You know it’s going to be a good night of epic music when The Used rolls into town, and that reputation was certainly fulfilled on a warm October night in Music City USA. On September 30, 2024, The Used brought Raue and Plain White T’s along for the ride as they made a tour stop at Marathon Music Works in Nashville, TN. Marathon Music Works, a local favorite, is a historic repurposed motor manufacturing and repair facility that has been converted into a legendary music space known for its killer light shows and sound for music artists of all types.
The night kicked off with duo Raue taking the stage to hype the crowd up for the evening’s festivities. Bringing an infectious energy and a sound that straddled the line between alternative, grunge, and a little pop-punk mixed in, the band set out to introduce themselves to a new crowd in a big way. They had some technical difficulties, which would make even the most seasoned performers squirm — but they didn’t let it stop them from delivering an energy-soaked performance. They even performed a great rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep” which had the audience singing along.
Coming to the stage next was The Plain White T’s. I have seen them live several times, and they never fail to bring a smile to my face every time they perform. Their sets are always a beacon of positivity and fun, and this one was absolutely no different. Performing songs both old and new, you could feel the happiness filtering through the venue. It was such a positive experience. They had moments where they invited the crowd to sing along, which the audience was more than happy to oblige. They played songs off of their latest release from earlier this year including their favorite from that album “Red Flags” as well as plenty of songs from the older albums to keep the longtime fans happy. Of course, a PWT show wouldn’t be complete without “Hey There, Delilah”. For a twist on the longtime favorite, Shrek (Yes, Shrek) came out at the very end to finish off the song. They closed out their night with yet another upbeat song that is a fan favorite “Rhythm of Love”.
As the lights dimmed in preparation for The Used to take the stage, the setup for their stage set began to take shape in front of the crowd. All night, the entire back line of the stage was covered with a giant black curtain to obscure the set, but as the stagehands took it down you could see the level of production that had gone into it. The entire stage set was made of chain link fence, right down to the mic stands and risers themselves. You could tell the type of scene the band was trying to set for their night, and even the music being played over the house speakers fed into it. During songs that were playing, you would hear the songs start to break up or warp, and then a track of flies buzzing playing for a few minutes only for the music to return to playing as normal. This pattern repeated through the entire set break until the band finally took the stage to a blast of lights. The first song out was “Pretty Handsome Awkward” and the band continued to deliver a blistering, high-energy performance from there. Playing songs old and new — the crowd loved every second of it. Like with any other The Used show, there were middle fingers everywhere. If you are familiar with the band, in their circle — that means “I love you”, and lead singer Bert McCracken made sure to point that out to those who were new to the family. There was cartwheel competition in the middle of the crowd which was promptly turned into a circle pit for “Blood On My Hands”, which I feel like can only happen at a show like this. They closed out the night with a three-song encore that included “A Box Full of Sharp Objects”.
It was a great night of fun, music, and found family at Marathon Music Works and the audience went home happy. Not even a little rain could dampen the mood of this night.
See photos from the show below!
