The group dropped its 2004 debut The Silence in Black and White to negative reviews from critics, but the album blend of hook-filled pop-emo and grinding metalcore ultimately won over a generation of young listeners.
Now, 20 years later, Hawthorne is celebrating The Silence in Black and White with its 20 Years of Tears Tour, during which the band will perform the release in full, including its heartbreak anthem “Ohio Is for Lovers.”
Ahead of Hawthorne’s Tuesday, Aug. 27, show at Paper Tiger, which will include support from Thursday, Anberlin Cartel and more, the Current caught up with drummer Poppy by phone. During the conversation, he credited Texas fans as being instrumental in the band’s ongoing success.
“Texas is possibly the band’s collectively favorite state to play, and that really comes down to our fanbase there,” Poppy said. “I don’t know what it is. It's always been a great spot for the band and still is.”
Thanks to local and touring emo nights, such as one Hawthorne vocalist J.T. Woodruff hosted here in June, San Antonio remains a major hub for the emo sound that the band helped break out to a larger audience.
“We toured with Armor for Sleep and … sold out one of our biggest shows,” Poppy said. “I believe it was in San Antonio.”
The drummer also fondly recalled last year’s massive Hawthorne show at Vibes Event Center. But his praise for the Lone Star State didn’t end there. He also recalled a memorable performance at the concession area of a baseball field in Laredo, of all places.
‘Didn’t know how to stop’
Ironically, trouble in its home scene of Dayton may have played a key role in helping Hawthorne find a larger audience. Jealousy among bands and increasing difficulty finding halls to rent for shows eventually drove the band to gig more outside of its corner of the Buckeye state, Poppy explained.
Those “splinters have been repaired” as band members grew up, he said. However, the lasting result is that Hawthorne explored new scenes across the country and found an eager audience.
“The popularity ebbs and flows,” Poppy said of the emo wave Hawthorne helped bring on. “We've weathered that storm and just kept touring shows. It didn't matter how many people were coming. We just didn't know how to stop.”
The perseverance paid off. An emo revival is in full swing, and Hawthorne appears to be just as popular two decades on. Some may call it nostalgia, but Poppy said The Silence in Black and White is as relevant today as the band’s newer records — especially in the eyes of fans.
Hawthorne’s early fan base was primarily made up of young listeners about the musicians’ own age, according to Poppy. That meant both the band and its followers grew together into adulthood.
“I feel like we’re in our babysitter era,” he said, noting that the generation that used to stay out at all hours now has kids and responsibilities.
Coming full circle
To Poppy’s mind, anniversary tours such as Hawthorne’s current set of road dates aren’t just for OG fans but a generation of kids new to the genre.
He recounted one full-circle moment that included the band letting a young kid play guitar on a song at a Warped Tour performance. Years later, they reconnected with the same fan to find out he’d started his own band. After pulling some strings — “‘cause everybody needs a chance” — Hawthorne had that outfit open for it at a festival last year.
In addition to its 56-date tour, Hawthorne’s packed schedule for the year includes festival spots and a show on a musical cruise.
Fads come and go, but turns out emo may be forever. Thanks to the continued support of Hawthorne’s fans, Poppy admitted he isn’t doing things much differently from those fresh-faced days when the band released The Silence in Black and White.
“I played a lot of drums and toured a lot in 2004. I’m touring a lot and playing a lot of drums right now, so for me 2004 hasn't quite ended,” he said. “I'd like to think we're still playing like we did 20 years ago.”
$50, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary's St., papertigersatx.com.
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