Nashville emo band Free Throw headlined an early show last Sunday, March 24 at the Thunderbird Cafe. Doors opened at 4pm with music starting at 5.
Carpool, hailing from Rochester, NY, opened the show with catchy melodies and an infectious, fun energy. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the bass player, who pranced around the stage with a coolness reminiscent of a Guitar Hero character.
Fans of the band Super American came dressed in hot dog costumes to show their support for the opener’s leg of the tour in honor of their song “hot dog.”
Free Throw paid tribute to their fans by playing a healthy mix of new songs as well as older favorites. A hallmark of emo music to me is screaming, which is something singer Cory Castro seems to have mastered over the years. He tastefully uses screaming to add emotion to different sections of songs or to stress the importance of certain words. The crowd came alive during these moments, as if it were an invitation for them to release their emotions too. My favorite part of the set is when the band mentioned it was their drummer Zach’s birthday, and without being prompted the crowd broke out into singing “Happy Birthday.”
The show ended before the sun had even set, with just enough time for anyone wanting to catch Mom Jeans at Stage AE. It was an eventful day for fans of emo music.
Live from the Pitt 