By Nicole Allen

Contributing Writer

If you’re looking for a night of angsty nostalgia, good drinks, and even better company, head to the Sinclair in Cambridge for their monthly 21-plus Emo Night.

At the venue’s restaurant side once a month, voices can be heard belting out classics from bands such as Paramore, Dashboard Confessional, and Taking Back Sunday. Crowds of 20-somethings mingle with each other, drink can after can of PBR and Miller Lite and reconnect with the music that shaped their lives and who they are today.

Emo Night Boston is an event crafted by Luke O’Neil and friends. “I kept seeing [posts] about Emo Night, and I was always jealous I couldn’t go, and then I realize, wait… I can just do that myself.” O’Neil recalls. Emo Night was created out of the love of the genre and the desire for a deeper musical connection among emo-loving Bostonians.

“The reason is pretty simple: I love this music, and you never hear it when you go out, outside of going to a show where it’s live bands,” O’Neil says. “But sometimes you don’t want to go to a show and have it be a whole thing where you’re in the audience watching, you just want to hang out at a bar listening to music you love with your friends.”

O’Neil has a long-standing relationship with the music, “I remember a friend in college in the late nineties introducing me to “Elliott and the Promise Ring.” After that, his love for the genre just made sense. “Most of the songs are simply about things we can all relate to––unrequited love, pining, the frustration of being young and misunderstood.” O’Neil adds.

The Emo Night crowd is diverse, but there is one thing that holds everyone together: the music. Emo is a musical genre, typically characterized by expressive and confessional lyrics. Attendees can expect to hear a broad range of artists. O’Neil and his partner Texas Mike play music from the 90s, as well as from new bands reviving the genre.

The hype surrounding Emo Night doesn’t seem to be losing momentum anytime soon according to O’Neil. “Every month I sort of expect it to die down a bit but it hasn’t for a year and a half.” O’Neil credits the powerful and emotional genre itself for the wildly growing success of Emo Night. The night also gives people a space to enjoy the music unapologetically with old friends and new.

The emo party isn’t stopping, so be sure to let loose and check out Emo Night, once a month at the Sinclair in Cambridge.