The Used, Story Of The Year, and Amira Elfeky bring their summer tour to Michigan for a rowdy evening of hits

By Byron Morris

The Used have kicked off their summer show run having Story Of The Year and Amira Elfeky along for the ride. The packed crowd at GLC Live At 20 Monroe definitely was ready for a show. Amira Elfeky kicked things off with an energetic and calculated set. She’s going to be a star without a doubt, having only emerged onto the scene 12 months ago.

Story Of The Year hit the stage with a familiar but also fresh pop punk sound. This was my first time seeing them and they didn’t disappoint. The band had a special guest tonight, with their normal bass player having to leave for an emergency. Jason from Senses Fail helped keep the energy up throughout their set. The band tied things up in a nice bow ending with their career defining track “Until The Day I Die” while the army of grown emo kids from the crowd sang along.

The Used. WOW. Bert was fearless tonight. I have loved them from the very beginning, when they released their self-titled album (22 years ago today, actually). They kicked things off with “Pretty Handsome Awkward”. The set list was hit after hit. I found it hard to stay focused with the nostalgia, and overwhelming emotion I was getting from the band.

At one point in the night while I was taking photos, Bert noticed me singing the lyrics to “Buried Myself Alive” and pointed to me with a smile, and I think I could die happy now.

The crowd was rowdy and energetic, while the band was fluid and heavy. The raw emotion from this band is something you can’t really emulate, or experience from every band. The Used continue their tour at Uptown Theatre June 26th, in Minneapolis, MN.