Addendum Review of EMF at The Regent Theater

EMF played the The Regent Theater in late June. I got an invite from their PR firm in late May. I waited a couple weeks and then was like, "Oh wait, let's see if I can get a photo pass." It worked out and it was a fun night -- other than afterwards when my car ran into mechanical issues while driving home. I shot the night for US Rocker Music and you can read my review here. 

EMF at The Regent Theater

Catching bands from the 90s is one of the new music hobbies I've gotten into over the last couple years. Perhaps the biggest band of the 90s that I caught last year was Bush at the Greek Theatre. I also covered Dada at the Troubadour and Buffalo Tom at the Teragram Ballroom.

Like my usual self, I was one of the first people inside The Regent Theater, getting there about 15 minutes before doors opened. I won't say that there were a lot of people there at 7 p.m. when we were all allowed in, but most of those individuals went straight for the stage. What was the age bracket of those individuals? Gen Xers, of course. There really was a buzz specifically around EMF for those early arrivals. Sure, they were co-headlining with Spacehog (another 90s band), but from a Los Angeles perspective, I'd say EMF was the primary draw of the night (at least for those who showed up early). 

EMF at The Regent Theater

Now not everyone was a Gen Xer. There were a number of people in their 20s. In fact, behind me were a couple who looked like they just might still be teenagers. They seemed thrilled that they were there to catch EMF and Spacehog. On both sides of me were two Gen Xers who knew each other. Just before the show started, two people in their early 20s showed up. All four of them knew each other -- I had this feeling that they were co-workers. 

I did a little research on EMF. I found an article at The Guardian. It gave a rundown of what the band was up to currently. The article is from 2022 so things could have changed, but lead singer James Atkin is currently a secondary school teacher. Guitarist Ian Dench is a songwriter who has co-written songs for Beyonce and Shakira.  

EMF at The Regent Theater

During the set, I loved seeing the interaction between these two band members. They appeared to be having the time of their lives on stage and just enjoyed the fact that their friendship was still going well after so many years. 

EMF Setlist: The Day The Music Died, I Believe, Lies, Hands in the Air, They’re Here, Reach For The Lasers Medley, Children, Long Summer Days, Unbelievable, LGBTQ+, Inside.