CONCERT REVIEW: The Used, Plain White T's, and Raue

Photo credit: Big Picture Media

The Used, along with Raue and the Plain White T’s, rocked Revolution Live’s backyard on October 4. 

On a balmy night in South Florida, Raue started things off. Raue (pronounced roo-ay) is a grunge/punk band formed in 2020 consisting of teens Paige Kalenian (vocals/guitar) and Jax Huckle (drums). A year after forming, Kalenian released her first album “Raue”. The band released their first EP together shortly after called “Erase and Rewind” in 2022. They've been touring consistently since 2023. They started this tour with The Used and Plain White T's on Sept. 21 and ended on Oct. 7. In a disappointing start to the night, Kalanian needed her mic turned up on the first song, “Karma”. The drums and guitar were energetic though and really woke the crowd up. 

 On “Ruby Glow”, the second song of the set, there was a beautiful guitar solo reminiscent of 90s alternative rock. It was a pleasure to listen to as the only well-known place to find that sound is on SiriusXM’s “Lithium” channel. 

The third song, “Vodka & Soda”, started out sweet vocally. Then, though, Kalenian brought that grit grunge is known for: there was a scream on the second time she said the word “break”.  It added a nice flourish to the breakup song that it is. The guitar also had a dirty sound to it. Then there were the drums, which were the pulse beating through the songs. It became more obvious the longer Raue played, to Huckle’s credit.

“Maize”, the fourth song, had a driving guitar that was undeniable but the microphone sound problem reared its head again. Only bits and pieces got through. 

There was a quirky moment when people from the crowd passed two of those paper Burger King crowns to the band, who happily accepted. 

Toward the end of their set, they covered Radiohead’s favorite song (note the sarcasm), “Creep”. It was a well-done cover and if they haven’t recorded it yet, they should. Specifically, Kalanian hit the notoriously tough notes where Thom Yorke goes "Run, run, ruuuuuuunnn."

They put on an energetic show and distinguished themselves by playing a genre that hasn’t been all that active lately. Raue did everything an opener needs to do: bring the energy.

Plain White T's make saccharine music for saccharine people, there’s no denying that. Oddly, they all were dressed like tough guys: sunglasses on at night, all black clothing across the board, and a letterman jacket on lead vocalist Tom Higgenson. Drummer De’Mar Hamilton had a glittery silver drum set, the anomaly in that equation. There are a few more raucous songs in their set that redeemed them. From high energy opener, “Feel (More Like) Myself” to Higgenson’s vocal prowess on songs like “Young Tonight” to Hamilton’s pounding drum beats, the band put on a fantastic show. Continuing the high energy from “Feel (More Like) Myself” was “Our Time Now”, which, while saccharine, was fun to listen to. Phones were out since it was released as a single. Hamilton’s drums were especially on point. Higgenson also engaged the crowd whenever the signature “oh oh oh oh”s of the song came up. 

In between songs, Higgenson asked what everyone’s favorite The Used song was, trying to keep the energy up.. In a questionable choice, though, they slowed down the energy with single “1, 2, 3, 4”, a syrupy love song. This song delivered an overdose of sweetness and made this writer wish it was over every minute it went on. There was a nice guitar solo toward the end and the crowd seemed to like the song. 

“Would You Even”, a breakup anthem, brought the energy back up though the lyrics were, again, cringeworthy. 

There was a gorgeous harmony on “All That We Needed”. 

“Red Flags” was a beautiful acoustic song that blossomed into a full band but paused to let the acoustic have its moment.  

“Fired Up”, though, was obnoxious from the “ooohs” to the vocal delivery to the simple drum. 

“Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)” was the next song up and is one of their few non-love songs. It brought the crashing cymbals and fast pace one might expect from a song called that. The crowd screamed to continue, the vocals attacked the notes, and the guitars were snarling.

“Hey There Delilah” is such a creeper song. It was written about someone Higgenson barely knew and also had a boyfriend (it all worked out, though, the Delilah from the song was flattered and even went to The Grammys with the band. At that time, she was still with the same boyfriend). It masquerades as this sweet love song, which is the most saccharine of them all. Everyone got out their phones and sang along anyway. Higgenson didn't seem happy about singing the song. He said, in a very down voice: “All right, let's sing ‘Hey There Delilah’". They do do this song justice live though. Higgenson's sweet vocals caressed the notes and the acoustic sounds exactly like the recording. There was also a nice drum fill. Not a band to go out of your way to see, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Finally it was time for The Used. They had all the bells and whistles: the ominous opening track saying the concert was canceled, the lights and the smoke blowing out onto the audience to accent a lyric or two, and energy. Lead vocalist robbietheused had everyone raise their middle finger and say “fuck you” to start the show. Then they delved into “Pretty Handsome Awkward”, their number two most played song on Spotify, first released in 2007. They brought the heavy to the stage along with an acerbic tongue (some of the lyrics are: help yourself, I hope you choke and you die/I know you meant it/Nice fucking disguise, so hollow…). The Used hasn’t lost a step, which is impressive for a band that’s been around since 2001.

“Say Days Ago” was up next. The screams were point and the booming drums from Dan Whitesides reverberated through the crowd. 

The fourth song of the set, “Let It Bleed”, had infectious guitars and powerful screams from robbietheused. It continued to show that The Used knows how to put on a performance. 

There was a drawn out ntroduction to “Take It Away”, first released in 2004. Guitar from Joey Bradford and drums from Whitesides really drove it and certainly brought this high octane song to life. Everyone sang along to this one. 

A few songs later, they did “Listening”, which had great screams. They really evoked the emotion in the song. There was also a nice harmony and great guitar work, which got the crowd jumping.

Robbietheused then announced a cartwheel contest where someone would get a free t-shirt. He also told the crowd to open the circle pit and they obliged. 

They then launched into “Blood on my Hands”, which had a great bass line from Jepha that was groovy. Then the heavy guitar from Bradford came in and it was magic. Robbietheused continued to have compelling screams. 

“Blow Me” is partly about the band having fun with song titles, as the song's chorus goes "blow me away", which is actually really dark since he mentions depression a line or two before that. It did have a nice harmony though. Robbietheused did hit a bum note in the beginning of the song but quickly recovered.

They then launched into deep cut “Light With a Sharpened Edge”, which robbietheused said they never play. The vocals were flawless, the drums powerful, and it got the crowd singing along. There was a dreamy guitar in parts and in the solo that transported you somewhere else.

Further into the set list was a meandering introduction to "Blue and Yellow”, off their eponymous self-titled debut. They put the emotion in "emotional" (and that's not a bad thing) with lyrics like: It's a feeling that you cannot miss/It burns a hole through everyone that feels it/Well, you're never gonna find it if you're looking for it/Won't come your way, yea. Robbietheused caresses the notes, softening his voice. The crowd sang along to this one as well. 

The Used closed the set with their most popular song: “A Taste of Ink”. It currently sits on their Spotify as the most listened to song. The crowd sang most of it but robbietheused got a couple good notes in there.

There wasn't a long pause before the band came back for a three song encore that consisted of “On My Own”, “I'm a Fake” and “A Box of Sharp Objects”. “On My Own” was a surprising choice for an encore, which is usually all about the energy. It was an acoustic song that had a sweet tone and reached for the stratosphere on high notes. The way robbietheused navigated the notes showed his vocal prowess.

In the end, there were facemelting solos and emotional moments. It was all tied up in a bow with the band throwing roses into the crowd after the encore. The house lights then came up, signaling it was time to go, ending a night of great music.