Every band’s goal is to put out music that holds a special place in fans' hearts. Bands release an entire album of music that they put their heart and soul into, with the hopes that each song resonates with their audience. And though most albums have a few songs that stick with fans for a long time, it's sad to see that many songs can fall to the wayside. Though there are always those albums that each song stands out on its own. You can put that record on and listen to the whole thing front to back without the need to skip a single song. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus’s debut album Don’t You Fake It is one of those perfect albums. Even listening to it today, the whole album still hits. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus held their final show of 2024 at the Parish Room in the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA with support from The Dark. Dedicated fans of the band crammed themselves into this room like sardines for a chance to rock out with them one last time this year.

Opening the night was a band known as The Dark. Now, I have never heard of them before, so I was intrigued to see what they brought to the stage. Right from the start vocalist Craig Johns Jr. stood out with his personality and stage presence. Within moments he was already on the barricade singing into the faces of the fans, making sure they were engaged with the music. Guitarist Alan Ashby wore a fully spiked face mask, giving himself a dark and mysterious energy. You couldn’t help but be drawn into what he was doing on stage. Bassist Nicky G and drummer Derek Vautrinot kept the low end heavy, allowing for the crowd to at least head bang with each song. The Dark made the most of their time being captivating themselves on stage, but also playing music that was accessible to new listeners with songs like “Slip Away,” “Head of the Snake,” “Letting Go,” “In Heaven,” “Shiver,” “Tainted Love,” “Chemicals,” and ending with “Circles.” The Dark is ready to make their mark on the music scene and have a look that can take them far.

Then it was time for our headliner, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. This band has been performing for 21 years, and they continue to show their love and appreciation for their fans, and their fans continue to show up for them. Kicking things off with “False Pretense” I’ve never felt the Parish Room shake as much as it did as fans started jumping and singing with the band. Vocalist Ronnie Winter still sounds as great as he does on their debut album and sings with love and affection that he still has for his music. Guitarist Randy Winter backs his brother up with harsh vocals, while playing those guitar licks we have all air guitared to in our bedroom for the last two decades. Bassist Joey Westwood was lost in the groove of his bassline, as he encompassed his area on stage. Drummer John Espy was all smiles while he kept the beat alive on the back of the stage. Though Red Jumpsuit’s music tends to sound more upbeat and rocking, they did take a moment to slow down the pace with Ronnie handling solo acoustic duty for “Cat and Mouse” and “Your Guardian Angel.” During this moment many fans could be seen swaying in the crowd while accompanying Ronnie on vocals. The shared experience of everyone singing in the crowd added warmth and community to the whole show. While the rest of the setlist had people constantly jumping around with songs like “Waiting,” “Damn Regret,” ‘Home Improvement,” a cover of Blink 182’s “All the Small Things,” and ending with the seminal “Face Down.”

Two decades later and all the music that The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus wrote is still cherished in the hearts of every fan in attendance. We hung on every word that came out of Ronnie’s mouth, singing right there in tandem with him. Don’t You Fake It is a staple post-hardcore/emo album that will go down in history as one of the best in the scene. This was most likely the last concert of 2024 for many fans in attendance and for them this was a great way to send out the year. For those of us that may have another concert lined up before the year ends,  The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus set the bar high for how a live show should feel and be enjoyed.