Hawthorne Heights has hit the road again, this time with support from Armor for Sleep and Spitalfield. The Pitch Black Forever Tour made its way into Pittsburgh, and stopped at the Roxian Theater. This was a fantastic show, with all three bands playing INCREDIBLE sets. I caught Hawthorne Heights for the first time last Fall at Ohio Is For Lovers Festival in Cincinnati, so I was very excited to have another opportunity to shoot photos of them.
The night kicked off with a set from Spitalfield. Spitalfield was formed in 1998, and signed with Victory Records after their 2002 release The Cloak and Dagger Club EP. The band parted ways back in 2007, but reunited again in 2012. I hadn’t listened to this band leading into this night, but this set was great. This was a great way to start off the night.
The second band to play was Hawthorne Heights. This band was formed in 2001 in Dayton Ohio. As previously mentioned, this was my second time taking photos of this band. I was excited to see them coming to Pittsburgh, especially such a great venue like the Roxian Theater. Lead singer JT Woodruff, spoke about his first time attending a concert which happened to be right here in Pittsburgh. The band filled the night with all of the classic Hawthorne Heights song. The crowd was loving this set, singing along with the band through its entirety. There was also a kid in the crowd, at his first concert for his 6th birthday. Bassist Matt Ridenour gave him a pick and a setlist at the end of their set. The band of course closed out the night with a performance of a fan favorite “Ohio Is For Lovers.”
The night closed out with a set from Armor for Sleep from New Jersey. This is another band I was unfamiliar with going into the night. When they took the stage, the crowd went ballistic. There were a lot of people in the crowd who seemed to really love this band. This set was a lot of fun, all four members brought incredible energy to the stage, and the crowd responded. Armor for Sleep had went on hiatus in 2007, and announced their breakup in 2008. They reunited briefly for a few tours in 2012 and 2015, but officially reunited in 2020.
All in all, this was a perfect night for all the “elder emos” bringing back waves of nostalgia from years passed.
“And I can’t make it on my own, because my heart is in Ohio”
Live from the Pitt 