Dan Evans

Zeke Peña

The famed taping was, hands down, the best day in the history of the emo stalwarts. Our Alan Siegel has the story of how it came together and how it sounded in the room, through the eyes of frontman Chris Carrabba, his band, and most importantly, the fans. As one of those attendees says, “​​You felt a sense of community immediately.”

Read Alan Siegel's oral history of Dashboard Confessional's MTV Unplugged performance here.

Getty Images/Ringer illustration
 

Who was the definitive emo band of the 2000s? Rob Harvilla and Charles Holmes took it to court. In the latest episode of The Ringer Music Show, Rob and Charles argued their cases on behalf of MCR and Fall Out Boy, pitting the bands’ lyrics, albums, and influence against one another. It got melodramatic at times (what else would you expect with these groups?), but only one winner emerged. Which was also destined to happen: Remember, this ain’t a scene, it’s an arms race.

Kyle Stecker

For suburban or rural-based emo fans in the ’90s or 2000s, Hot Topic was the only place they could go—outside of a concert—to find the music they liked, buy merch, and convene with like-minded fans. Think of Hot Topic like the anti-Abercrombie: Instead of pushing an aspirational—and blatantly exclusionary—lifestyle, Hot Topic went out of its way to be inclusive and welcoming, no matter your tastes. Ringer contributor Rachel Brodsky went deep on the history of the retailer, exploring how it went from emo to Funko Pop depot, with thoughts from musicians, former execs, and the people behind the register.

Read Rachel Brodsky's history of Hot Topic here.