The Used & Sleeping With Sirens bring a downpour 'Toxic Positivity' to Harrisburg

Summer concert season is winding down but it isn't over yet and The Used helped remind central Pennsylvania that there is still sometime left on the calendar for some outdoor concert fun this year, even if that means risking it all during a thunderstorm.

The Used are currently on the road supporting their new album on the "Toxic Positivity" tour and have been joined by fellow scene mainstays Sleeping With Sirens for this 24 North American trek across the country. Both bands have been on the road extensively over the past year since their appearances at the first annual When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas last year that marked off a milestone in the revival of 'Warped Tour' era bands. The Used and Sleeping With Sirens are no strangers to the road and the variables it brings as both bands were forced to quickly adapt their performances for the massive show in Harrisburg as heavy rain was on the forecast for the XL Live stage.

As the sun began to set the clouds rolled in and Sleeping With Sirens took to the stage amidst a downpour as they warmed the crowd up with a powerful 9 song set that was filled with all bangers and no filler for their rapid fire set. The crowd sang along to nearly every song in their set and it was clear that not even a downpour (with some guest appearances from thunder & lightning) could bring down the vibes in Harrisburg.

This show marked the first of the genre that the venue had done outside and Sleeping With Sirens proved with their set that the massive, festival stage was up to the challenge of hosting shows of the sort. Like many bands within the scene Kellin Quinn and Sleeping With Sirens have really dialed in their live performances over the past few years and are without question putting on some of the best shows in their career right now. They may have only been on stage for 9 songs but it felt like a headline performance before the set was over, and the main event was still to come with The Used.

By the time The Used were set to hit the stage the temperature had dropped easily 10 degrees but the rain soaked crowd hadn't moved at all, the entirety of the crowd was dialed in and ready to give it their all on this cold September night for their favorite band. The Used stayed true to their word and truly brought a wave of "Toxic Positivity" to Harrisburg as their 14 song set gave fans enough of the hits that it kept the energy still at a fever pitch when the band brought out some of their new material. It's hard to believe or rationalize that The Used have been touring relentlessly since 2000 when the broke into the scene because from a technical standpoint they still remain as fresh and raw as a punk band as they did then.

Lead singer Bert McCracken has gone through many "eras" in his career but the last 10 years have watched him transform into the powerhouse frontman that he is today. Few singers can smile as big as he does in the middle of telling a massive crowd to go "f*ck themselves," lovingly of course as this is part of the band's well known stage performance. Rain or shine nothing can stop The Used at this point in their career as they've continue to push the boundaries year after year with no stop in sight for them.