The anticipation I felt leading up to photographing this show wasn’t quick or fleeting. It was a slow, simmering build that had been growing since the last time I saw Chiodos at When We Were Young 2024 almost exactly a year ago. I didn’t get to catch their full set then, but I knew that seeing them in a smaller local venue would turn this night into something unforgettable.
I don’t make it to Albany as often as I do other parts of the state, but I was pleasantly surprised by where Empire Live sits within the city. My husband and I dropped our bags at a hotel just down the street and wandered through what felt like an arts district glowing with Christmas lights. It made for a cozy, pretty walk to the venue. When we arrived, there was still a line snaking around even close to start time, which only made my excitement grow. And major credit to the friendly and efficient security staff who made getting inside surprisingly easy.
Once through the doors, it felt like stepping straight back into my early hardcore and emo show days. Empire Live isn’t dressed up with unnecessary tech or flash. It’s intimate and simple in the best way, with a small room, merch, a bar, and a crowd ready to scream their lungs out. Big Ass Truck had already launched into their set, and their energy was exactly what the room needed to kick things into gear.
They brought their California hardcore flare with full force, holding nothing back as they tore into songs like “Corn Fed” and “Big Ass Beer.” They aren’t a style I usually gravitate toward, but they completely won me over. I genuinely hope I get to see them again sometime.
Emmure took the stage next, immediately filling the room with their signature barrage of strobe lights. You usually expect the loudest excitement to come from fans waiting for the headliner, but the Albany crowd was all in for Emmure. “You Asked for It” hit hard as everyone chanted and moshed with pure devotion. “Pigs Ear” might have been my personal favorite of the night. Even though their lighting made them one of the most challenging bands I’ve ever photographed, the shots I captured feel like absolute treasures now.
Hawthorne Heights followed with their sweet, nostalgic wave of emo melody. They joked about being the softest or happiest band on the tour, which only made the crowd love them more. I had just seen them a few nights earlier in Syracuse, so I knew what was coming, yet they still managed to blow me away all over again. My husband was most excited for their set, and watching him sing along to “Pens and Needles” and “Niki FM” for the first time in a room full of people made me feel like I was experiencing the band through brand-new eyes. With some words of wisdom about carrying on the amazing parts of emo culture and doing better than the generations before us, they left the whole room feeling inspired.
And finally, Chiodos. A hooded figure appeared, saging the stage of any negative energy, and the crowd murmured with anticipation for the band we were all there to celebrate: twenty years of All’s Well That Ends Well. This album paved so many of our emo years with Craig’s angelic voice and the kind of catchy, emotional songs we sang ourselves to sleep with. Craig Owens has continued to create hits over the years, but celebrating this anniversary felt different. The band played the entire album in the order they chose, and when they hit my favorite, “There’s No Penguins in Alaska,” the moment felt electric. Craig spun his microphone and sang with the same passion he had twenty years ago at the start of this album’s legacy.
Albany fans moshed, jumped, crowd surfed, and stretched their voices toward the stage, making sure the band felt every ounce of energy in that room. They added in fan favorites like “The Undertaker’s Thirst for Revenge Is Unquenchable. (The Final Battle)” and “Bulls Make Money, Bears Make Money, Pigs Get Slaughtered,” sending the crowd into complete chaos in the best way. The night closed on a sweet, nostalgic note with “Loving Every Minute of It. We Just Walk Away,” leaving everyone buzzing.
On the walk back to our hotel, my husband and I reminisced about the show and about seeing Chiodos at When We Were Young just a year earlier. We both agreed that Chiodos holds their place in the emo and hardcore scene as one of the most formative and greatest bands to ever do it. If you have the chance to catch this tour, you will not be disappointed. And with that, we’ll see you next time in the pit.
Amanda Miller | Photographer and Reviewer for Good News York
