In Love and Death, Fans of The Used Are United

^{Article by Natalie Silva}

Picking up where they left off in late March/early April, The Used came back to Chicago’s House of Blues for another three night stint celebrating 25 years of the band’s existence. The Used, a nostalgic-for-many emo band, is currently composed of vocalist Bert McCracken, guitarist Joey Bradford, drummer Dan Whitesides, and bassist Jepha Howard. This group’s tour has consisted of playing three albums in three nights in each city, with the first leg of the tour rotating through The Used, Maybe Memories, and In Love and Death, and the second showcasing The Used, In Love and Death, and Lies for the Liars. With a different opener every night, returning fans had a unique set to experience each time they showed up to another show. This past Saturday, Gully Boys set the stage for The Used to play through In Love and Death, and boy was it a night to remember. 

For those unfamiliar with Gully Boys, this grunge-pop band seemed to resemble a lovechild of Evanescence and Mannequin Pussy. With an immense amount of stage presence and a unique but consistent sound, Gully Boys was nothing short of impressive. Playing through their hits, you could see the crowd start to warm up to their music and get ready for The Used. Fans of The Used themselves, Gully Boys expressed their gratitude for this opportunity, and their excitement was obvious as they tore up the stage. As more fans trickled into the venue, the cheering for Gully Boys got louder and louder. Crowd interaction on “The Way” sucked in those who weren’t already jumping up and down and screaming. Closing out the set and exiting the stage, the band hung around the venue to accept congratulations, man the merch table, and watch the show themselves.

The Used’s set was a whole production. A few steps up from a traditional concert at House of Blues, the set opened with a montage video of the band over the years, and a dramatic curtain drop to reveal them on stage. Flashing lights pulsed as the album began. A heart resembling that on the album cover glowed center stage, and reminded everyone of the album’s central themes of loss and heartache. With this album’s production overlapping with the death of Bert’s pregnant ex-girlfriend, friend, and dog, the singer acknowledged the significance of this album in getting him through some of the toughest times of his life. It was clear that many fans shared this sentiment, and they cheered as Bert talked of his feelings on In Love and Death. The Used played through the album with short breaks in between some of the songs to get the crowd even more pumped and talk about the meaning behind certain tunes. The night seemed to breeze by and before everyone knew it the album had come to a close. There was still a feeling that the night hadn’t truly ended however because much of the crowd would be returning the next night, for The Used’s final show in Chicago. So, many said farewell, and many said see you later, and the show came to its final moments. The crowd poured out onto the streets of downtown Chicago, a little more united, as attendees of The Used’s 25th anniversary tour.