Hawthorne Heights reminds San Diego: Ohio is still for lovers

Two decades after the release of If Only You Were Lonely, Hawthorne Heights brought their anniversary tour to House of Blues San Diego on March 26th, 2026. The stop played the 2006 album in full, bringing along a stellar supporting lineup — Creeper opening and letlive. in the direct support slot.

With that amount of talent, the night went from theatrical to outright unpredictable.

Creeper kicked things off with frontman Will Gould keeping things grounded with a controlled, confident delivery, while Hannah Greenwood bringing more range to vocal layers. Even if you didn’t walk in knowing their catalog, it was easy to follow what they were doing; they gave the early crowd something engaging without overextending their time.

letlive. then took a completely different route. From the start, Jason Aalon Butler made it clear the set wasn’t going to stay contained to the stage. He moved constantly: into the crowd, across the floor, and, eventually, up to the balcony — all while keeping his vocals intact. It could have easily felt chaotic for the sake of it, but there was structure underneath it all. By the end of their set, even people who weren’t familiar with letlive. seemed fully locked in.

By the time Hawthorne Heights came on, the room was full and ready.

The boys went straight into If Only You Were Lonely, playing it from front to back without much interruption. Songs like “Saying Sorry”, “Pens and Needles”, and “I Am On Your Side” got immediate reactions, with most of the crowd singing along every word. It didn’t feel forced or overly nostalgic; it just felt like people reconnecting with something they already knew well. Vocalist JT Woodruff kept the in-between moments brief, sharing a few thoughts about the time when the album was written and what it meant to the band, but never slowing the pace too much. The focus stayed on the music, which worked in the show’s favor.

Hawthorne Heights also worked in newer material later on, including “Like a Cardinal”, which fit in more naturally than you might expect alongside songs that are over 20 years old. The encore leaned into the band’s biggest tracks: “Niki FM” got one of the loudest reactions of the night and “Ohio Is For Lovers” closed things out with the kind of crowd response you’d expect. Woodruff stepped down to the barricade for part of the song, singing directly with fans, which brought things to a more personal close.

Overall, the show didn’t try to reinvent anything. It was straightforward in the best way by playing the record, delivering it well, and letting the audience meet it where they are now. With two very different openers setting the tone, the night felt balanced: a mix of newer energy, unpredictable moments, and a headlining set that reminded people why this album was a cornerstone of the OG emo movement way back when.

Photography by Franny Zehler

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