lot of time over the years building the following that came out to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of their beloved album Those Days Are Gone. It was no surprise when this show was labeled as having low ticket availability only a month after the tour’s announcement, and was sold out the very next. 

A perfect album to play through at a show, Those Days Are Gone is a half-hour masterpiece featuring themes of beer, love, hate, and heartbreak. With “Such Luck” sucking everyone in, and “Two Beers In” making it impossible to stop, listening to this album usually involves a lot of repressed screaming; however, at a live show all bets are off. There was not a moment during this set where you couldn’t hear the lyrics being shouted at the top of every fans’ lungs as the band had everyone pushing towards the stage in an effort to show their passion. The attempt to stop crowd-surfers was a constant battle for the venue’s workers, and people spun on the hands of their fellow attendees until the waves of the mosh pushed them down to the ground and safety. The band’s frontman, Cory Castro, expressed the band’s immense gratitude for their fans, their openers, and their history in Chicago. Even beginning to tear up at one point, Castro was humble as he joked that he never thought the band would make it ten years let alone have the influence it has had. With energy the highest during “Tongue Tied” and “What Day Is It, October?,” the band effortlessly breezed through the album. Then, as it came time for the closer, “Hey Ken, Someone Methodically Mushed the Donuts,” a special guest made an appearance to perform the re-recorded version of the song. None other than Hot Mulligan’s Tades Sanville took the stage to rock out alongside the band, and fans went crazy. An emo music icon, Tades was the perfect addition to an already amazing set, and made the anniversary tour feel that much more special. Giving the crowd a second to cool off after the album’s run through, the band exited the stage for a moment to regroup before playing their big encore of songs not on Those Days Are Gone. Security guards could be seen spraying water into the crowd and fans sighed as the cold breeze from the fans hit the tops of their sweaty heads. The lights flashed, transition music glitched, and before anyone had a chance to think too much, Tades and the band reappeared for “A Part is Better Than Zero”. The band made sure to throw in some older favorites including “The Corner’s Dilemma” and the, unfortunately, final song of the night, “Randy, I Am The Liquor.” A final image of the set was at least three hands grabbing the wrist of drummer Zach in an effort to grab a setlist, drumstick, or anything the band was willing to give up. It was a party until the very end, and as the crowd filtered out into the streets of Wrigleyville, Free Throw shirts could be spotted at every corner. Ten years in the making, this night was one to remember, for the band, for the fans, and everyone in between.