The sold-out crowd of elder emos at The Underground in Charlotte came out for opening night of the 20th Anniversary Tour of Chroma. They donned their best Vans and band shirts while piling into the venue just in time for Landon Conrath. He came in representing the Midwest emo, Conrath warmed the crowd with viral hits “Acetone” and “2am” while dedicated fans in the pit sang every word.
Kicking off the headliner set, Cartel surprised the crowd with four songs not off Chroma. The band started with “Let’s Go” and ended with “The Fortunate,” before getting into the full album of Chroma. Fans could feel the energy shift as “Say Anything (else)” began. Cartel shifted into “Honestly” and the lights also shifted into an impressive under light display that reflected upward.
Crowd surfers looked a bit different this show, as it was all kids instead of the elder emos. The fans sang loudly to “Burn This City” before slowing it down for the ballad “Save Us.” Rounding out the show with the rest of Chroma set including “Minstrel’s Prayer” where lead singer Will Pugh sang every note with impressive chops that have not wavered in 20 years.
The encore was filled with more songs showcasing their other albums like “This Is Who We Are” off their self-titled Cartel album. The show ended with the most recent album hit off Cycles, “The Perfect Mistake.” The 20th Anniversary Chroma Tour continues to the northeast then west throughout the U.S. before ending the tour with a hometown show in Atlanta.
GALLERY: Cartel with Landon Conrath at The Underground in Charlotte, North Carolina (September 12, 2025)
