Today, we're talking about a chapter of emo history that's a little overlooked, but deeply influential: the intersection of Christian youth group culture and the rise of the third wave emo/post-hardcore scene in the early 2000s.

This was an era where kids came out mosh pits on Saturdays to youth groups on Sundays. Where faith, frustration, introspection, and hardcore collided in ways that shaped how we felt music.

We'll explore the bands that bridged that gap, how faith influenced lyrics and communities, the way youth pastors unintentionally guided teens toward moshing, and how fans remember it all.

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMO-ment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo

This episode is a full review of my second sail away on the Emo's Not Dead Cruise - we talk about the setup of the bigger boat this year, activities on board, sets by some of our favorite emo artists, and more!

Want to be on the boat in 2027? Get all the details here: https://www.endcruise.com/

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMO-ment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo

Today, we're prepping for the Emo's Not Dead Cruise 2026, which I'm currently on upon posting this episode!

I'll talk about the process up signing up, the band lineup, the schedule and all there is to do on the ship, how I'm packing, and some of my predictions and hopes for the cruise!

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMO-ment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo

Today's band is loud, vulnerable, chaotic, deeply self-aware, and somehow the most relatable emo act of the last decade. A band that brought raw emotion back to the center of the genre… without polishing the edges or watering anything down:

Hot Mulligan — the band that made yelling about anxiety feel like group therapy.

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMO-ment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo

Today's band helped bridge the gap between second-wave emo and the pop-punk explosion of the early 2000s. They wrote songs about heartbreak, regret, and longing, but made them catchy enough that we screamed along anyway:

Saves the Day, one of the most quietly influential bands in emo history.

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMO-ment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo

Today, we're reflecting over some of my favorite EMOments of 2025 and the EMOments I'm looking forward to in 2026, along with a few manifestations for this channel in the coming year.

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMOment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo

Today's band is one of the most dramatic, controversial, and hotly debated names in mid-2000s emo and post-hardcore. A band born out of Las Vegas chaos, shaped by legal trouble, and forever tied to one of the most polarizing frontmen the scene has ever known.

Today, we're talking about Escape the Fate, and yes, we are absolutely diving deep into the Ronnie Radke era, his exit, and what the band became after.

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMO-ment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo

Today's episode is a full recap of Silverstein's 25th Anniversary Tour featuring Thursday, Free Throw, and Bloom on December 17, 2025 at Marathon Music Works in Nashville, Tennessee.

I'll share what happened logistically with the venue and merch, the sets from each of the bands, and my overall experience of the show.

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMO-ment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo

Today, we're diving into a band that's both a technical powerhouse and an emotional anchor for an entire generation of fans. A band known for their dizzying riffs, explosive drums, holiday metal albums, and iconic circle pits at every festival from Warped to Christmas shows.

Today we're talking about August Burns Red, the Pennsylvania metalcore titans who turned melody and mayhem into an art form.

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMO-ment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo

Today, we're talking about a band that blended Christian metalcore, synth-driven chaos, and emo-adjacent lyricism into something totally their own.

Yep, we're diving into The Devil Wears Prada, the Ohio kids who went from Myspace buzz band to metalcore mainstays.

If you'd like to come on to share your emo experiences, favorite stories or lore from bands you love, or an EMO-ment for a future episode, email [email protected] or message me on Instagram @school.of.emo