This fall is all about emo nostalgia, and the scene was alive in Bakersfield, California as Paramore kicked off their first tour since 2018. The trio wasted no time reintroducing themselves to fans, launching their set with the new single “This Is Why.” An album of the same name will be released on February 10, 2023. This Is Why marks Paramore’s sixth album and is the first time the lineup remains the same as the previous album (2017’s After Laughter).

Befitting spooky season, both songs the band had featured on the smash-hit soundtrack for Twilight made the set list. In fact, the Twilight soundtrack had as many songs represented as Paramore’s first two albums combined. Unfortunately for old school fans, that’s because nothing from All We Know Is Falling was performed, a trend continued from the most recent tours supporting After Laughter. Yet, in a surprise twist, it seems that the band’s breakout 2007 single isn’t retired after all, as the main set closed with “Misery Business” — complete with the tradition of a fan being picked from the crowd to sing. The seeds of the return were likely planted when front woman Hayley Williams was asked to join Billie Eilish’s headlining set at Coachella for a guest appearance singing everyone’s problematic fave.

But before that, there were hits and fan favorites from After Laughter, Paramore, Brand New Eyes, and “That’s What You Get” as the other representative from Riot! The band also made sure to support each other’s side projects, covering “Boogie Juice” from drummer Zac Farro’s other band HalfNoise, and “Simmer,” the lead single from Hayley Williams’ first solo album. It was the first time she performed it in a concert setting, as her 2020 solo tour was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The encore kept things upbeat to leave the crowd dancing, with “Still Into You” and “Hard Times,” the latter of which included a bit of Blondie’s classic “Heart Of Glass.” This, along with “Rose-Colored Boy” blending in “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston and "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club continues a direction from the After Laughter tours. Will this continue after This Is Why is released, or will that mark a new era with new set highlights? Only time will tell.

For now, Paramore will continue their short North American tour, which includes stops at Austin City Limits Music Festival and When We Were Young, which they’re co-headlining with their emo contemporaries My Chemical Romance. Stay tuned to Setlist.fm for updates and future tour announcements!