On October 28th, 2026, The Used brought their Sydney Opera House orchestral performance to the big screen for the world premiere of A Mid Summer Night’s Symphony at the Landmark Nuart Theater in Los Angeles. The evening brought fans together for a cinematic experience of the band’s remarkable performance, followed by a live Q&A featuring all members of The Used.
A Different Way to Experience The Used
The film was absolutely incredible. From the top-tier cinematography to the beautifully executed production of the performance itself, every element came together seamlessly. More than just a visual presentation of a live show, the film captured an incredible amount of emotion, making for an experience that was genuinely moving.
Musically, The Used sounded better than ever, which is saying a lot considering they never miss a beat at their live shows. But this felt entirely different. The orchestral arrangements brought another dimension to the band’s music, and while there have always been songs that seem particularly suited for that kind of treatment, such as “The Bird and the Worm,” there were others I never would have imagined fitting quite so perfectly. Not that I expected any of them to sound less than spectacular, but hearing just how naturally everything came together absolutely blew my mind. The Used has always had a way of turning lyrical poetry into something you can feel, and that quality meshed beautifully with the orchestra.
There was so much to take in, and honestly, I would be hard-pressed to pick a single song that didn’t feel absolutely perfect in this setting. When Bert encouraged the audience to stand for “Blood on My Hands,” the song retained all of its familiar heaviness while taking on an entirely new level of brilliance with the orchestral accompaniment. Then there was “Smother Me.” With Bert remaining onstage alone, his voice soared through the opera house, creating an incredibly moving moment. Another particularly memorable touch came just before “Poetic Tragedy,” when Bert delivered a spoken-word passage from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. It was hauntingly beautiful and set the tone for what followed.
Beyond the music itself, watching the band throughout the performance was something special. Their smiles beamed from ear to ear, and the gratitude they expressed toward the audience was apparent throughout. The connection between the band and the orchestra, and the sheer joy they shared in bringing this production to life, made the experience that much more meaningful.
And then there was the audience. Tears streamed down the faces of fans both on screen and in the theater. It was a feeling unlike anything else, made even more surreal by the fact that I was lucky enough to share a row with the band.. Every so often, I’d glance over and catch them enjoying their own masterpiece alongside everyone else. It’s difficult to put into words what that felt like.
The Q&A – Hearing From The Band
Following the screening, the band made their way from their seats to the stage, greeted by applause from the audience. With all members of The Used taking part, the conversation offered a little insight into how this ambitious project came together, what it meant to them, and whether fans might ever get to experience something similar closer to home.
When asked how the idea originally came about, guitarist Joey Bradford explained:
“I mean, it was kind of a joke, we were playing a show in Sydney, promoter came backstage and we were discussing how many shows we were playing there already which I think was six on that tour, and I think the joke was that we might as well play the opera house, and the next day there were some emails sent, and here we are.”
Another question touched on which songs the band felt translated particularly well to an orchestral arrangement. “Yeah obviously “The Bird and The Worm” always comes to mind when you think of big orchestrated parts, but some surprising ones,” Bert explained. Dan offered, “Buried Myself Alive, that stuck out to me,” while Jepha added, “Poetic Tragedy of course was awesome, but that’s already on the record as similar to that, but all the added bits too that Jesse put in with the symphony was some of my favorite stuff.” Joey and Bert were quick to agree, chiming in with “Me too, Jesse” and “Me three, Jesse,” respectively. It was a nice moment that underscored just how much thought and creativity went into the arrangements, while also giving Jesse Haugen, who served as the arranger and orchestrator, some well-deserved recognition for his work.
Naturally, the question of whether fans in the States might ever get to see a production like this came up. Bert was enthusiastic about the possibility, responding:
“Of course we would, yeah. This is our dream, we love to do this kind of stuff, so yeah, hopefully.”
Jepha added, “It’s a possibility because now we actually have the music thanks to Jesse like I said, so we just need the orchestra.”
Bert then turned the question toward the audience, joking, “So learn how to play, give us a call.” After spotting a few people raising their hands, he began pointing them out, adding, “She plays, alright, we got one,” before pointing to another audience member and announcing, “Here we go, we got two.”
There was also some curiosity about what fans could expect from the release itself, including whether it might eventually be available on vinyl or streaming platforms. Jepha jokingly offered, “VHS only,” before Bert assured everyone, “It’s gonna come out on vinyl. It’s gonna come out somehow, some way, you’ll see it.”
Of course, no Q&A with The Used would be complete without a little of their trademark humor. The conversation touched on just how massive an accomplishment the performance was and where the band could possibly go from here. Bert simply responded, “That’s it.” Jepha followed with, “We’re done actually,” and Dan added, “We actually brought you here to announce that we are done.” The audience got a good laugh.
There was also a question about the then-upcoming Hollywood Bowl show with My Chemical Romance, which prompted Bert to jokingly refer to them in a high-pitched voice as “a tiny little band” and “a little rock band,” drawing cheers and laughter from the crowd. And in perhaps one of the more unexpected exchanges, when Joey suggested sampling the Tim Allen grunt, Bert immediately delivered the most spot-on impression I’ve ever heard before adding, “Damn! That’d be expensive!”
What made the conversation so enjoyable was how naturally it unfolded. There was no shortage of genuine enthusiasm, honest answers, and the playful back-and-forth that has always been such a recognizable part of this band. Getting to hear them talk about a project of this scale, while still being every bit the band fans know and love, was a great way to round out the evening.
This was actually my first time attending, let alone covering, a film screening of any kind, so getting to experience one centered around one of my favorite bands was the icing on the cake. I had an incredible time, and it was genuinely an experience unlike any other that I won’t soon forget. Though I will admit, it was a little strange not standing up and screaming along to the lyrics as the movie played.
More than anything, A Mid Summer Night’s Symphony feels like another example of The Used’s continued evolution. After twenty-six years, their desire to create, experiment, and push beyond the boundaries of what they’ve already accomplished is still very much alive. The growth is almost difficult to put into words, and they continue finding new ways to challenge themselves and their music. It’s especially exciting to think about what might come next.
It’s also incredibly special that the band chose to bring this experience to fans through a screening like this. Being able to share the performance with them in the room, hear their stories firsthand, and watch them take in something they worked so hard to create made it a night I’ll remember for a very long time.
We’d like to thank The Used and Big Picture Media, as always, for having us out to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.