Emo Royale show pays tribute to Green Day, Paramore, Fall Out Boy and more
Sounds come in waves.
Though listeners can trace the concept of emo — or an emotionally-focused style of rock — back to the 1980s hardcore scene, the music and surrounding style has gone through numerous revolutions.
With the third edition of its Emo Royale show ahead in August, Columbia venue The Blue Note keys in on the versions of emo and punk that ring true to listeners who came of age from the mid-'90s through the early aughts. Bands with massive sales numbers and fervent followings are treated with honor by regional acts who play some of their most significant songs.
Here's a quick guide to the bands both receiving and paying tribute.
Fall Out Boy
Point of origin: After several successful EPs, the suburban Chicago band released its debut full-length, "Take This to Your Grave," in May 2003.
Vibes: Singer Patrick Stump infuses the band's high-energy, pop-edged sound with a dose of soul.
Signature songs: "Sugar, We're Going Down," "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)," "Centuries"
Emo Royale counterpart: Columbia's Twenty Seven League ride the line between punk and metal, selling their songs with giant hooks and dark riffs.
Green Day
Point of origin: The East Bay Area punks channeled several years of underground goodwill into its 1990 indie debut "39/Smooth."
Vibes: More than 30 years into its career, Green Day continues to wed the ethos it honed in basement shows to genuine rock-star charisma, crafting rock bashers and pop anthems.
Signature songs: "Basket Case," "When I Come Around," "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
Emo Royale counterpart: Columbia's New Car Scent wears its lo-fi heart on its sleeve, building a catalog of inventive, endearing songs.
My Chemical Romance
Point of origin: New Jersey; the band's debut "I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love" broke through in summer 2002.
Vibes: Led by dynamic singer Gerard Way, the band is known for its "emo-punk songwriting, theatrical vocals, and neo-goth appearance," AllMusic notes; the result sometimes approximates an emo version of Queen.
Signature songs: "Welcome to the Black Parade," "Teenagers," "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)," "Famous Last Words"
Emo Royale counterpart: Columbia trio The Many Colored Death, a power trio that takes rock — but not itself — serious, with killer musicianship and a wide vocal and musical range.
Paramore
Point of origin: The Franklin, Tennessee-formed band struck out with its gold-selling debut "All We Know is Falling" in 2005.
Vibes: Singer Hayley Williams brings megawatt star power to the Paramore sound, which can reach the back of a sold-out arena yet still feels intimate and directly focused.
Signature songs: "Misery Business," "The Only Exception," "Still Into You"
Emo Royale counterpart: Midwestern rockers Last American Cowboy know how to thread the needle between atmospheric and anthemic sounds.
Taking Back Sunday
Point of origin: Long Island, New York; after several EPs, the band's first full-length, "Tell All Your Friends," arrived in March 2002.
Vibes: The band scuffs up its melodic sensibilities with jagged vocal and guitar tones; as publications like AllMusic has noted, the Taking Back Sunday sound is "rooted in anthemic punk and hardcore."
Signature songs: "A Decade Under the Influence," "MakeDamnSure," "Cute Without the 'E' (Cut from the Team)"
Emo Royale counterpart: Conman Economy plays with energy and heaviness, allowing its sound to expand and contract as the song requires.
Emo Royale III takes place at 8 p.m. Aug. 13. Tickets are $7-$10. Visit https://thebluenote.com/ for details.
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. Find him on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Paramore, Fall Out Boy and more receive Emo Royale tribute
