On Tuesday February 18th, fans came from all over to see a much-anticipated band, The Used.  What began as a sold-out outdoor show turned into an indoor mosh pit due to some nasty Dallas weather.  It was definitely in our favor that night because there was much more room for people to get wild and crazy.  For me and thousands of other fans, we couldn’t wait to see The Used play all of our middle school favorites.  What made it better was that it was a two-band show including Dragged Under and that upped the ante even more for the now packed house at Gas Monkey Live!

First up was Dragged Under, and of course, I had never heard of them.  I'm always open to hearing new music, and their set was no exception - especially since they were accompanying a band like The Used.  Dragged Under came out strong with one of their more recent tracks, “Here for War”. I was not expecting the brutalness that was about to ensue.  Banger after banger, riff after riff, they were getting the crowd up and off their feet. Dragged Under has a technical piece about them that really hit home for me.  I really enjoyed hearing their cover of “State of the Union” by Rise Against – that was pretty tight!  Dragged Under finished up their 6 song set by closing with “Hypochondria”, which I would say was most definitely their best song of the evening. I give this band a 10 out of 10 would definitely drop some cash to see them again when they roll back through Dallas.

After Dragged Under left the stage, you could tell the crowd needed to re-calibrate after their ridiculous set.  In the minutes before The Used was about to hit the stage, photogs lined up waiting to stake out their place in the pit.  The barricade was packed as fans anxiously awaited The Used to hit the stage.  Then, lights go black and lead singer Bert McKracken walks out on stage and starts yelling the intro to “I’m a Fake”.  The fans are roaring and ready for The Used to take them back in time to the better days when emo music first hit the scene.

Running around the venue snapping shots, I saw so many people with their hands in the air singing the words to every song.  It was like they were transported back to another decade for an hour because of the nostalgia associated with The Used (at least that was the experience for me).  They played some killer jams and then got to a point where the intro to “Taste of Ink” started playing and I don’t think I heard the crowd louder than at that point in the show.  Following that banger was “All That I’ve Got” and boy did the feels hit me.  I was honestly surprised they played those tracks in the middle of the set.  They also played hits such as “Blow Me”, “Maybe Memories”, and “Pretty Handsome Awkward” as well.  The Used encored with one of their newer songs, “Paradise Lost, a poem by John Milton" and that was sick.  Then they finally ended the show with “A Box Full of Sharp Objects” from their very first album.  All I can say is WOW.

Tuesday nights show at the Gas Monkey Live was simply fantastic.  The Used and Dragged Under put on a clinic for the thousands in attendance and left everybody screaming for more when the house lights finally went back on.  This bill is a definite 'must see' and one you should circle on your calendar they roll through your town during this years 2020 North American Tour.