Emo Orchestra and the origin of emo music

Emo to me is like a softer version of punk. Emocore is a subgenre of hardcore punk that originated in the 1980s. In 1985, Thrasher Magazine coined the term "emocore" to describe a new wave of bands that moved away from traditional hardcore and focused more on introspective lyrics and slower paced, adventurous music.

The first emo act, Rites of Spring, was led by Guy Picciotto, who later co-founded the influential hardcore band Fugazi. Rites of Spring drew inspiration from punk band Minor Threat, combining rock with emotional lyrics that focused on personal pain and suffering. Embrace was another Washington D.C. emo band, active from the summer of 1985 to the spring of 1986. Along with Rites of Spring, Beefeater, and Gray Matter, it was one of the mainstay acts of the 1985 Revolution Summer movement. A Dischord Records employee coined the phrase Revolution Summer to revive the hardcore punk scene of Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1985.

Rites of Spring:



In the early 2000s, emo and emo pop entered mainstream culture, though emo pop developed in the 1990s. Emo pop (or emo pop punk) is a subgenre of emo with pop music influences, shorter songs, and hook-filled choruses.  With Jimmy Eat World's 2001 album Bleed American and the success of its single "The Middle," emo pop became popular in the early 2000s.  The Promise Ring, Jimmy Eat World, and The Get Up Kids are also early emo pop bands. During the mid-2000s, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, and Paramore rose to prominence.

This was a time when the emo aesthetic, characterized by band tees, heavy eyeliner, dyed hair, side swept bangs, and distressed Converse sneakers, was more than a fashion trend. It wasn't just about looking cool, but building community and identity through shared symbols.

In January 2002, the Honolulu Advertiser described emo people as "intentionally unshowy": "these guys often ride bicycles, keep diaries, write poetry and hang out at coffee shops. They prefer art films to Hollywood blockbusters and frequent independent music stores. They are usually shy and introspective."

I used to listen to Fugazi and dozens of emo bands years ago. I already knew some Rites of Spring songs. A few bands that I liked: At the Drive-In, Finch, Hey Mercedes, The Used, Funeral for a Friend, AFI, Thrice, Thursday, Dashboard Confessional. Bands like AFI sound more like a fusion of emo and post-hardcore than just emo. Looking up old groups and their songs, many of which I had forgotten all about, is fun. Seems I have heard everything over the years!

Here's a cool event I just discovered... Emo Orchestra combines emo rock with a full orchestra arrangement in a live performance. Designed for emo fans and classical music enthusiasts, the experience was created by Ben Mench-Thurlow and his wife Kristen Mench-Thurlow. On September 27, 2023, Emo Orchestra began its inaugural tour in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hawthorne Heights were also special guests on the tour. This year, Emo Orchestra welcomes Escape the Fate as its guest this spring.  Escape the Fate will perform their own hits as well as songs by New Found Glory, My Chemical Romance, and Panic! at the Disco, among others.

Hawthorne Heights covers Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" at Emo Orchestra:



With the music and the concert's energy, the orchestra sounds great. I actually enjoy orchestral music with a live band, it's exciting! Check it out if you're an emo fan, and tell anyone you know who is, too. This event might appeal to fans of alternative rock and/or rock music as well. ♪♫

Remaining tour dates:

MAY 21, 2024, Fresno, CA - Tower Theatre
MAY 22, 2024, Sacramento, CA - Crest Theatre
MAY 23, 2024, Boise, ID - The Egyptian Theatre
MAY 24, 2024, Portland, OR - Roseland Theater

Emo Orchestra: www.emo-orchestra.com