Mayday Parade • Microwave • Grayscale • Like Roses • May 12, 2025 • The Union
Reviewed and Photographed by Sam Howard
Emo music is a genre that has been widely popular for decades. When you think of emo music, Mayday Parade is one of those bands that will always be in that conversation. Celebrating 20 years of being a band, Mayday Parade is keeping emo music alive and well. While keeping it refreshing and new all at the same time. The proof is in the fans, and how they showed up to the Union to see a band that’s been around for 2 decades play all their hits while still screaming the lyrics to the newer stuff as well.
Like Roses
With the doors opening at around 5:30 PM we got started an hour later with a band called Like Roses. This was the start of the 4 band lineup that night. Like Roses was the perfect band to kick that off. Having seen this band open for various other bands 4 other times in the past year, I can confidently say that Like Roses is the perfect emo opener. Each time I see them they get a stronger sound and stage presence. With a strong female vocalist and a heavy emotional sound of instruments, this band took the stage and instantly got the crowd’s hearts pumping. You couldn’t help but headbang immediately to the hard hitting rhythm of the music. With how well this band performs, I would love to see them play venues like Kilby Court or Soundwell on a headlining tour.
Grayscale
One thing about the show that I noticed was how fast each band got on stage to perform. Between each set, there was about 10 minutes of waiting before the next band took the stage. Keeping the crowd locked in on the stage. With the next band, Grayscale, taking the stage, it was an instant surge of energy. When they came out with their first song on the stage, it was like my ears had an energy drink.
The crowd definitely felt it, as they started moshing and jumping to the sounds coming from the stage. The stage presence alone had an ego of its own. It blended perfectly with the way they played their music. Being the first time I have seen Grayscale live, I was really impressed with the synergy on stage. The singer did a great job at including the crowd in the set by talking about his love for dirty soda. Something Utah is known for.
With how loud and energetic the crowd was, I don’t doubt that Grayscale will be a big hit in Utah coming back on a headlining tour. They would fit in perfectly at The Complex and can fill that venue up easily, as their music and performance speak for themselves.
Microwave
Following Grayscale was the third and final opener of the night, Microwave. Having seen this band perform live once before at Warped Tour in 2015, seeing Microwave play this show was a blast to the past for me. As they took the stage, you could tell just from the crowd’s reaction that they were well-known too. The instant they started playing, there was no stopping the crowd. With moshing and now crowd surfers, Microwave was setting the tone for the rest of the night. Each song in their set had a purpose. Some were sort of emo folk songs that got the crowd in their feelings, others were shoegaze-y, heavy-hitting songs to get the crowd moshing. Then there were the songs with an even tempo, getting the whole crowd to bounce. It’s as if they were controlling the minds of the crowd through each song played.
Having seen them live before, I can confidently say that Microwave has come a long way from the Warped Tour days. With a name already named for themselves, and having played in Utah on a headlining tour just last year at the Complex, these guys would be welcomed back with open arms on their next tour.
Mayday Parade
Next up is our headliner for the night, Mayday Parade. As the lights dimmed, a video began to play on stage. It was footage from an interview with Mayday Parade during Warped Tour when the band was beginning to get big in the scene. This seemed to be a big theme throughout the set. This was a show for die-hard fans, as they were playing deep cuts from the beginning of their discography to the hits that earned them their popularity. They seemed to work from the start of their discography to their newest songs. The whole time, there wasn’t a single song where the crowd wasn’t screaming back the lyrics.
It seemed like the set was flying by, as it reached an emotional section of the night. Playing their songs “Miserable At Best,” “Stay” and “Terrible Things” back to back, there were many people in the crowd nearly sobbing from emotion. With wet faces from tears, the crowd sang on to each song, even as they picked the tempo back up. The performance brought out all kinds of emotion from the crowd throughout the night, and the crowd absolutely loved it. It was almost therapeutic in a way.
Nearing the end of the night, the band addressed the crowd to talk about the importance of being kind to one another no matter what. “If I can ask one thing of the people of Salt Lake City; Be kind to each other.” With this very inclusive message, it really brought out the purpose of their music and really resonated with the crowd. Going on to perform their last few songs, they brought out the singer of Microwave to help them sing their song “Who’s Laughing Now,” which was an amazing collaboration on stage. They then ended their night with their song “Jamie All Over”. In which the crowd went absolutely insane with moshing and constant crowd surfers all while screaming all the lyrics of the song.
Mayday Parade has one of the most loyal fanbases I have ever seen. Having seen them at the same Warped Tour in 2015 that I saw Microwave, the fan base continues to grow bigger and bigger each time they come to town. Celebrating 20 years of being a band and having a crowd as strong as they were for this tour is proof that Mayday Parade will be around forever in the emo scene.
