[dropcap]I[/dropcap]can’t deny the fact that my high school self really shined through last night at the Pike Room in Pontiac, Michigan when Hawthorne Heights came into town. It was, without a doubt, a dream come true to see one of my bucket list bands.
They came out playing mostly older, very familiar tunes for all of the old school Hawthorne Heights fans. Starting things off in 2006 with “We Are So Last Year,” the fans in the Pike Room immediately started singing every word right along with them. Then right away, they went into their second song with “Niki FM,” where you could really hear the crowds voices shine through. The back and fourth songs from their 2002 and 2004 albums continued through the night, only playing one “newer” song entitled “Bring You Back” from 2010’s Skeletons album.
The only issue I had throughout their entire set, was a lack of energy. Granted, it is a small, intimate stage setting, it would’ve been nice to see a little more excitement from the four members. Aside from that, their entire performance was almost flawless.
To close things out on a high note, they played their number one single and a song everybody in that room knew the lyrics to, with “Ohio is for Lovers.” Before starting the song, vocalist JT Woodruff says to the crowd, “this is our favorite song to play in Michigan for obvious reasons,” which let out some boo birds, but everybody forgave him once the song started.
All-in-all, Hawthorne Heights proved to their old school fans that they still have it, even with everything the band has been through and the limited shows they’ve played over the last few years.
