Eric Butler jumps off of drum kit alongside Sam Kless on bass
(The Emory Wheel / Noor Aldayeh)
“I can only hope you all have as much fun as we’re having,” said Eric Butler, the lead singer of Mom Jeans., as the band neared the end of their set. “We like to perform every show like it is our last time here.”
The crowd roared, and the show felt just as exciting as it did nearly six hours ago when the doors first opened.
Hailing all the way from the Bay area, punk rock band Mom Jeans. has been a staple in the garage rock scene since 2016. Right after they released their newest album “Sweet Tooth” on Feb. 25, the group made their way over to The Masquerade (Heaven) on Sept. 22 as part of their North American tour. The venue was packed to the brim with body surfers, constant moshers and shamelessly dancing concert goers; all of whom remained just as involved from the beginning of the show to the end.
Prior to the headliners reaching the stage, there were three openers set to warm up the soon to be riled crowd. First up was Small Crush, whose sweet tunes and fun-loving stage presence was a delightful start to the night. Soon after, Just Friends took to the stage to completely switch the tone, beginning to hype up the crowd, whose energy remained just as elevated as the night progressed. In their first song, main vocalist Brianda “Brond” Goyos Leon and vocalist/instrumentalist Sam Kless split the crowd to create a mosh pit and commanded the audience to get moving. Their entire set felt as though it were an intimate house party that the audience got an invite to, even as they remained on the largest stage The Masquerade has to offer.
Brianda “Brond” Goyos Leon of Just Friends
(The Emory Wheel / Noor Aldayeh)
Last but not least came iconic emo band Free Throw, who, as Butler explained later, was the first group to ever take Mom Jeans. on tour as an opening act. This group was absolutely magical, and while I had only heard one or two songs from them, I was blown away by the vocals of Cory Castro, as well as the support by the rest of the group. While their set was not the party-like groove of the act before them, the songs that the crowd knew by heart and the smooth transition into the emo rock sound was a beautiful lead into the headliners.
Cory Castro of Free Throw
(The Emory Wheel / Noor Aldayeh)
After a quick backdrop change, Mom Jeans. finally made their way to the stage as the crowd broke into ear-splitting screams and cheers. They begin the set with “Crybaby (On the Phone)” followed by “Edward 40Hands” and one of my favorite songs from their newest album: “Something Sweet.” Throughout the entirety of the night, the setlist seemed to play out to truly please their original fans just as much as their newer ones, having a nearly equal distribution between their latest album and their hit debut, “Best Buds.”
While it is indeed their most popular song, there was nothing quite like the experience of hearing “Death Cup” live for the first time alongside this crowd. A classic garage rock staple and one of the defining songs of my own teenage life, it was absolutely amazing to be able to scream the lyrics (and well, screams) of the tune with a crowd who so clearly adored the group. This song was one that I would literally play daily for nearly two years in a row — so it truly was a special moment to hear within this setting.
Mom Jeans. (Left to right: Bart Thomson, Austin Carango, Eric Butler, Sam Kless)
(The Emory Wheel / Noor Aldayeh)
It was clear to see, at every point in the night, just how down to earth this group truly was. Constantly thanking the Masquerade staff for their amazing treatment and continually hyping up all of the openers that preceded them, it is glaringly apparent just how ecstatic the band was to be doing what they were doing. Major props to Kless, a member of both Mom Jeans. and Just Friends, as he continually did the crowd work of a true master without any visible drops in energy throughout the night.
At the end of their set, the crowd (unsurprisingly) demanded more as Butler returned to the stage for an encore. Bringing on Goyos Leon of Just Friends for the first song, the two sang a beautiful duet of “Vape Nation” which was then followed by Butler going solo. Before exiting the stage, Goyos Leon noted that he had not done this many songs as an encore for the entirety of the tour thus far.
All in all, this concert was a demonstration in how to create a good time during a gig. At every point in the night, there was not one person who didn’t seem invested in what was occurring around them, whether it be with the audience members they were next to or the artists on stage. I think the humbleness of the groups that took the stage, the appreciation they had for one another as artists, as well as their deep love for their audience truly shone through, and created an experience that will be hard to forget.
Noor Aldayeh (21Ox / 23C) is from Torrance, California, majoring in Film and Media Studies. At Emory, she serves as a student photographer for the Communications Office and Communications and Outreach chair of the Arab Cultural Association. Aldayeh previously interned at WABE in Atlanta, and loves to photograph around the city in her free time. When she's not at a concert, you can probably find her adding an excessive amount of songs to her Spotify library or doing work in her second home: the Visual Arts Building. She loves a good mocha, everything 70s, and getting as involved in the Emory and Atlanta arts scene as she can. You can contact her at: noor.sarah.aldayeh@emory.edu
