Since Vans Warped Tour's closure last year, alternative music fans have expressed concern as to whether another event can provide the same sense of community for fans. Enter When We Were Young Festival; already it's becoming a hit due to its unrivaled lineups. Over 6,000 self-described "elder emos" gathered this past weekend at Las Vegas festival grounds as proof that emo culture still lives on.
As soon as When We Were Young's initial lineup was unveiled in January, many fans immediately nicknamed it "Emo Fyre Fest." These worries were justified; given the number of bands scheduled to play (an unprecedented record for any US festival), even without cancellations on day one it would still be tight - an unfortunate reality that was apparent during planning for When We Were Young itself.
However, when the first day of WWWY had to be cancelled due to unfavorable weather conditions it was devastating for fans who had come from all around to attend this dream lineup. But the show continued and after selling out its initial date a second date was added in its place.
Thanks to official events outside the main festival grounds, lineups were more manageable and everyone enjoyed themselves more fully. Still, first-year issues existed: lines for merchandise purchases snaked throughout the entire venue; those intent on picking up T-shirts or hoodies missed many sets during that process.
