The Emo Concert for the Ages: Evanescence Live in Tampa
Photo courtesy of @Evanescenceofficial on Instagram
September 13, 2025 - Tampa, FL
In the words of a woman who sat in my same section: “Evanescence and My Chemical Romance at the same concert? What year am I in?” In case you’re not aware, Evanescence is legendary for their spot within the 2000s alternative and emo music scene. Their biggest songs include: “Bring Me to Life”, “My Immortal”, and “Call Me When You’re Sober”. Full disclosure, I am a big fan of Evanescence and have been for years. So when the “Long Live The Black Parade” Tour was announced, I knew I wanted to go. But when I saw that the Tampa show opener was Evanescence, I knew I had to go.
However, as big a fan as I am of their older work in Fallen and The Open Door, I was just as interested in hearing their newer songs. In case you’re not aware, 2025 has been a busy year for Amy Lee and Evanescence. Evanescence, this year, released “Afterlife” and “Fight Like a Girl (feat. K.Flay)” for two separate soundtracks. Amy Lee has also been featured on collaborations with Halsey, Poppy, and Courtney LaPlante this year. So, going in, I was excited to see what songs would even make it to the setlist.
Setlist image courtesy of @gamesofev on Instagram
Bassist, Emma Anzai, courtesy of @EvanescenceOfficial on Instagram
Evanescence opened their set with “Afterlife”, a song that is so good that it made me actually want to watch the show from which it came. What followed was a beautiful medley of old and new songs spanning their over twenty-year-long career. When Amy Lee got on the piano for songs like “Use My Voice” and “My Immortal”, it was so ethereal that I put my hand over my heart in a trancelike state. I was incredibly curious to see how they would tackle “Bring Me To Life”, considering the presence of a male featured vocalist on the original track. Lee ended up turning the microphone to the audience for many of those parts and singing both parts during the third verse. This was an incredibly smart move to engage the crowd while also making a unique version of the song.
I speak a lot about Amy Lee, but one of the notable aspects of seeing Evanescence is how stellar all of the musicians are, especially bassist Emma Anzai. Anzai joined the band in 2022, and she was absolutely stellar live. Every time she was on the screen or on stage, she absolutely stole the show. This is an incredibly large feat when you’re standing next to the Amy Lee, and yet she managed to do it anyway. This is not to ignore guitarist Troy McLawhorn, guitarist Tim McCord, or drummer Will Hunt who all did a wonderful job in bringing such iconic songs to life.
As an opener, Evanescence was a perfect choice to prime the audience for My Chemical Romance. They were also a perfect match, considering the large overlap in fans of both acts. My biggest takeaway from this, however, was the need to see Evanescence during a headlining tour, perhaps for their next album which is slated for a 2026 release.
