The Creative Control Tour was one of the most highly anticipated concerts to hit the Reno rock scene in a while, selling out the 2700 seat capacity venue in almost record time. A highly charged crowd packed the Grand Theater at the Grand Sierra Resort for an incredible night of music provided by a diverse lineup of buzzy up-and-comers Girlfriends, and Don Broco, to established veterans and co-headliners Pierce the Veil and The Used.

Pierce the Veil took the stage before The Used, creating rapport with the crowd and building anticipation throughout their set. Interaction with the crowd is a key consideration in any PtV show, including bringing a member of the crowd onstage for a serenade and gifting them a guitar. Overall, emotions ran high as their set came to a close.

As the crowd avidly awaits the arrival Bert McCracken and crew to rush the stage in their signature brand of energy, the lights dim and a stunningly beautiful scene unfolds. As “Take It Away” sets an appropriate pace for the night, a lush floral botanical scape fills the massive stage, creating a visual feast to accompany the amazingly crisp audio, and entertaining stage antics of Bert, Jeph and Joey- crisscrossing the stage with manic intensity. The crowd clearly eating out of the palms of their hands.

It’s a nearly constant barrage of hits spanning The Used’s impressive decades long career. Almost all crowd favorites, they play “Giving Up” off their newly released album, “Toxic Positivity”. They end the night with “Pretty Handsome Awkward” to the crowd’s absolute delight.  Overall, they play 11 songs from their massive collection to perfection, but not enough to satisfy the hungry masses.

The intensity of the performance is only matched by the crowd’s absolute eagerness to consume and indulge. Bert’s knack for involving the crowd, is no doubt a key to their longevity. It is clear that The Used show no signs of slowing down, and Reno is hungry for more.