There’s something surreal about screaming along to songs you first heard in your bedroom as a teenager — only now you’re packed into a dark, sweaty venue with hundreds of strangers who somehow feel like family. That’s exactly what went down on Night 3 of The Used 25th Anniversary Tour at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. The band is celebrating a quarter-century of chaos, catharsis, and eyeliner by playing full-album sets, and for this night, they tore through Lies for the Liars in its entirety — and it was glorious.
Before the band even hit the stage, the anticipation was thick. As the haunting Lies for the Liars intro played, a wave of nostalgia swept through the room. Then, without warning, The Used launched into “The Ripper” — and the pit exploded. It didn’t take long for Bert McCracken to remind everyone why he’s one of the most electric frontmen in the scene. He’s part preacher, part madman, part wounded poet — and somehow always feels like he’s singing just to you.
The opening one-two punch of “The Ripper” and “Pretty Handsome Awkward” was all fists-in-the-air energy. Crowd surfers poured over the barricade while Bert taunted the audience between screams and smiles. If you weren’t moving, you weren’t breathing. And the crowd? Loud. Like, 2007-Warped-Tour-side-stage loud. Every lyric was shouted back with years of built-up angst and affection.
“The Bird and the Worm” came next, all eerie keys and carnival chaos. Starland’s lighting team deserves credit here — red strobes, shadowy silhouettes, and fog gave the entire song a horror-movie energy that totally fit the album’s mood. Then “Earthquake” slowed things down just enough to let everyone catch their breath — but not their feelings. The crowd was still right there, hanging on every note.
“Hospital” felt like a standout — still punchy after all these years — and then came one of the wildest moments of the night: “Paralyzed.” Originally billed as a chance for 10 “hand-selected” fans to join the band onstage, the moment quickly devolved into total, beautiful chaos. Instead of ten, a flood of fans rushed the stage the second the first chord hit. Security tried, but the band waved them off and let it happen. It was like the ultimate emo house party — fans jumping, hugging, belting lyrics shoulder-to-shoulder with their heroes. It wasn’t polished. It wasn’t planned. And that’s what made it perfect.
After the storm that was “Paralyzed,” the band rolled through “With Me Tonight,” “Wake The Dead,” and the criminally underrated “Find a Way.” Each song felt like it had been waiting for this exact moment to come back to life — not just resurrected, but reborn in a room full of people who had grown up and somehow never outgrown these songs.
“Liar Liar (Burn in Hell)” brought the rage and theatrics back, with Bert leaning into every snarl and scream. “Pain” followed with its achingly melodic pull, drawing the room into one collective, cathartic sigh. Then, just when you thought the night couldn’t squeeze out another drop of emotion, they ended with “Smother Me” — the kind of closer that leaves you hollow in the best way. Phones lit up the crowd like stars as Bert poured everything he had into the final lines, and the entire room sang like it was church.
As the band waved goodbye and the house lights came up, there was a feeling in the air that’s hard to describe unless you’ve felt it — like you were just part of something real, raw, and totally unforgettable.
Twenty-five years in, The Used aren’t just still here — they’re still vital, still feral, and still one of the best live bands out there. They’ve always worn their heartache on their sleeves, and now they wear their legacy like armor. This wasn’t just a trip down memory lane. It was a celebration of survival — theirs, and ours.
GALLERY: The Used (Night 3) at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey (April 18, 2025)
