As an early 2000s baby, I remember exactly how cool, aloof, and misunderstood I felt, listening to Paramore and Avril Lavigne on repeat through my iPod. Of course, nothing was ever as dark and tragic as I once imagined, but that didn’t stop me from blasting My Chemical Romance’s “Welcome to the Black Parade” like it was the soundtrack of my life at thirteen.
We laugh over the side-swept bangs and oversized flannels now, but no one can deny how emo music was once a cultural touchstone. A black-clad, eyeliner-smudged rite of passage, wrapped in zip-up hoodies and the conviction that no one truly understood you, except for the bands you listened to.
Now in its second year, Emo Night Manila isn’t just a nostalgia trip; it is also a loud, sweaty love letter to the bands that soundtracked our teenage meltdowns. The moment you step inside, the energy hits: a sea of black clothes, smudged eyeliner, fishnets, and Converse sneakers, pulsing to a soundtrack ripped straight from 2000s. Held at McKinley Whisky Park on June 14, the heat that night was relentless, but Paramore’s “Still Into You” drops, and suddenly no one cares — everyone’s jumping, clutching each other’s wrists, shouting the lyrics like it’s the only thing keeping them grounded.
Then comes Story of the Year’s “Until the Day I Die”, sending everyone into a full-on head-banging frenzy. Fall Out Boy’s “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy” followed, a heartbreak anthem and fan favourite that had everyone singing with raw emotion. But it was My Chemical Romance’s “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” that brought the crowd to its peak, a reminder that even twenty years later, there’s still some angst left in all of us.
Enter Chicosci, the evening’s headlining act who are local legends in their own right. Hands went up as the crowd all gathered to hear their favorite hits and covers, including My Chemical Romance, which had everyone screaming the chorus: “They said, ‘All teenagers scare the living shit out of me.’” It felt like stepping into a time capsule. Everyone’s older now, that’s a given — maybe softer around the edges — but those songs still hit as hard as they did back in your childhood bedroom.
When asked why emo music still resonates within the Filipino community, one attendee put it best: “It was a part of our glory days, and it’s also a cultural rebellion of sorts. It’s something that can be seen as deviant, especially because most old folks don’t really approve of all-black clothing and dark makeup, but you get to express who you are through this subculture, so it gives me a sense of freedom, especially since I went to a Catholic school. Even putting on black nail polish, there’s already a sense of [rebellion in that].”
And maybe that’s why it still resonates. Because somewhere under the adult responsibilities and day jobs, the angsty teenager in us never fully left. It just got better at dressing itself.
