Midwestern emo fans transformed Full Moon Records into a nostalgic haven Feb. 1, donning suits and dresses for a 90s prom night-themed concert. 

Landin Donohoe, the owner and CEO of Limited Media Distribution, planned the event, and he came up with the theme for prom night. 

“With it being close to Valentine’s Day, I figured let’s do a little Valentine’s theme,” Donohoe said. “Let’s make it fun, let’s make it retro.” 

Donohoe planned the event in November, and local bands Thoughts on Bowling, Salon Blonde, Time Well Wasted and Buckshot Princess made their appearances. 

“We don’t get enough Midwest emo in Arkansas,” Donohoe said. “I saw an opportunity, and I was like, ‘I want to jump on that.’”

“It was around the time that Thoughts on Bowling started blowing up. I got them on it. They were down in a heartbeat,” Donohoe said. 

Thoughts on Bowling has three released songs on Spotify, but with the success of their song “Cavity,” they have blown up over the course of months, with over 69,000 followers on Instagram. 

Tate Tenjuan, 18, the bassist and a freshman at the University of Arkansas, said, “It’s almost our one-year anniversary of being a band. We have been performing for almost six months.”

Arden Warr, 17, is the lead singer and drummer of Thoughts on Bowling and a senior at Bentonville High School. 

Warr shared insight into how the band determines if their songs are ready to release on Spotify. “If you can jam in the car to it,” he said the song is ready to be released.

The band takes inspiration from many different screamo bands and performed two unreleased songs, including a cover from one of their inspirations, Modern Baseball.

Full Moon Records has become a vibrant hub for upcoming artists and local bands to perform. On Saturday night, enthusiastic crowds turned out in droves.

Time Well Wasted started making music in 2002. Since then, they have stayed in Little Rock and performed shows around Arkansas. 

Full Moon Records stands out as a top spot for their performances among their favorite venues.

Jason Turman, the group’s guitarist and lead singer, said, “It’s just very inclusive. There are a lot of supportive people here for the music scene.” 

Salon Blonde’s members are local to Conway. Even though they performed last on set, fans showed up late just to see them perform. 

Since the band consists of UCA students, finding time to create new music, practice, and perform shows can be challenging but also rewarding. 

Cooper McClellan is a senior finance major at UCA. He said, “We have set days to practice; you just kind of make the time.” 

McClellan also came dressed for the occasion in tights and a sparkly prom dress. 

Full Moon Records’s 90s theme and grunge atmosphere were a success. Online tickets were completely sold out, and tickets were oversold at the door.

“I think it’s a cool theme, and I think everybody popped out,” Donohoe said. “I’m honestly impressed at how many people are here.”