10 acts to see at this year’s When We Were Young Festival

This year, When We Were Young Festival finds its way into heavier realms. Metalcore and pop punk have gone hand in hand. The lines are blurred between Bring Me the Horizon fans and Pierce The Veil vets, A Day to Remember devotees and followers of the Used. But taking things a step further, into heavier territory, isn’t as common. After three successful years, When We Were Young has hit all of the marks within the emo/pop-punk world, featuring two momentous My Chemical Romance returns, a poignant Paramore performance, and Green Day pulling out all the classics for a fantastic, unapologetic set. For many of these moments, it felt as though time evaporated — some retreating to a high school bedroom, or the pages of a dog-eared AP in the early aughts, some simply catching a feeling that had been dormant, and connecting with others in its midst. For its fourth iteration this weekend, in partnership with 7/11, When We Were Young returns, with a slight twist. In addition to our favorite scene faces, some newer bands, and some heavier sounds, have been added to the mix.

With legends like Bad Religion and fresher faces like Drain, Sunami, and more, the forthcoming weekend urges us to experience both sweet nostalgia and embrace the present — and maybe even let off a little steam while we’re at it. We’ll sing of Sk8er Bois and sleepin’ all day, stayin’ up all night, and also slam dance beside Knocked Loose and Destroy Boys.

Read more: 10 pop artists who played Warped Tour

We’re looking out, as well as back, at an expanding landscape for alternative music that includes hardcore in the mainstream and sees young artists getting vocal about their beliefs and boundaries. There’s far more overlap and inspiration drawn between the bands on this lineup than we can even imagine — and collaboration we’ll surely see in real time, on site. Keep your eyes peeled for our coverage of the festival on Veeps all weekend, where we’ll be sitting down with bands as the exclusive backstage partner.

Avril Lavigne

The reigning Pop-Punk Princess has left an impact on the industry, and scene, since her 2002 breakout, Let Go, bolstered by classic pop-punk/skate-punk anthems like “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi.” Her work blends punk attitude with melodic pop sensibility alongside lyrics that tap into rebellion, heartbreak, and identity. Along the way, Avril Lavigne has remained an unwavering style icon. She broke out in studded bracelets, dirty Converse, and a plaid skirt — and to this day only continues to refine her trademark aesthetic. She’s still rocking plaid skirts, though the Converse are custom-made, rather than dirty.

Bad Religion

Bad Religion are one of the pillars of American punk rock. Formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, the band made their name through Ramonesy tempos, tasteful melodicism, and highly literate lyrics that traverse themes of media, science, and societal issues. “Bad Religion have a lot of persistence, but we never set out to restrict anyone’s activities, beliefs, or willingness to participate in the band,” vocalist Greg Graffin told AP in 2020. “We’ve never had a rulebook. We all really just did what we wanted…” That includes the members’ myriad side projects, from Brian Baker’s Fake Names to Brett Gurewitz’s Error. “There’s something that comes together when we decide to make Bad Religion music, and it’s informed by all those outside activities. That’s part of the strength of the band.” Expect a tight, veteran performance when they hit the Ghost stage this weekend.

Destroy Boys

The members of Destroy Boys have grown up quite a bit in the past few years, but they’ve held true to their punk ethos and open heart. In the process, the NorCal trio have created a soundtrack for early adulthood while empowering those who feel othered through their visceral anthems. Whether that’s furious industry clapbacks or examining their experiences of gender nonconformity, DEBO have perfected a message that resonates. Their fierce frontperson Alexia Roditis says it best: “Since we purge our emotions through these songs, it’s very raw, and it’s honest. I feel like people can relate to that clearly — because what we’re feeling is very clear.” Arrive early for their set on Pink Stage this weekend, where they’ll deliver a raw, powerful punk show.

Drain

In the last few years, Drain have been putting people onto Bay Area hardcore, becoming a staple of the scene through their high energy and PMA. It’s easy to see why — the Santa Cruz band have an intensely satisfying sound that mixes old-school hardcore with thrash metal’s speed and aggression. It makes for huge fun, motivating their fans to arrive in shark costumes, toss around beach balls, and crowd-surf on boogie boards. While readying their latest album, …Is Your Friend, their recent shows have been packed out, filled with circle pits and pool noodles in equal measure. We predict that their When We Were Young set will be no different.

Knocked Loose

Knocked Loose threw down at Coachella in 2023, giving them loads of warranted attention. They’ve only continued to blow up since, defined by expansive breakdowns, full-throated energy, and lawless pits. In fact, the band have increasingly elevated each of their albums, merging the raw power of hardcore with metalcore heaviness — especially on last year’s You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To. Their music is built for sweat-slicked scream-alongs that prove why they’re one of modern hardcore’s finest. Sandwiched between Yellowcard and the Used on Pink Stage, look forward to a physical, full-force hardcore set.

Panic! at the Disco

Twenty-five years later, it’s clear that Panic! at the Disco’s debut album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, brought a theatrical twist to emo music, where polished cabaret, baroque pop, and massive storytelling coalesced into an immersively catchy whole. Point blank: It’s pure showmanship from start to end, built for gawky youth. As the festival’s headlining moment, this is definitely a highlight for thousands of Doc Martin-clad emos flying into Las Vegas. Expect dramatic staging, huge vocals (Brendon Urie has nothing if not incredible range), and a potent blast of nostalgia from one of 2005’s greatest albums.

Yellowcard

Not every canonical pop-punk band from the 2000s can create hits with a violin — let alone one from the 1600s. However, it’s a big part of the Yellowcard sound and story. From their hardcore beginnings to their impact on alternative culture through 2003’s Ocean Avenue, the Warped Tour vets have been through a lot, including breaking up in 2016, reuniting for anniversary shows in 2022, and creating their latest album, Better Days, with Travis Barker. Released last week, the band are still riding that high — striking a balance between sugary nostalgia and a fresher sound. There’ll be no shortage of sing-along moments, crowd favorites, and veteran stagecraft when they hit Pink Stage.

The Used

The Used have been celebrating their 25th birthday in style, playing through a trio of their beloved albums — 2002’s self-titled, 2004’s In Love and Death, and 2007’s Lies For the Liars — as part of an anniversary tour that’s been going on for the better part of the year. Given that the band dominated Warped Tour in the 2000s and played at WWWYF in 2022 and 2024, it only makes sense that they’re bringing their anguished songs to Las Vegas Festival Grounds. We’re anticipating an incendiary performance that melds past and present, punctuated by Bert McCracken’s gut-punching screams.

Arm’s Length

Ontario’s very own Arm’s Length have become one of the most heartfelt voices in the new emo revival. Earlier this year, they signed with Pure Noise Records and released their second studio album, There’s a Whole World Out There, which was written entirely by frontman Allen Steinberg. Their music and lyricism thrive on vulnerability, and the band are unafraid to confront difficult themes throughout their music. Sonically, they sit somewhere between the Hotelier and Modern Baseball, delicate in one breath, explosive the next. As one of the new wave of emo bands, their set will have a communal energy that is akin to a gritty and intimate basement show. 

PVRIS

PVRIS, masterminded by Lynn Gunn, has long blurred genre lines, from the dark synth-pop of White Noise to the electro-rock of Evergreen. Since, Gunn has leaned further and further into the role as the sole creative force of PVRIS, the band have truly gone from strength to strength, even opening for Linkin Park earlier this summer. Ahead of their second leg of their North American tour for White Noise’s 10th anniversary, their set at When We Were Young is bound to show just how much the band have evolved in the last decade. Live, expect hypnotic visuals, commanding vocals, and an emotionally charged performance defined by Gunn’s spitting delivery.

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