Review & Photos by:

Jordan Nathanson

The “roaring” 20s was in full swing on Saturday the 15^th when The Used sold out The Beacham. The venue was filled with fans eagerly awaiting the band to take the stage. First off, the best was the venue itself played old 90s songs that created nostalgia. Especially with the entire place singing “I’ll Be There for You” (aka the FRIENDS theme song). The lights dimmed and the crowd erupted in excitement. You could feel the music in your bones as the drums and bass shook the venue. The crowd never missed a beat while the jumped along with Bert McCraken, who also never stopped moving. Each member of the band radiated love and passion for the music they played while their fans screamed back every lyric to their songs. The band never lost their energy. Even while I was taking pictures, I could not help myself in singing along. Especially to “The Bird and the Worm”. Bert opened a few pits during the set and also high fived a crowd surfer as she made her way to the front. My favorite moment was hearing everyone sing back “I Caught Fire” because that song means a lot to me and you can tell it meant a lot to everyone else. Also, hearing everyone recite the spoken beginning of “I’m A Fake” in unison. Before their encore, Bert asked the crowd to spilt down the middle creating a “wall of love” not a “wall of death” for they are “not a hardcore band” as Bert mentioned. They played the opening not to “Pretty Handsome Awkward” and you can just see the crowd gearing up to embrace the other side. The beat dropped the sides collided with love and friendship as fans moshed along side by side one another.  They also played two songs off of their new album Heartwork: “Paradise Lost, A Poem By John Milton” and “Blow Me”. The Used have been together now for 25 years and they still touch the hearts of their fans and even the new generation with the release of Heartwork in this new decade. Heartwork drops April 24^th so be sure to check out this timeless band. You can also stream “Paradise Lost, A Poem By John Milton” and “Blow Me” on Spotify in preparation of the release.