Hawthorne Heights • Let Live • Creeper • March 13, 2026 • The Depot
Reviewed and Photographed by Morgan Newbold
Hawthorne Heights’ fans gathered in droves to witness the 20th anniversary of their album “If Only You Were Lonely“ at The Depot! This band is a staple for emo-pop fans that provided several albums to soundtrack their lives since the early 2000’s. Newer and older fans came out to celebrate this milestone for the band and bond with like-minded fans as they played their 2006 album from start to finish!
I rocked up to the venue, one of my favorites in Salt Lake, to find it completely packed! Everyone was beaming with energy and chatting amongst themselves about what they were most looking forward to from the show! The merch line was so long, wrapped around the hallway, which is a testament to the devoted fanbase. I love to see this, no matter who the artist is! The artists opening the evening were Creeper and Letlive! I had very little idea what to expect from this lineup, but I was stoked to hear something new and watch a hardcore emo performance, as I don’t get to do that very often!
Hawthorne Heights is an emo rock band from Dayton, Ohio, that formed around 2001, with vocalist JT Woodruff, bassist Matt Ridenour, and guitarist Mark McMillon! They have consistently been releasing albums every couple of years since 2004. Their first few albums found great commercial success and landed on Billboard charts, jumpstarting their fanbase! They switched around to different labels over the years and eventually started their own. Hawthorne Heights sadly lost their guitarist, Casey Calvert, in 2007, who passed away at the beginning of their tour. They have since dedicated some songs to him and have also gained some new band members along the way. Their most recent album, “Nine Reasons to Say Goodbye,” was released in 2024!
Creeper
When I got to the venue, Creeper, the first band on the ticket, was already playing. They had a very distinct look and aura; everyone dressed in leather with heavy metal-esque facepaint. They were quite entertaining to watch, and the vocals were fantastic!
Let Live
Up next was the band Letlive; they made a memorable entrance, and the energy and dedication were insane. The group’s frontman has such a commanding stage presence that it was incredible to witness. He was bouncing off the walls and jumping and tumbling around the stage. It was a good challenge to try to keep him in frame for a lot of my shots. At the end of their set, he climbed up onto the balcony and finished off the last song, almost dangling above the crowd. I hadn’t heard or seen anything from this band before, so I was incredibly impressed by their performance!
Hawthorne Heights
Finally, when Hawthorne Heights made their way to the stage, the crowd was jumping and cheering with immense excitement. This was a big deal for them to hear all these songs from their 2006 album, some for the first time ever, and some for the first time in over a decade! It was quite a treat to witness that, even without sharing the same sentiment for the music. It connects people really beautifully and I love to see it. I made my way around the venue trying to capture the best angles, to really reflect the atmosphere, the visuals and energy of the show!
They played the album “If Only You Were Lonely” front to back and finished the night off with some of their biggest hits like “Ohio Is For Lovers”, “Like a Cardinal” and even a tribute to Casey with “Bring You Back” The show was such an intimate and lovely testament to the band’s dedication as well as the fans’. If you get the chance to see them on this tour, I highly recommend doing so!
