Amid Growing Emo Nostalgia, Hot Mulligan’s Feverish Live Show Proves They’re as Vital as Their Idols: Concert Review

As Millennials reach the stage where their favorite songs are now featured on classic rock radio, a wave of nostalgia is fueling major comebacks. The emo genre, with its intense focus on love, loss, and existential questions, is perfectly positioned to capitalize on this sentiment. 2025 has already seen significant anniversaries and reunions, including a stadium tour by My Chemical Romance and The Academy Is... celebrating their debut album "Almost Here." However, these events have largely centered on legacy acts rather than new musical output.

Fortunately, a new wave of artists, deeply influenced by these early-2000s pioneers, is carrying the torch forward. A leading force in this movement is Hot Mulligan, the Michigan-based band that released their ambitious fourth studio album, "Why Would I Watch," in 2023. The record is characterized by its intricate guitar work, sharp lyricism, and frontman Tades Sanville's distinctive vocal range, which seamlessly shifts from melody to a raw scream. This complexity could pose a challenge in a live setting, but during their recent headlining performance at the Fillmore Philadelphia, the band demonstrated they are more than up to the task.

The Fillmore Philadelphia, a historic venue originally opened as a movie theater in the 1910s, is known for its excellent acoustics and ornate interior, making it a premier stop for touring rock bands. Hot Mulligan used this to their advantage, opening their set by powering through the first half of their new album. The rhythm section, featuring drummer Brandon Blakeley and bassist Jonah Kramer, provided a fluid yet powerful foundation that grounded even the most frantic passages. The guitar interplay between Chris Freeman and Ryan Malicsi was particularly noteworthy, featuring the intricate, tapping-heavy riffs reminiscent of midwest emo icons like American Football.

Vocally, the performance was a masterclass in controlled chaos. The harmonized and trade-off vocals between Sanville and Freeman were perfectly complementary, while their screams remained visceral and intense without sacrificing pitch. This technical proficiency is a marked departure from some of the genre's founding acts, who often prioritized raw energy over musical precision. As music critic Anya Sharma noted in a recent analysis, "Hot Mulligan represents an evolution in pop-punk, where studio-level intricacy is not just replicated live, but often elevated through sheer performance intensity."

Despite their focus on musical craft, the band's stage presence was wildly energetic. Sanville was a whirlwind of motion, his long hair flying as he paced the stage and delivered his lyrics with convulsive passion. Newer tracks like the sobriety-themed "And I Smoke" and the emotionally charged "This Song Is Called It's Called What's It Called" were delivered with a blistering intensity that matched the fervor of their early fan favorites. The audience responded in kind, with a relentless wave of crowd-surfing and mosh pits erupting during classics like "Equip Sunglasses." For older fans who may find a full-length concert physically demanding, it's inspiring to see a band like Hot Mulligan not only preserving the spirit of emo but inspiring a new generation to keep the scene alive and electrifying.

(Pictured above: Hot Mulligan on the Nov. 7 Brooklyn stop of their tour.)