Emo Nite

Limited Seating. First Come, First Served. Somehow on its journey from a melodic post-hardcore subgenre, built on earnest emotional expression, to a mainstream moniker assigned to anything remotely angsty, emo became a dirty word. Despite the positive impact ushered in by waves of bands, from the crucial Revolution Summer and Sunny Day Real Estate through Taking Back Sunday and My Chemical Romance, accepting emo as a dismissive designation or identity invited polite embarrassment and even scorn.But Freed and Petracca grew up loving the music associated with emo and the people like them who similarly embraced outsider art and subculture, regardless of changing fashions or pretentious snobbery. Petracca told The New Yorker the idea behind the first Emo Nite celebration was to center a happy, communal experience on the music they once listened to when they were upset and alone.I sang Dashboard Confessional at karaoke at a friends birthday party and thought it was super fun to go out with friends and listen to music we actually liked, recalls Petracca, who met Freed when the pair worked at a creative agency together. Every other club in LA played EDM, Top 40, or hip-hop. We always found ourselves pre- gaming with emo and pop-punk music before we went out.Freed knew a bartender at the Short Stop in Echo Park and convinced him to let them throw a party on a random, rainy Tuesday. They invited friends via Facebook; double the bars capacity turned up. We decided to see how far we could take it, Petracca says. Who would be the craziest guest? We invited Mark Hoppus, and he came! He did our first one at Echoplex, which was our third party ever.Theres no disconnect between the artist and fan, Freed points out. I think thats brought people closer to the music. It created a really strong sense of community, at a time when emo wasnt cool.There may be a surprise acoustic set or even a full-band performance, but ultimately, its about the experience. Emo Nite turned a party into a community, reclaiming the spirit of how the scene began.Its now a recurring event thrown by dozens of friends in over 50 cities in the United States. Emo Nite runs full-day festivals and curates coveted performance spots at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Firefly, and more. Freed and Petracca launched successful clothing collaborations with brands like OBEY, Urban Outfitters, PLEASURES, The Hundreds, Rose in Good Faith, Market, and OWSLA.$1 from every ticket sold will be donated to Living The Dream Foundation