Full Disclosure: I’ve been photographing Taking Back Tuesday since day 1. I’ve seen a lot of crazy shit go on. I’ve documented a lot of crazy shit go on. This list comes from someone who’s familiar with the history (and is an emo kid at heart).

Twelve months ago, on a rainy night in Los Angeles' Echo Park neighborhood, three friends—Morgan Freed, T.J. Petracca and Barbara Szabo—threw a club night for people to listen to some circa 2000s emo music. The first Taking Back Tuesday wasn't promoted, but somehow word got out and The Short Stop was flooded with around 400 20-to-30-somethings causing a line down the block. Fast-forward to December 1, 2015, when the kids behind Emo Night LA celebrated their one-year anniversary, selling out both The Echo and Echoplex with more than a thousand bodies filling the complex. It was an epic night with epic emotions and even more epic moments. Here’s a look at the 8 most emo moments that I can recall from my tear-soaked memories.

The Emoplex

Gil Riego

In honor of the #1yearoftears for Taking Back Tuesday, The Echo/Echoplex changed the marquee, naming the venue the “Emoplex.” Usually you have to be a billionaire or something to have a building named after you. This small act shows the support that the establishment has for the team and scene in general.

The Wardrobe

Calvin Alagot

It’s almost like going to a gala event. Personally, I went through four shirt changes through the night, just to keep it fresh. But seeing some of the amazing shirts that were being dawned by the attendees was golden. From shirts with vintage band/tour logos, funny puns, holiday themed and even personalized ones, it is always amazing to check out people’s unique personality as they wear it…on their sleeve.

Not one, not two, but FOUR places to cry!

Bernard Delmundo

For the first time in Taking Back Tuesday history, they took over essentially two venues and their patios—something they usually reserve for major events. Everywhere you went, there was music either being performed or DJed. Your ears could walk through your entire 2000s in one circling of the party.

Mark Hoppus Becoming the Official Dad of Emo Night

Gil Riego

From his dad jokes on Twitter to his playing Frozen mixing into My Chemical Romance, there’s always been a running joke that he’s the “Dad of Emo Night.” Well, it became official: Mark Hoppus is Dad As Fuck.

Chris Carrabba Battling a Horde of Emo Zombies

Grizzlee Martin

Usually when a non-DJ performer goes on stage, it’s just them. Maybe they’ll have a backup band or some vocals, but usually it’s just them, even at Emo Night. Usually the stage is cleared out as they the crew gets the artists set up. However, when Chris Carrabba took the stage a little after midnight, that wasn’t the case. During the founders’ speech, he quietly snuck in through the crowd already on stage and plugged himself in to the audio system. Once the “Thank Yous” ended, Chris started strumming his guitar. Fans who were lucky enough to find a way on stage shuffled closer to surround him from behind. Those on the floor shifted like an ocean, trying to make their way toward the foot of the stage just to get inches closer to him. (It looked like the beginning of The Walking Dead when Rick Grimes had to hide under the tank.) The only weapons Chris had to protect himself were an acoustic guitar and the power of his voice. He sang his heart out, the bodies swayed back and forth with every chord while singing along with every lyric, all with him in the middle of everything. Hands down, this was one of the best moments I can remember. I should be a writer or something.

The Founders’ Speeches

Gil Riego

This whole thing. Everything from the past 12 months. It has been beyond a labor of love. From the preparation it took to get the first shows up, moving to a bigger venue to fit more people in, to booking surprise guests; it took a toll on the trio, and it was definitely a lot of work. Around midnight, the Emo Night LA team hopped on stage after the Mark Hoppus set and gave heart-filled speeches to the at-capacity crowd at the Echoplex. Appropriately, emotions ran high that night, and the founders added tears to the blood and sweat that they’ve given to Emo Night.

The Fans

Taylor Thompson

As cliché as it sounds, the fans made the night. The weeks building up to the show, they posted on the event page saying how stoked they were, and they did not disappoint. On this night, and the first Tuesday of every month leading up to it, in every other city, the fans of Taking Back Tuesday are the ones that make the stories that get recapped on social media. They’re the reason this list is happening.

Specifically, THIS Fan

Danielle Gornbein

Taking Back Tuesday is more than just a club or a concert—It’s an experience. You could be having a drink in the patio, moshing in the crowd or even waiting in line when moments you’ll remember for the rest of your life happen. Like when this girl, Jacquelyn Luna, who is a diehard Dashboard Confessional fan, got the surprise of her life when Chris Carrabba walked out, where he signed her shirt and took photos with her. She even gave him a love note. God knows I’d melt into a puddle of my former self if something like that happened to me with my idol, Taylor Swift.

Revisit: "Louder Now: Emo Night LA's Founders on the Club Night's Unexpected Success"

Revisit: "10 Emo AF People We Met at Taking Back Tuesday: Emo Night LA"