Lineup
Taking Back Sunday, who released their eighth studio album 152 in late 2023, often refer to
themselves as the ‘luckiest guys you will meet.’ The new album, featuring 10 intensely
vulnerable and absorbing new tracks was delivered with fresh ambition and a newfound
purpose. It stands among the most genuinely reflective and emotionally pure efforts of Taking
Back Sunday’s illustrious career.
Starting out just hoping to release at least one album and go on tour, the band has since sold
millions of albums, has multiple tracks with streams hitting the multiple hundred million mark,
toured the world several times over, performed at all of the biggest festivals and are still always
looking forward.
Never ones to rest on their prior accomplishments or impressive back catalogue they are
always striving to make something that they hope folks can find a little piece of themselves in.
“Music is there to bring you together with like-minded people and get a little lost. For us, the
songs from 152 have a life and energy all their own. It would make us the happiest if we can all
get lost in it together.”
As New Found Glory can attest, life moves quickly. Just three years after forming in Coral Springs, Florida, in 1997, the group were fast-tracked from local upstarts to mainstream stars on the back of ebullient pop melodies and hardcore-tinged breakdowns, setting off a blast of pop-punk dynamite that still lights the torch for modern acts more than two decades later. They became the voice of an underground movement, spurring iconic gold and platinum records (2000’s New Found Glory, 2002’s Sticks & Stones, and 2004’s Catalyst), countless MTV appearances, an entire subgenre (easycore) and sold-out tours the world over. New Found Glory has always been about the same thing – honesty, community, and positivity. After 25+ years of being a band, 11 studio albums, one live album, one Christmas album, one acoustic album, two EPs, and four cover albums, New Found Glory’s ethos has never wavered; they always strive to be the friend you always need and always understands you.
Hawthorne Heights returned in 2023 with their eighth studio album, The Rain Just Follows Me, released in September via Pure Noise Records. The album’s 11 tracks showcase JT Woodruff’s deeply personal songwriting, exploring themes of physical and emotional distance from his family in Ohio and his identity as the frontman of an iconic emo band.
Over nearly two decades, the band has faced numerous challenges, from industry struggles and audience shifts to personal tragedy. Despite these obstacles, Hawthorne Heights—comprising JT Woodruff, Mark McMillon, Matt Ridenour, and Chris Popadak—has earned two Gold albums (The Silence In Black And White and If Only You Were Lonely), created emo staples like “Ohio Is For Lovers” and “Saying Sorry,” and maintained their status as a relentless touring act.
On November 20th, 2021, Hoobastank celebrated 20 years of their self-titled release, Hoobastank. The 2001 album launched the career of the band to mainstream success with huge singles including “Crawling In The Dark”, “Running Away” and “Remember Me” – all of which have since been certified RIAA platinum. Almost two decades later, the band is still clocking in at over 6M monthly listeners on Spotify and “Crawling In The Dark” has surpassed the 100M streaming mark across DSPs. The band’s 2003 follow up studio album The Reason took them to even greater heights and solidified Hoobastank as a household name. The title track “The Reason” went 4x platinum and racked up quite few #1 chart positions along the way, while the album went 2x platinum. “ The Reason” has over 2 Billion streams/views which has helped lead the way to the band’s catalog surpassing the 3 billion mark across the DSPs. The band looks forward to continuing their success in the years to come while also celebrating what they have accomplished so far.
For more than two decades, Anberlin have remained a formidable force in the alt-rock world, boasting a wildly devoted fanbase who’ve come to rely on the raw cathartic power of their music. On the massively anticipated Vega—the first album in ten years from vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, and drummer Nathan Young—the Florida-bred band deliver a body of work forged with an explosive new energy, thanks in part to the addition of singer Matty Mullins (the Memphis May Fire frontman who’s stepped in as live vocalist for Anberlin, following Christian’s announcement that he’ll no longer tour full-time). The latest triumph in an extraordinary career that’s included selling over 1.5 million albums in the U.S. alone and turning out hits like the No. 1 Alternative Radio smash “Feel Good Drag,” Vega reveals a band whose creative passion and one-of-a-kind vision have only grown stronger over time.
The Spill Canvas is an American alternative rock band from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Known for their hits “All Over You,” “All Hail the Heartbreaker” and “Polygraph, Right Now!”, as well as several emo classics like “Our Song,” “The Tide” and “This Is for Keeps.”
The Spill Canvas self-released its first five-song CD titled Concept EP in May 2003, produced at Cathouse Studios in Sioux Falls. The band signed with Florida-based, independent label One Eleven Records shortly after the CD release.
“DJ Joey Donut” coined his name from the iconic removal of “donuts” from the Dunkin’ Donuts franchise. Born and raised on Staten Island, New York, he spent many years grabbing a coffee from DD, so often Joey Ianelli, picked up the “Donuts” to begin his mixing career as DJ Joey Donut.
With a 16-year old chihuahua named Milo by his side, DJ Joey Donut spearheads the iconic Emo vs. Pop Punk nights at miniBar in Kansas City. Most notably, DJ Joey Donut was the resident DJ for the first-ever Phase Fest.
With 5 years of EMO DJing and 15+ years traveling with tours like Warped Tour under his belt, he’s ready to take on year 2 of Phase Fest.