LIVE FROM THE PIT: Saturdays At Your Place and Carly Cosgrove

SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE are a classic American midwest emo band from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Formed when they were at university, the band are bringing energy, fun lyrics, and coming off the back of their hit second album These Things Happen, they are gracing a packed in Southampton on a completely sold out UK tour. Hailed as one of the biggest noises in the midwest emo scene currently, there was a real buzz in the venue from an audience who couldn’t wait to spend their Friday night dancing and immersing themselves in some brilliant music.

Philadelphia band CARLY COSGROVE opened this show. Whilst opening a show can normally be nerve wracking, they were ready to entertain an audience packed out with fans and eager listeners. With a band name hailing from the character and actress from cult childhood show, Miranda Cosgrove/ICarly you can instantly tell that this band would be nothing short of fun with both their band name and each song referencing the nostalgia surrounding a Nickelodeon childhood. Since forming in 2018, this band have released 2 full length albums and countless singles, including their most recent release The Cleanest of Houses are Empty.

Hitting off with You Ate My Enchilada! They started as they meant to go on. Blending math rhythms, intricate guitar work, and vulnerable lyrics, they had the audience eating out of their hands as they seamlessly moved through their back catalogue to create a 45 minute set of hits. Stand out songs had to be the early 00’s inspired You Old Dog where vocalist and guitarist Lucas Naylor showed the rawness of their lyrics and the layers of growth that comes with growing up; and Really Big Shrimp where both bassist Helen Barsz and drummer Tyler Kramer really showcase their skills as performers. Ending their set with Not My Job, a song that had nearly the whole crowd singing, dancing, and completely lost in the moment.

By the time SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE came to stage, the room was packed, there was a buzzing in the air and a rapturous applause the moment they emerged and dived straight into their first song of the set Cross My Heart. From the moment vocalist and bassist Esden Stafne started singing the opening lines, the audience were screaming the words back at him. With a distinct sound, the band lent on their multi talents of singing and playing instruments to bring a blend of riffs, harmonies, and lyrics that had the audience entranced.

Racing into their new album, they showed the audience that their skills weren’t in recording but performing too. From Strawberry to Loon Mobile Pt3 and Stay, it’s clear to see that their sophomore album is arguably one of the best emo releases of 2025. Leaning into the chaos of learning who you are, the 19 song setlist was full of songs that fed into themes of grief, love and humour to create something captivating on stage. By the time they played the 2021 single First of All, the audience had created a pit and endless stream of crowd surfers jumping on stage to join both Stafne and fellow band members Gabe Wood and Mitch Gulish in what could only be comparable to a house party show full of friends.

There’s something quite magical about a show when the audience and artist form such a clear bond throughout the night that by the time they reach the final three songs, no one seems to want the night to end. Rounding off the show with Waste Away, with its classic midwest emo riff and the iconic Tarot Cards with its singalong chorus, the audience could have generated enough energy to power the night. However, by the time we reached the slow building finale of I Give In, the audience could take a moment to truly understand how magical this show had been, and how everyone in the room had experienced a band that is no doubt going to continue to build in popularity and create iconic songs.

Word and Photos: Laura Davies