Last Friday, Sep. 19, emo folk powerhouse hey, nothing captured the hearts of an energetic and emotional crowd at Center Stage Vinyl during a special Shaky Knees Late Night Show. Right off the bat, hey, nothing displayed their ability to be both on the big stage and down to earth, interacting with the excited crowd, cracking jokes and expressing their appreciation for the turnout.
Although Atlanta-based duo Tyler and Harlow are barely 20 years old, their songs contain emotions so raw and vast that any listener would assume that hey, nothing has lived countless lives. Playing live in their hometown meant the world to them, and they were not shy to express this joyous feeling to the crowd.
Accompanied by their band, the duo opened up the show with their early 2025 single “Barn Nursery.” Harlow’s verse came first, and their breathtaking vocals paired with the dreamy acoustic guitar chords created an atmosphere where even the most rigid heads couldn’t resist joining in on the entranced crowd’s synchronized head bops.
Harlow’s contribution on “Barn Nursery” expresses their lingering guilt over a past relationship and a sense of yearning in a way that pierced the heartbroken crowd like a bullet. Tyler, who sang the last verse of “Barn Nursery,” emitted lyrics that were streaked with anger at himself: a jolting slew of words that took the crowd through every step of regretting the loss of a special connection with somebody.
Following the opening song, the crowd, an angsty cluster of young adults, was itching for more. The duo followed “Barn Nursery” with hard hitters like “The Sink” and “Too Drunk to Drive,” taking the onlookers on a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from interpersonal bitterness to the tantalizing feeling of longing that one feels when experiencing unrequited love.
Before rocking the audience with their latest single “Black Bear,” hey, nothing introduced their band members, a bassist and a charismatic drummer, to which the crowd erupted in applause, clearly savoring the talented wielders of the supporting instruments. It seemed evident that hey, nothing were friends first and a band second, their bond being the most important part of what they do.
Throughout most of their show, hey, nothing maintained a confessional tone with loud but near hopeless lyrics, adjacent to the feeling of screaming at the sky to release pent up feelings. However, their performance of “Black Bear,” a song that is a clear display of strength, resilience and optimism, set a refreshing tone for the remainder of the show.
In the song, the duo uses the term “black bear” as an allegory to describe the hardships that come with navigating life, playing into the fear that one would feel upon encountering a black bear in the wild. The resolution, however, comforts listeners with words of courage that describe the amount of strength it takes to defeat the “black bear,” or overcome the challenges and curveballs that life so often throws at you.
Once the final chord of “Black Bear” rang out, the audience erupted with applause paired with ear-piercing cheers, clearly overcome with a soothing but invigorating sense of motivation and preparing for the gut-punches of songs that were to come next.
After a soft spoken and catchy performance of their 2023 single “Flora,” the duo politely dismissed their band, as the last songs of the show required Harlow and Tyler to lose themselves in the enchanting and deeply personal sounds of their acoustic guitars.
Harlow’s performance of “Like a Brother,” a fan favorite and emo hit, swallowed the audience into a void of blaring sadness. The crowd mimicked every word that Harlow sang, some more vocal than others, creating a tear-jerking atmosphere in the smaller venue. “Like a Brother” carries themes of unrequited love, struggling with addiction while trying to maintain a complicated relationship, and the classic pangs of yearning that go hand-in-hand with emo music. The flawless execution of the song left mouths speechless, eyes teary and hearts aching.
A moment of silence ensued after “Like a Brother,” but the show had to continue. The duo performed the song “Seeing You” and treated the audience by playing the unreleased song “Arteries.” Shortly after the applause, Tyler cleared his throat and announced his mother’s presence in the building, stating that the next song was written for her.
“Maine,” one of hey, nothing’s most popular songs, was met with deafening cheers even before a single chord was strummed. Fittingly written in a small cabin in Maine, the duo poured everything out on this song, dealing with reflection in the most sorrowful way imaginable, riddled with streaks of wanderlust coupled with the inescapable feeling of homesickness.
Tyler, who leads the vocals on “Maine,” rocked the crowd with his performance of the song, clearly singing from the deepest pockets of his heart, undoubtedly impacting the audience in a way they would never forget.
The duo ended the emotional rollercoaster of a show on a high note with their song “Hitchhiking” off of their debut album “We’re Starting to Look Like Each Other.” The live performance of this track was a complete contrast from the melancholic recorded version, with Harlow creating a call and response from the repetitive chorus “Hitchhiking across the country,” commanding the audience to join in on the fun. Harlow maintained the bubbly atmosphere by joking that they couldn’t hear the crowd, only causing the venue to fill with more joyous voices.
The duo, hey, nothing, gives their absolute all whenever they perform live, showing that they have a passion for not only music, but affecting those who listen to their songs in ways that are impossible to describe with words. Their music tells a wide variety of stories, allowing any listener to make a connection with their personal life. At only 20 years old with no plans of quitting, this duo breathes life into the emo folk scene, leaving listeners beyond excited to see what the future holds for Tyler and Harlow.