THE USED with Actor Observer
House of Blues
Boston, MA
04.12.25
LIVE REVIEW BY SAM COHEN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEREMY SAFFER
The Used closed out their three night celebration at the House of Blues in Boston by playing their third studio album, Lies for the Liars (2007), to another packed audience. The nostalgic video that played before they took the stage featured an automated voice instructing everyone to prepare to witness the best band in the world, and for the next hour, The Used delivered on that promise.
The opening act for the evening was Boston post-hardcore band Actor Observer, who are no strangers to playing to a boisterous crowd. They brought an intense rush of energy to their performance, which felt particularly celebratory for their hometown audience.
In the opening clip, lead singer Bert McCracken spoke about how recording this album was the most fun the band had in the studio up until that point, and how it was an honest representation of who they were. That feeling was palpable throughout their performance. From the moment they played the opening notes of “The Ripper” until they the final notes of “Smother Me,” The Used created a perfectly balanced atmosphere for the crowd once again.
McCracken brought fans on stage at one point to sing along and celebrate with him, bassist Jeph Howard, guitarist Joey Bradford, and drummer Dan Whitesides. He also allowed for more of those magnetic moments where the crowd loudly sang the lyrics back to him. Those interactions between the band and the audience are a highlight for any show, but they felt particularly meaningful during this run for The Used. Every single instance served as a reminder that this band has been writing, recording, and playing music for 25 years without taking a hiatus. It’s an epic feat not many have accomplished.
Like the album itself, the evening held emotion and energy in equal measure. There was moshing during “Liar Liar (Burn in Hell),” and softer moments where people turned their phone flashlights on and swayed back and forth with one another. McCracken even wore one of the band’s hoodies on stage, and it was touching to see how proud they all were of what they’ve been able to do with their career over the last two decades.
McCracken, Bradford, Whitesides, and Howard gathered side-by-side at the end of the night to take a bow before the audience. All four of them were grinning, and the gratitude they had for this incredible experience was visible on their faces. This night, like the two that came before it, can be best summed up by Howard. “We feel extremely lucky and humbled to have been a part of something way bigger than ourselves for the past 25 years. To everyone that has been there from the beginning or is just starting out your adventure with us, thank you. Here’s to the next 25!”
