Recently, I had the privilege of attending opening night of the “Still Not Okay” Tour, featuring three cover bands dedicated to celebrating beloved scene legends: Dirty Little Rejects (All American Rejects covers), Fake Happy (Paramore covers), and Turtle Smash (My Chemical Romance covers). I’ll be honest with you, reader, I went into this show with pretty low expectations. Having no real prior knowledge of the bands, I anticipated at best a mid-energy sing-a-long experience to serve as a consolation prize for the numerous shows I’ve missed in recent weeks due to problematic weather.
I could not have been more wrong.
We entered the venue about five minutes after the scheduled start time, and Dirty Little Rejects were already commanding the stage (as an elder emo, I do love a punctual performance). Crowds were still gathering and energy was building slowly, but it didn’t take long for front man Lukis Weaver to get the audience moving and belting along to his immaculate rendition of “Gives You Hell.” From there the momentum only grew; the band drew the crowd into the moment with classic Rejects vibes; by the end of their set every person in the room was moving their feet.
After a quick turnover, Paramore tribute band Fake Happy exploded onto the stage with all the intensity Hayley Williams fans could hope for. Their set was packed with Paramore’s biggest hits, and plenty of deep cuts for the most dedicated fans. Front woman Morgan Riley knocked my actual socks off with her powerful performance of ‘All I Wanted,’ flawlessly executing the song’s trademark runs. By mid-way through this set, I had lost all awareness of being at a cover show; I, along with the entire room, was fully in the moment and joyfully screaming along.
Headlining the evening was the popular My Chemical Romance cover band Turtle Smash. Transparently, I am not the biggest My Chem fan; I appreciate their importance to the scene and certainly there’s no denying the mystical power of Gerard Way, they’re just not my fave. But when I tell you, reader, these guys had me jumping, dancing, singing along (at least to the songs I knew); they put on a commanding performance beyond worthy of their legendary tributaries. Maybe most impressive, though, was the massive crowd of dedicated fans that gathered for this particular set. Among them I met a pair of delightful ladies who explained that it was their fifteenth time seeing the tribute band (and they drove THREE hours to get there); a young man in full black and white face paint was summoned to the stage by guitarist Jared, and again later by lead vocalist Davie O’Neal, each time to celebrate their recognizing the enthusiastic fan and to credit him for his support.
Y’all… the people love this band… a lot; and you know what, I do, too.
I was lucky enough to chat with Davie and a few others after the show and my goodness are they a delightful bunch! Turtle Smash is a collective of music-loving friends, connected by their passion for the scene. They are dedicated to supporting the current cultural revival by making our most beloved standards accessible to fans who might not otherwise ever get to experience them live.
The “Still Not Okay” Tour truly is everything you could possibly want from an emo throwback event. The artists have so much love for the legends they represent, and for the fans trusting them to do justice to their favorite songs. The highlight of the night, without question, was the final set, which brought members of all three bands out on stage to put on a collaborative celebration of some truly iconic songs. At this point in the evening the bands dropped their characters and performed as their authentic selves, it was incredible to see their unfiltered passion shine through. Hearing “Ohio is For Lovers”, “Sk8er Boi”, and “Sugar We’re Goin' Down” live was a blast, but the real magic was in watching the joyful camaraderie unfold on stage amongst the artists. They also kindly gifted us their take on Chappell Roan’s "Pink Pony Club" during this set, an epic moment all its own. At the end of it all, the room was abuzz with nostalgic energy, and a deep and unspoken connection shared amongst everyone in attendance.
These cover bands are every emo kid’s best friends; this tour is the gift we have all been searching for. I strongly encourage you, if given the chance, to make your way out to one of their upcoming shows. For details on future dates, head over to www.stillnotokaytour.com, and give them a follow on socials to keep up with the fun as it unfolds.