Written & Reviewed by Clinton Camper

MAY 3, Austin, TX — On a Saturday night at ACL Live, Mayday Parade gave Austin a lesson in romanticism, heartbreak, and scream-along catharsis—aka, the full emo experience. Touring in celebration of their 20-year legacy (Three Cheers for Twenty Years), the Tallahassee-born band showed up ready to honor every album, every era, and every fan who’s ever scribbled their lyrics on a Converse toe cap.

They kicked off the night with “Sweet,” before launching into a whirlwind, career-spanning setlist that included deep cuts from Tales Told By Dead Friends, Anywhere but Here, Black Lines, Sunnyland, and beyond. The crowd—spanning Warped Tour veterans to younger fans who found “Jamie All Over” on TikTok—was locked in from the first downstroke.

There were surprises, too: Like Roses’ Amy Schmalkuche joined for a fiery “More Like a Crash,” and Nathan Hardy of Microwave jumped in on “Who’s Laughing Now.” But the biggest nostalgia gut-punch came during the encore, when original vocalist Jason Lancaster returned for a heart-shattering “One Man Drinking Games” and “Jamie All Over.” You could feel the collective emotional damage in the room—and we mean that in the best way.

The transitions between songs were tight, the visuals slick but not distracting, and the energy? Relentless. "Miserable at Best" turned the Moody Theater into a city-wide group therapy session, while “Ghosts” and “Oh Well, Oh Well” reminded everyone why Mayday Parade never fell off—they just kept evolving with their fans.

If emo never dies, Mayday Parade is the reason why. Two decades in and they’re still writing, screaming, and singing with the kind of sincerity that never gets old—even when the rest of us do.