Oakwood Takes Portland: The Emo Show You Don’t Want to Miss
8.7.2026 - Portland, OR
This past Friday, Texas’ own emo band Oakwood touched down in Portland for the sixth date of their American tour, bringing their sound of nostalgia and intensity to a packed Hawthorne Theater. Supported by three of the Pacific Northwest’s current most prominent emo bands, Stella, My Better Half, and Circa 40, this show was more than just a stop on Oakwood’s tour. It was a gathering of local scene staples, longtime fans, and a new generation of listeners under one roof. It may even have to be considered the most important day for PNW emos.
Photo by @drewelainephotography on Instagram
Photo by @souvlakisleepover on Instagram
I remember audibly cheering when I first saw the Portland lineup announced and immediately messaging everyone I knew to buy their tickets. The openers alone playing together on one stage was enough to have Oregonians driving hours to get a part of the action. Add Oakwood as the headliner, and suddenly people were crossing state lines.
Eugene’s beloved Stella opened the night, welcomed by cheers from an already eager crowd. In just two years, the group has amassed 10.4K Instagram followers and 48K monthly Spotify listeners. The band briefly split just as it seemed they were reaching the height of their local momentum, but after reuniting and supporting tours across the U.S., it’s clear that Stella is only getting started.
Fans sang their hearts out to favorites “A Streetcar Named Desire” and "Secondhand." Halfway through the set, the band commanded the crowd to get more active, and they happily obliged. Cheers erupted as Stella began to play a new, unreleased song. At the end of the set, drummer Logan raised his drumsticks in the air before throwing them into the crowd. Fans reached over one another and begged for more memorabilia, not a feat I often see from local bands, though one that truly captured the love and admiration this community has for its scene.
Photo via Instagram
My Better Half, a Seattle emo band with a collective 63.8K monthly listeners on Spotify, opened their set by asking the crowd to step back from the barricade. Those words immediately warned us of the chaos to come. Within seconds, the crowd were throwing themselves into one another, joined by flailing arms and the legs of those brave enough to ride the crowd. Whether you were pressed against the wall or towards the back of the pit, you were not safe from these diehard fans. It was impressive to hear the audience sing along so passionately considering the band currently has only one EP available on streaming platforms.
Now, I tend to find that bands who perform aggressively on stage can sometimes feel like they’re compensating for something missing in the music or lacking themselves. This was absolutely not the case for My Better Half. The lead singer commanded the stage in a way I have rarely seen, contorting his body and screaming into the microphone with an intensity that felt completely natural. He embodied the music’s energy rather than simply performing it. At one point, he called the night one of the “best things” happening in emo right now, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, everyone seemed to agree.
Photo by @turquoiseoctober_ on Instagram
Circa 40, another prominent Seattle band with 178.2K monthly Spotify listeners, was the final opener before the main event. As the crowd screamed along to their favorite songs, the lead singer lowered his mic stand to catch the audience’s voices. From the barricade, the stage resembled a cage, surrounded by friends of the band and videographers who were scattered upon the staircases alongside it, taking in the performance and chaos below. The band also announced that a new EP is on the way.
Finally came Oakwood.
Their appearance onstage was met with an eruption of cheers from an audience that had clearly been waiting all night. I was struck by how powerful and clear the lead singer, Matthew Dywer, sounded live. He made his performance look effortless, performing with a smile plastered across his face. Even after the crowd had already exhausted itself during the openers, there was somehow still energy left to give. The mosh pit had practically turned into an aggressive slip-and-slide of sweaty bodies, further fueled by the humid air and the water and beer thrown overhead.
Oakwood shared that it was their first time performing in Portland and reminisced about previous tours and gigs they’ve played at venues that have since “died.” The sentiment became a reminder of just how important it is to show up for your community and support the spaces that give these scenes a home. The band’s message was simple: “Fuck that shit, show up to shows!”
They followed this with, “It’s hot as fuck. You know what that means? It’s summer!" cueing the beginning of their fan-favorite 2015 single “Summer.” The crowd’s cheers roared, which made me incredibly glad to have made my way toward the back of the venue.
The show ultimately felt like a love letter to the bands, venues, artists, and fans who have helped shape the scene and kept it alive over the years. It was less a concert than a gathering, bringing together scene veterans and younger fans who more recently discovered these sounds. Throughout the night, the bands repeatedly expressed their appreciation for one another, as well as for community staples and sources of inspiration such as @Emoarchive and Juno Togiak.
Oakwood’s Portland stop proved that emo is far from dead. The remainder of the tour features absolutely killer opener lineups, including—but not limited to—Mexican Slum Rats, Arranged in April, Camping in Alaska, and Love Letter. If you haven’t claimed your tickets yet, do it. This is a tour you cannot afford to miss.
