The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: 2025 Emo Captivators
March 9th, 2025 - Richmond, VA
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has proven that even after 22 years of making emo anthems and touring, they can still captivate an audience! While I have not attended many shows of this genre, I am happy to say that this was a good start. With their latest single (lost track), Home Improvement, being a fresh addition to their discography, they were bound to deliver, and deliver they did. The Canal Club in Richmond, Virginia sees a lot of talent come their way, and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is proof of that.
Photo by Cody Cooksey.
Something I did not take into consideration before the show was how unique the openers would be. 408 gave a lively performance, Heartbent provided loud vocals and interactions, and RVA local band Almost Gone gained some new fans, including myself! When the time finally arrived, Ronnie Winter Defoe of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus took to the stage, followed by the rest of the band.
Ron opened with “Atrophy” and “Brace Yourself,” which were accompanied by lots of fog and vibrant colors. As a matter of fact, the entire show was accompanied by this! It was quite a standout, as it provided amazing visuals to match the band’s energy. Ron was keen on crowd interactions, encouraging them many times to scream, clap, and jump. He made a joke about his hair still being long, and how he is still rocking skinny jeans after all these years. I had the amazing opportunity to meet Ron backstage before the show, he was incredibly nice and happy to be there to perform!
Photo by Cody Cooksey.
The band had the entire audience captivated throughout the show’s duration. Ron made a statement, saying that he sometimes finds himself thinking “am I done?” He answered his own question, saying “night’s like tonight tell him no (he is not done)”. When the time came to play “Your Guardian Angel,” a fan favorite, Ron pulled a fan up onto the stage, who revealed he had lyrics tattooed on his ribcage! Ron said exactly what I was thinking, that the tattoo must have hurt.
Photo by Cody Cooksey.
The band capped off the night with a cover of, as said by Ron, “the greatest emo song in history,” “All the Small Things,” which led into their best song, “Face Down.” This song, and the performance of it, has to be one of my favorite concert memories, and I can confidently say that the same can be said for many others who were in attendance. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus gave a worthy performance, one that I am hopeful to see again in the future.
Photo by Cody Cooksey.
