The emo/pop-punk mega-fest When We Were Young kicks off this weekend. Originally planned as a one-day festival, due to take place on October 22, an almost instant sell-out meant additional dates were added for October 23 and 29. So while WWWY takes place on Saturday and Sunday at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, it’s two blasts through the same one-day event (with another go next week) rather than the same festival s spanning two days. Everything is clear? Well well.

The name of the festival knowingly suggests a healthy dose of nostalgia and there’s certainly a lot to love here if you grew up with pop-punk, emo, shouto and all associated sub-genres from the turn of the century. But there are also plenty of bright, up-and-coming performers to be seen on the event’s five stages.

Here are 10 things to watch out for if you’re heading to Las Vegas…

A fiery My Chemical Romance sealing their triumphant return

My Chemical Romance’s 2019 comeback was one of the most anticipated comebacks in modern rock history. The pandemic may have derailed their subsequent tour, but Gerard Way’s band have picked up where they left off this year with enthusiastically received shows across the UK, Europe and South America. North. And, judging by their appearance at last month’s Riot Fest, the hysteria is only intensifying.

Expect drama, glamour, anthems, eccentricity, and hordes of people wearing Elder Emo t-shirts who gloriously fail to keep their shit together.

To see: Black Stage, 10:40 p.m.

Dawn of the “This is the world of Paramore, we just live in it” era

If there was one perfectly set scene for Paramore’s return, it’s this one.

When the co-headliners were announced to be performing WWWY earlier this year, it seemed like their first live performance since 2018. As it stands, they’ve already played a handful of shows this month. , but it’s still a huge platform for them to come back to.

Passing by, Hayley Williams praised Wolf Alice and shouted at singer Ellie Rowsell, “Ellie, I want to sing with you, too bad.” Wolf Alice tweeted, “I’ll sing with you anytime queen,” so with the two bands on the same poster, could a special appearance be in the works?

To see: Pink Stage, 9:40 p.m.

The long-awaited coronation of pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne

Now, don’t make it so complicated. We know you want it, so be sure to check out Avril Lavigne’s Black Stage slot. This year Love Sux The album was a surprisingly great and noisy throwback to Avril’s pop-punk roots, but it’s still going to be those teen emo-pop classics that have the crowd hysterical. Can we make it more obvious?

See her: Black Stage, 7:35 p.m.

Bring Me The Horizon steals the show?

Over the past five years, Bring Me The Horizon have established themselves as headliners at festivals and arenas in the UK. They’re not exactly an unknown quantity in the US, but anyone who’s lost track of them after their Warped Tour days will be surprised at what a massive, dramatic and anthemic live band they’ve become. Expect a big presence, even bigger songs and – playing under MCR on the site’s black stage – a potentially jaw-dropping performance from Oli Sykes’ band.

To see: Black Stage, 8:55 p.m.

The fiercest pits of the weekend for Knocked Loose

If you’re looking for a bit of early Vegas nighttime aggression, Knocked Loose should do the trick. There are a few heavy bands on the bill, but few as furiously complete as the hardcore Kentuckian crew. They’re sure to give the circle a whirlwind, so get ready for some high-octane hardcore and some of the most noxious metalcore breakdowns of the entire festival.

To see: Stripe Stage, 5:30 p.m.

Alkaline trio coming out of the shadows

Hey, isn’t that the guy from Blink-182? No more now. Matt Skiba’s profile may have had a major boost over the past few years as he kept Tom DeLonge’s seat warm, but the brilliant Alkaline Trio has always been his baby and now he’ll devote more to it. of time. This is good news not only for WWWY punters but also for anyone who loves their slick, dark and dangerous punk.

To see: Checker Stage, 21.05

Scary Chills and Chills from HorrorPops

Danish groove machine HorrorPops brings something a little different with their glam-horror psychobilly twang. They’re the last band to play all weekend, so expect some after midnight thrills and get ready to walk like a zombie with a bunch of psychobitches out of hell. It’s also another band recently back from a long hiatus, with vocalist Patricia Day kicking cancer ass, so go show them some love.

Watch: Checker Stage, 11:25 p.m.

The Linda Lindas showcasing the shape of punk to come

With ages ranging from just 19 to just 12, the Linda Lindas are almost certainly the youngest actor playing When We Were Young. Don’t let their collective tender age fool you though; the LA band plays with a fire and passion to put most other bands of any generation to shame. They’ll open the neon tent before noon, so get in early and get off in front. racist and sexist boy should cause a mini-riot and should give you a hint about their no-prisoners approach.

To see: Pink Stage, 11:50 a.m.

Worship of the weekend with Meet Me @ The Altar

Another group of newbies worth welcoming early are rising pop-punk stars Meet Me @ The Altar. They’ve generated a lot of excitement for a band that’s yet to release their proper debut album (as Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low and Dan Campbell of The Wonder Years came out in support of them) and their frenetic appearance at Download This year shows that they know how to work the festival crowds. Meet them at the neon tent.

To see: Neon Tent, 12.45

Kittie ends the festival purring

Kittie has a double-edged sword of being stage headliners whose stage time coincides with a small group you may have heard of called My Chemical Romance.

If you’re one of the (probably rare) people at the festival who don’t want to see MCR, you could do a lot worse than the criminal understatement of the Lander sisters. Often dismissed as nu-metal too – a mantle that never suited them anyway – they absolutely kill live. It can also be seen as another comeback for the Canadian quartet whose future has been uncertain since the death of bassist Trish Doan in 2017, aged just 31.

To see: Stripe Stage, 10:45 p.m.