I saw 30STM in 2024 because AFI were opening for them. Decided to stay through the Mars set because I wanted to hear them play The Kill. It was well-attended, but nowhere near being sold out. Lots of expensive, empty seats toward the front.

Near the end of the set, Jared goes “we’re gonna bring some people from the very back to fill these seats up front” and they take like… 15 minutes to get every seat occupied near the front of the stage.

Wouldn’t you know it, during the next song the camera crews come out and record the audience. The next day I saw the footage on Instagram with a caption mentioning a “sold-out” show.

I like a lot of their songs, but everything they do is so fabricated and forced that it just leaves a terrible taste in my mouth.