Simple Plan, We The Kings, Winona Fighter, and Losers Club delivered a night filled with headbanging and nostalgia for classic Emo jams on Sunday, June 1 at Outer Harbor, Terminal B. Though the weather was a bit chilly, it did not stop everyone in attendance from singing and dancing the night away.

Losers Club kicked off the night, a local band from Rochester. Right from the start, their fast-paced, bass-heavy songs energized the crowd. Unfortunately, they faced some technical difficulties throughout their set, but that did not stop them or hinder their performance. They demonstrated true artistry by continuing the show despite the challenges, which was very impressive to witness.

Next up was Winona Fighter. The band built on the energy that the Losers Club had brought from their set, sustaining and amplifying it. They recently released their debut album, My Apologies to the Chef, and performed several songs from it. The crowd was thoroughly enjoying their performance, with everyone dancing, grooving, and some even headbanging. A significant part of the audience’s enjoyment stemmed from the band’s energetic persona and compelling lyrics. You could feel the rage and frustration conveyed in some of the songs, but it wasn’t in a negative way; instead, those feelings felt quaint and necessary, helping to elevate the impact of the other songs in their set.

The last opening act was We The Kings. Winona Fighter mentioned that the previous acts served as mere appetizers for Simple Plan. When you think of the mid-2000s emo era, We The Kings is one of the bands that comes to mind. They effortlessly built on the energy established by the earlier groups. From the moment they started their performance, they transported everyone back to the mid-2000s, and the crowd sang along wholeheartedly.

It was incredible to see a diverse range of We The Kings fans in the audience. You could spot the original fans alongside a new generation discovering them for the first time, and it was heartwarming to witness this mix. You know it’s a We The Kings show without performing “Check Yes Juliet,” which is definitely a crowd favorite. When they played that song, the entire audience joined in, and I can only imagine that people outside the venue could hear the chorus echoing across the harbor.

At last, all the energy that had been building finally erupted for Simple Plan. Last year, they performed at the Darien Lake Amphitheater as one of the opening acts for Avril Lavigne. However, that night, Simple Plan truly took center stage. Having seen them before, one knew what to expect. You would think that seeing an artist about a year apart, they would lose the enthusiasm that they had the first time that you saw them, but that’s absolutely not the case with them. If anything, their enthusiasm and energy on stage were even more than before. You can genuinely see that they all love what they do. The crowd was eager for their performance.

From the moment they took the stage, everyone was fully engaged; they knew every lyric, and the energy was palpable. You could tell that the band fed off this enthusiasm and reciprocated that same excitement back to the audience. The definite highlights from the show include the opening song “Jump,” which always gets the crowd energized. Another memorable moment was during “What’s New Scooby-Doo,” where people dressed as Scooby-Doo ran around the stage, tossing merchandise into the crowd and having a great time. Additionally, “Where I Belong” featured Travis Clark from We The Kings coming out to sing with them.