Early 2000’s rock and emo took center stage on Tuesday as the Scream Team Tour rolled into Raleigh. Alt-rock bands Story of the Year and Senses Fail are bringing the co-headlining tour to major cities across the United States over the course of two months, and The Ritz saw them fresh and ready to rock for night two. The elder emo’s, now in their late 30’s and 40’s, embraced the fact that it wasn’t just a phase, as they spent the evening shouting out lyrics to their favs from over twenty years ago. Likewise, the bands themselves showed that even after all this time, the energy and emotions haven’t diminished a bit.

First to hit the stage was New Jersey’s Armor for Sleep. The band was in Raleigh a little over a year ago as an opener for Bayside’s tour, and Raleigh was eager to welcome them back. Armor For Sleep’s set consisted of songs plucked from several of their albums. A couple of newer songs made the setlist, “The Outer Ring” and “Breathe Again”, both from the band’s latest release, There Is No Memory, which just dropped earlier this month. But most notable were the songs from 2005’s What to Do When You Are Dead. From lead singer Ben Jorgensen’s first notes of “Stay on the Ground” to the last lyrics of “Car Underwater”, their set was time travel, transporting you back to when you heard these songs for the first time. The crowd sang along to every word, and there were noticeably several sets of parents who’d brought their children along to the show, introducing Gen Alpha to the music that has shaped so much of their lives. 

Next up for the night with no shortage of energy at all was St. Louis-based Story of the Year. Setting the tone for their portion of the evening, the band members took to the stage with Razor scooters, riding along to the sound of Vangelis’ “Chariots of Fire”. What followed for the next hour or so was proof of how this band is still going strong after over 20 years. Kicking the night off, the band introduced fans to “Gasoline (All Rage Still Only Numb) which was just released last month. The song comes from their upcoming 2026 album release, A.R.S.O.N., and by the looks of the crowd, they are eager and ready to hear more. From newest to oldest, they next hit the room with “And The Hero Will Drown” from their 2003 debut album, Page Avenue. The song is pure nostalgia for these fans, and its raw energy transports them back to the earlier days of their adolescence. Old and new were weaved in and out throughout the set, as concertgoers were urged to make a circle pit around The Ritz’s iconic pole in the middle of the floor. At one point during the set, drummer Josh Wills managed to mildly injure himself with his drumstick. With blood dripping down his shoulder, lead singer Dan Marsala quipped, “It’s called emo, look it up dude!” Closing their set with “Until The Day I Die” left the crowd wanting more and wishing the set didn’t have to end. The band joked earlier in the night that they couldn’t remember the last time they were in Raleigh, but it’s apparent that they would quickly be welcomed back with open hearts and raises fists.

Rounding out the night of rock and emo was Senses Fail, also of New Jersey. It’s been a few years since the guys played here in Raleigh, and they were noticeably missed. With a stage presence that commands you to have a good time, the fans were hooked from the start of Let It Enfold You’s “Buried A Lie”. The antics that followed through the course of the next hour highlight the levity in the band that ebbs and flows with some of the darker themes of their music. Lead singer Buddy Nielsen is frequently seen whipping his microphone around on stage, at one point breaking it from the cord completely. Astonished by his actions, he threw it into the crowd and left one fan with a memory they’ll never forget. 

Nielson also didn’t shy away from drawing attention to what you could call, the elephant in the city. North Carolina made national headlines this week as ICE worked their way through Raleigh, Durham, and Charlotte. On the day of this tour stop, many businesses throughout the city closed their doors for the safety and security of both their employees and their customers. Nearby music venue Kings even cancelled a show that was planned to be held there that evening due to the visible ICE presence downtown. Nielson led enthusiastic chants during the show exclaiming that we were going to “heat things up” because it was too cold, and ensuring there was no confusion towards his feelings, a simple “[expletive] ICE”. 

The evening was full of vocal power, dynamic drum and guitar range, and emotional lyrics that have lasted for decades. There is no mistaking that this was a post-hardcore/emo show, but this was about way more than just dark hair and skinny jeans. This was a personal connection to the feelings of young adulthood meshing with their future. It was fans reliving the years of their youth and revisiting those songs that made them feel like someone else understood. These artists, staples of the emo scene of the early 2000’s, showed that so many years later, they still have what it takes to make the crowd feel alive.

Review and photos by KT Lafferty of Twelve07Photography who was gracious enough to help us out on this one.

Story of the Year