(photo credit: Jesse Korman)
t’s fitting that while in the midst of an emo resurgence, genre pioneers THE JULIANA THEORY are celebrating their 20th anniversary. The Steel City gents were ahead of the curve with their groundbreaking indie-emo-pop fusion, igniting frenzy in their underground scene and influencing bands for years to come. From their first album, cult classic, Understand This Is A Dream, The Juliana Theory quickly evolved and sharpened their sound to deliver 2000’s genre-defining and genre-transcending, Emotion Is Dead. Their strong, hook-laden songwriting, spirited live shows, and dedicated fanbase attracted the attention of Epic/Sony where they released their third studio album, Love. Always maintaining an incessant touring schedule the band made their final album before breaking up in 2006.
In 2010 the band got back together for a short reunion run in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Emotion Is Dead, but otherwise have been fairly quiet. Fast forward seven years to 2017 and an offer to play Warped Tour Rewind at Sea, an emo/pop-punk lovers dream cruise stacked with artists including Good Charlotte, Cartel, Simple Plan, Mayday Parade and more, The Juliana Theory decided to return to the stage once again for a 20th anniversary tour hitting select cities.
When asked about getting the band back together and upcoming tour, vocalist Brett Detar shared:
“The more time that passes the more I realize that I cherish certain memories and eras from my past and that I’m very lucky to have any opportunity to share the stage with dear friends that I grew up with – playing songs that make a group of people happy. A lot of those songs and memories are almost like little time capsules, and being able to revisit those from time to time is something that I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to do. I mean there aren’t always that many things you do in life that resonate with others or truly matter to people 10-20 years after the fact – even if it’s just a small group of people – and I’d just like to honor that if I’m being honest. You know It’s easy to get jaded, sit back and divorce yourself from a time period in your life and say “that’s not who I am anymore” – but to have a real connection with fans (though I hesitate to use that word because they feel more like friends) through music that you created in your parent’s basement alongside your childhood friends is an amazing thing and something I know the whole band feels fortunate to be able to have the opportunity to do again.”