I Looked Up All Of My Favorite Old Emo Bands, And I Guess Panic! At The Disco Is Just One Guy Now

"When I was...a young boy..."

Remember the early 2000s/2010s? All the cool kids were wearing Hot Topic T-shirts and drinking so much Monster Energy it was probably in their bloodstream?

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Well, grab your black nail polish, and ask your mom if she can take us to the mall if my mom can pick us up, because I'm doing a deep dive on all of your favorite emo bands, and what they're up to today!

1. Fall Out Boy circa 2005

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Fall Out Boy circa 2022

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Formed in 2001, Fall Out Boy quickly became a fixture in the music scene with hits like "Thnks fr th Mmrs" and "Sugar, We're Going Down" The band had released four albums before deciding to take a hiatus in 2009. During this time, each member still pursued music, albeit solo. Lead singer Patrick Stump released an EP and later an album, titled Soul Punk, while Pete Wentz formed a musical group called Black Cards with fellow artist Bebe Rexha. Lead guitarist Joe Trohman formed a heavy metal band, The Damned Things, which also included drummer Andy Hurley, who had also continued to sit in for other metal bands. 

In 2013, the band announced that their hiatus was over, and came out with a new album, Save Rock and Roll. Since then, they've released two other albums, and are set to tour with Green Day and Weezer this summer. 

2. My Chemical Romance circa 2005

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My Chemical Romance circa 2021

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Formed in 2001 immediately following 9/11, My Chemical Romance dropped albums like Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge and The Black Parade before announcing that the band was breaking up in 2013. Although each band member pursued music separately, hopes of a reunion from fans continued for years after the band's separation.

Finally, in 2019, My Chemical Romance announced a single reunion show, which was then followed by the announcement of plans for a 2020 tour. Later, My Chemical Romance revealed that they had been planning a reunion since 2017. Though the tour was initially planned to begin in September 2020, it has been pushed back twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now scheduled to begin in May of 2022. 

3. All Time Low circa 2008

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All Time Low circa 2022

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Formed in 2003, you'll most likely remember this band for hits like "Dear Maria, Count Me In" or "Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)." All Time Low is still together, and still making music, like their most recent album, Wake Up, Sunshine, which debuted on April 3, 2020. The band has toured with other well-known acts like Pierce the Veil and A Day to Remember, and were previously set to tour with 5 Seconds of Summer in the "No Shame Tour," though it's been postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In late 2021, online allegations began surfacing surrounding the band and their behavior in previous years. On October 25, an anonymous woman alleged that All Time Low guitarist Jack Barakat had groomed and sexually abused her during an inappropriate relationship, beginning when she was 15 in 2011 until she turned 21. The reveal was preceded by a popular TikTok by a user claiming that a well-known pop-punk band had invited her onto their tour bus when she was 13 years old. Though the band's name isn't mentioned in the original video, it was heavily alluded to by both the commenters and creator that the alleged band was All Time Low. 

The band responded to both the allegations of the video and the anonymous allegation, calling both "completely and utterly false" and said that they were currently investigating the source of these claims and plan to pursue legal action. In early February, it was announced that the band was suing three different people who had accused the band of misconduct for libel.

4. Panic! at the Disco circa 2009

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Panic! at the Disco circa 2019

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This band has rotated through a number of members since releasing their debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out in 2005. Original members included Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, Brent Wilson, and Brendon Urie. Wilson was announced to have left the band in 2006, and was subsequently replaced with Jon Walker. After the release of their album Pretty. Odd. in 2008, Ross and Walker announced that they would also be leaving Panic! at the Disco, due to creative differences, with Ross citing his desire to create more of a retro sound as opposed to Urie's desire for the band to pursue pop music. 

The two formed the musical group, The Young Veins, in 2009, though it was announced that they had gone on an indefinite hiatus after only a year. As a solo artist, Jon Walker has released two solo albums which you can listen to here on his Bandcamp. While Ross was credited as a writer on Vices & Virtues, Panic! at The Disco's first album released after his departure, those contributions were made prior to the band's breakup. In 2018, Ross mentioned that he would be in the studio, recording songs for a solo release.

After Ross and Walker's departure, Dallon Weekes joined the band, alternating between taking on a role as an official member of the band and a touring member before announcing his departure in 2017 to focus on his own band, I Don't Know How But They Found Me. As a duo, Smith and Urie released two albums, Vices & Virtues and Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! before Smith announced that he was leaving the band due to addiction issues, and currently works as a talent agent for the music label DCD2 as of 2018. 

Urie has released two albums under Panic! at the Disco as the main songwriter, and the band has since transitioned into a "solo project" as he is the sole original member of the band.

5. Mayday Parade circa 2009

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Mayday Parade circa 2019

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Though this band was formed in 2005, it gained traction via word of mouth after group members followed along on Warped Tour to pass out copies of their EP to attendees. This caused their MySpace page to gain popularity (a sentence that belongs in a museum), which later gave them an opportunity to get signed to Fearless Records. Since then, the band has released seven studio albums, the most recent of which, What It Means to Fall Apart, dropped in November of 2021.

6. Sleeping with Sirens circa 2014

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Sleeping with Sirens circa 2019

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A staple at many Warped Tours, this post-hardcore band gained notoriety with the release of their debut studio album, With Ears to See And Eyes to Hear. Since then, the band has released five new albums, and actually released a song featuring Machine Gun Kelly ("Alone") in 2013. 

That same year, guitarist Jesse Lawson announced that he was leaving the band in order to pursue new music and spend more time with his family. Beyond that, Sleeping with Sirens seems to have continued on relatively unchanged from the screamo goodness you might remember them for and have headlined multiple world tours.

7. Black Veil Brides circa 2011

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Black Veil Brides circa 2021

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After being signed to their first record label because of the successful sales of this band's shirts at Hot Topic, Black Veil Brides became well-known for their hard rock songs and their unconventional makeup (maybe not too unconventional for the alt music scene). Since their formation, they've released six studio albums, with the most recent one developed during the beginning of the pandemic before being released in 2021. 

In 2019, it was announced that bassist Ashley Purdy was leaving the band. Since his departure, Purdy has since released his own music as a solo artist. Lead singer Andy Biersack, while still fronting BVB, has also pursued solo projects under the name Andy Black, dropping a pop-rock album entitled The Shadow Side, featuring guest performances from members of All Time Low and MCR.

8. Blink-182 circa 1999

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Blink-182 circa 2020

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Let's be honest, they were the blueprint. Formed in 1992, this band consisted of members Tom DeLonge, Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus. The group quickly made a name for itself with albums like Dude Ranch and Enema of the State, and is commonly cited as an inspiration for many pop-punk bands today. 

Tom DeLonge left the band in 2005, citing different priorities from the other members, and blink-182 announced that they were going on an indefinite hiatus. DeLonge would later go on to form the group Angels and Airwaves, while Hoppus and Barker formed the band +44. 

In 2008, Travis Barker was hurt in a plane crash that left six people on board dead, and Barker with critical injuries. The band later cited the near-death experience as the event that caused them to reconnect. In 2009, the group appeared together at The Grammy's to announce that they had gotten back together, before releasing a new album, Neighborhoods. 

In 2015, DeLonge announced again that he was leaving the band, and since then has founded To The Stars Academy of Arts & Science in 2017, an organization dedicated to exploring "outer edges of science," including U.F.O's. Meanwhile, DeLonge was replaced by Alkaline Trio guitarist, Matt Skiba. With Skiba, the band has released two albums, California and Nine. In 2019, Hoppus also formed the group Simple Creatures with All Time Low frontman, Alex Gaskarth, while Barker has featured on drums for several popular artists in addition to forming his own music label, DTA Records, which most recently signed artist Avril Lavigne. 

In June of 2021, Mark Hoppus announced that he had been undergoing chemotherapy for the last three months. Both DeLonge and Barker expressed support for Hoppus, with DeLonge later saying that the two had "repaired" their friendship. In June of 2021, Hoppus announced that he was officially cancer-free.

9. Yellowcard circa 2004

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Yellowcard circa 2016

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After the success of the band's album Ocean Avenue, especially the title track, the band released about six more albums, though none reached the monumental success of the earlier album. After announcing they were going on an "indefinite hiatus" in 2008, before reuniting and beginning work on a new album by 2010, When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes was released to positive reviews before the band began touring with All Time Low in 2013.

In 2016, it was announced that the band would break up after their final tour. On March 25, 2017, Yellowcard played their final show in Anaheim, California. 

10. Paramore circa 2007

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Paramore circa 2018

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Paramore, which formed in 2004, was originally comprised of Hayley Williams and brothers Zac and Josh Farro. The band had released three albums before it was announced that both Farro brothers would be leaving the band in 2010, with Josh Farro specifically taking aim at Hayley Williams and calling the band a "manufactured product." Still, in 2013, the band released a self-titled album, Paramore, marking what some critics called the beginning of a departure from their emo sounding roots and into something that resembled a more pop-centric, almost new wave sound. 

In 2016, it was announced that Zac Farro had rejoined Paramore once again as drummer, and the band released their latest album, After Laughter. In January, the band revealed that they were in the studio working on a new album, and also have plans to headline the Las Vegas festival When We Were Young. 

11. Pierce the Veil circa 2009

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Pierce the Veil circa 2016

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At the time of their debut album, A Flair for the Dramatic, Pierce the Veil was solely comprised of brothers Vic and Mike Fuentes, though lead guitar player Tony Perry and bassist Jaime Preciado were quickly added to the band's lineup, completing what many recognize as the band today. While generally known for their pop-punk, emo sound, the band also mentions that they frequently try to incorporate "at least a hint of Latin influence in every song," with singer Vic Fuentes describing the sound as "mexicore." The band was a frequent on Warped Tours, and frequently released covers on a series of Punk Goes Pop albums. In 2010, the band released their second album, Selfish Machines, followed afterward by Collide with the Sky in 2012. This album debuted at #12 on the US Billboard 200, and gave us the single "King for a Day." The band later released their fourth studio album, Misadventures.

In November of 2017, a Twitter user accused drummer Mike Fuentes of having sex with a minor while being aware of her age. Additionally, another user accused Mike Fuentes of soliciting her for nudes when she was 15 after the two met at Warped Tour when she was 14. In response, Pierce the Veil released a statement announcing that Mike Fuentes was "stepping back" from the band, and that the group would be withdrawing from their upcoming UK Tour. 

In 2018, PTV announced that they had been working on a new studio album, and released an acoustic performance of their song "Hold on Till May." Though the video included Mike Fuentes, Vic later replied to an Instagram comment revealing that Mike had actually left the band in 2017. The band is set to perform in October at the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas. 

12. We Are the In Crowd circa 2014

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We Are the In Crowd circa 2021

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After signing with Hopeless Records in 2009, this band quickly made waves with albums like Best Intentions and Weird Kids, and frequently toured with other pop-punk bands like Mayday Parade and All Time Low. Though the band had announced by 2015 that they had completed recording for their third album, it was announced in 2016 that they were currently on hiatus. During this time, lead singer Tay Jardine began work on a new musical project under the name SAINTE, with WATIC members Cameron Hurley and Mike Ferri involved creatively. Together, SAINTE released a debut EP in 2017. 

In 2019, the band announced that they had gotten back together, and were planning to perform at the Slam Dunk Festival, though the tour dates were pushed back due to COVID-19. In September of 2021, the band finally was able to properly ring in their reunion as they performed during the rescheduled tour dates of the festival. 

Am I forgetting your favorite pop-punk band? Call me a poser in the comments, and tell me about them!