State Champs played at Emo’s on Friday, April 28. The opening number proved full of energy and pop-punk spirit, setting the tone for a hype Friday evening. Fans were greeted with the band’s older and more familiar songs, followed by their new song “Slow Burn.” This 2017 tune highlighted the band’s typical electro style with moments of slow and fast beats, taking the audience on a sonic adventure..
By Claire Starling
About halfway through the show, the band took a break from its usual electro sounds and switched to acoustic. Lead singer Derek Discanio introduced this transition by saying, “We’re gonna get deep real quick.” A single guitarist accompanied Discanio as the other band members exited the stage. Discanio took a seat as he entered the soulful section of the evening As he made himself level with the audience, the crowd drew in a little closer. For his second acoustic song, Chrissy Costanza, lead singer of the opening band, Against the Current, accompanied him. The duo sang “Secrets,” enthralling the audience with its soulful and vulnerable lyrics.
After the soulful segment, the band quickly got back to its core, pump-up music. In celebration of the four-year anniversary of their first album, “The Finer Things”, they played a few of their classic songs. The song “Easy Enough” was played in tribute to the band’s roots and earlier days.
The band never let their high energy wane throughout the entire concert. They encouraged the audience to make the most of the experience by creating circle pits in the middle of the floor. The crowd went crazy in one big dance party. Once the band left the stage, the audience begged for another song with encore chants. State Champs didn’t disappoint, and appeared back on stage for two more songs. They ended the night by throwing guitar picks into the crowd while bright lights surrounded the room, along with the sound of banging of drums and the reverberation of electric guitars. Emo’s was definitely alive Friday night as State Champs thrilled and entertained its audience.
