Saturday night at the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem, PA, felt like stepping into a full-on time machine. Inside those casino walls lived the entire mid-2000s emo, hardcore, and post-hardcore universe — music, energy, and even the nostalgic accessories to match. The second leg of the All’s Well That Ends Well 20th Anniversary Tour kicked back off earlier this month with a stacked lineup that blended the heavy, the emotional, and the iconic: Big Ass Truck, Emmure, Hawthorne Heights, and of course, Chiodos.
Big Ass Truck opened with a heavy, breakdown-packed set laced with humor — the perfect icebreaker. Their newest single, “Big Ass Beer,” fit their whole vibe effortlessly, with fans raising drinks and moshing from wall to wall.
Emmure followed with a blistering, strobe-laden assault that rattled the casino floors. Their closer, “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong,” hit exactly the way every mid-2000s hardcore kid remembers — loud, chaotic, and cathartic.
But the heart of the night lived in the barricade. Elder emos brought their kids to share the moment. Couples wore matching band tees, proudly showing off 20-year commitments to their favorite bands. And then there were the teenagers — scene haircuts, piercings, jelly bracelets, digital cameras — kids who looked like they stepped straight out of 2005. They screamed every lyric without hesitation. It was emotional seeing the next generation embrace the culture so deeply. Our elder-emo hearts were full.
Hawthorne Heights shifted the room into full emo/post-hardcore mode. Their melodic hooks and emotional lyrics hit as hard now as they did in the early 2000s. Frontman JT Woodruff spoke directly to anyone who grew up dealing with divorce or feeling lost, reminding fans that their music was written to give people a place to belong.
He ended their set by setting up the time-capsule moment: “Ohio Is For Lovers.” Woodruff told the crowd, “No matter what music you listen to, let’s sing this song together… we’re going to blow it out.” And everyone did.
Before their closer he also said, “Forget about what’s going on up here” — he pointed to his head — “and what’s going on outside in the world. Remember what it was like the first time music made you feel less alone. That’s what we’re doing tonight.” It was the kind of moment that made the entire room breathe in unison.
Chiodos took the stage next — or rather, the stage took on a new energy entirely. While the crowd waited, a girl in a cloak walked the pit swinging a thurible filled with frankincense and myrrh, filling the room with smoke and mystique.
Though Chiodos officially disbanded in 2016, this tour marks their most meaningful resurrection since stepping back into the spotlight in 2023. With Craig Owens as the only original member, the weight of the night rested entirely on his presence — and he delivered. Dressed in all white satin with black Docs, he looked like he had come to perform a ritual, not a set.
Owens paused to honor touring guitarist/backing vocalist Mitch Rodgers, who grew up just 20 minutes from the venue. Rodgers talked about seeing his favorite bands play here as a kid — and now living his dream on that same stage.
During “Baby, You Wouldn’t Last a Minute on the Creek,” Owens gave the crowd two rules:
- If you’ve never crowd-surfed, you’re doing it now.
- If this is your first show ever? You have to crowd-surf too.
And they listened. Suddenly the pit turned into a sea of bodies moving overhead, strangers locking arms and singing together at full volume. It felt spiritual — people who’d never met sharing one of the most emotional songs of the era.
Hearing the entire All’s Well That Ends Well album performed front to back was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone who lived through the original wave. Owens sounded shockingly close to the album — every high, every falsetto, every scream delivered with the same rawness you’d remember blasting through a scratched Walkman CD in 2005.
Even if you haven’t been to a show in years, this is the one you don’t want to miss. It felt like a reunion, a revival, and a reminder of why this music mattered — and still does.
Chiodos Tour
Photos: Brittany Lynn / Rock Documented – Wind Creek Events Center
