The Used goes to college and gives a crash course in face-melting 101!

The Used is one of those bands that makes me remember that I am a music fan first, and a journalist second. I have to admit to being excited when they announced the 'Get A Life Tour' tour dates and seeing one coming right through our area. I had covered them about a year ago on the 'Taste Of Chaos' tour and was blown away by the small portion of their sets I was able to catch, but never got to experience an entire set any of the three days I was there. This time would be very different. Knowing what an amazing show they put on I had every intention of being there from beginning to end this time around.

This tour brought The Used to college campuses across the U.S., an idea originated by the band and originally intended to go beyond a concert scenario. I'll let Used guitarist, Quinn Allman, fill in the details on that for you when you watch the video interview to follow. Bringing their unique brand of heart-pounding rock to colleges around the country made perfect sense to me when I first heard of the tour. After all, college students need every chance to unwind and rock out even more than some of the rest of us. For the die-hard Used fans who attended these shows, I know they were more than ready to hear the band unleash in their usual fierce style.....that's the true beauty of seeing The Used live after all. But for those students that may have wandered over to hear the show that night at Lee Field at NC State, I doubt they had any idea what they were in for.

I've never liked to label an artist by assigning them into one specific genre. That could explain why most of my favorite bands are impossible to classify into one particular style of music. The Used definitely fits that description, with a multi-faceted sound that boasts influences of true rock, screamo, hardcore and the ever-popular "alternative" rock spectrum. What impresses me most about this band is that they have never compromised anything about themselves or the music they make to fit anyone else's mold, or to please anyone but their legion of fans. They have undeniable chemistry on stage and put on a show that can only be described as an all balls, no-holds barred rock show. This most recent show I caught at NC State will definitely be one of my favorite shows of 2008.

Upon finishing their stint as headliners of the Rockstar Get A Life Tour, The Used will begin working on their fourth studio album. This record will be recorded in a "live room" setting and we are anxious to hear the outcome. The album is estimated to be finished as early as June, but no release date has been determined. Once the album is finished they are going to head out to Germany, Switzerland and Norway at the end of June.

Rock On Request had the pleasure of not only covering the 'Get A Life Tour', but we also had the chance to sit down with The Used guitarist, Quinn Allman, for an in depth interview. As a journalist, you never know what kind of mood an artist is going to be in for your interview until you are sitting down and ready to go. There are times when an artist or band is in a completely silly mood, joking around and it's all fun and games. When we caught up with Quinn for this interview, he was in a very introspective mood, deep in thought and took this opportunity to sit and talk with us. He opened up for a very memorable interview that I'm sure all The Used fans will enjoy.

The Used on Myspace

The Used Official Website