Matti Hoffman is living his dream.
A fan of Escape the Fate, the Tucson native has spent the last two years playing guitar for the emo rock band. Now the band is 11 shows into a tour with the Emo Orchestra. It’s a perfect pairing for Hoffman, who’s a self-proclaimed fan of classical, soundtrack and video game music.
“We’re playing a lot of covers from emo bands, like My Chemical Romance, AFI, Underoath — all with the Emo Orchestra,” he said.
“This is a dream of mine,” Hoffman said calling from a day off in Charlotte, North Carolina. We’re playing with a collection of musicians from around the world. They’ve studied at the Berklee College of Music, Juilliard and Yale.
“It’s cool to be around. They’re pushing me to be better. This is definitely a unique experience.”
Escape the Fate will join the Emo Orchestra for two-part shows on a tour that hits the Celebrity Theatre on Thursday, May 16.
Hoffman is an Amphi High School graduate with studied music theory, piano and classical guitar at Pima Community College, too.
“I started playing piano around the second grade,” he said “I liked Zelda and Final Fantasy. I wasn’t interested again until the summer between middle school and high school when I heard ‘Crazy Train.’ When I heard Randy Rhoads’ guitar solo, I thought, ‘This is what I want to do.’”
Hoffman, 35, searched for guitar music by Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, all of whom he grew up listening to. He lived in California for a bit and then, during the pandemic, returned to Tucson and his family.
Joining Escape the Fate has been great.
“Their previous guitarist left to be a studio guitarist,” he said. “My name came up a few times and they contacted me. I had been touring on and off for about 10 years with smaller bands.
Nerve-wracking experience
Singer Craig Mabbitt enjoys performing with Hoffman and with the Emo Orchestra. Before the tour started, the Glendale native said it made him nervous.
“It’s a little intimidating for me, personally,” Mabbitt said. “I like that. I feel like I work better under pressure. It’s exciting to do something new after touring for almost 18 years now. I believe my first tour I ever did was in 2005. We’re coming up on 20 years, my God. Wow.”
Nevertheless, Mabbitt was looking forward to the jaunt.
“I know these ‘Emo Nights’ have been pretty big for quite a while now. This is a fancy version of that, live. We have a 15-person orchestra in a theater setting. Not only is it different, something exciting for us, but the fans, too. We’re playing venues we normally don’t play in, with a different type of show.”
Emo Orchestra has toured one other time, with Hawthorne Heights. Mabbitt said the collective recommended songs but allowed Escape the Fate to choose others.
“There was a lot of back and forth. A lot of the songs we chose we had just done with Hawthorne Heights,” he said.
“We open with ourselves, basically a cover of ourselves. We’re in a special position. The very first album was a different singer (Ronnie Radke). 2008 was the first album for me. It’s a fun and interesting little history lesson.
“A lot of people who like Emo Orchestra may not necessarily have seen Escape the Fate. So, we cover ourselves, Fall Out Boy, the Used, AFI, System of a Down, even though they’re not necessarily ‘emo.’ If you’re a fan of that music, you definitely jammed some System of a Down. We also do All Time Low, Hawthorne Heights to throw props back to them; My Chemical Romance; Blink-182; New Found Glory; Underoath; Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Good Charlotte.”
The concert — complete with an intermission — is a hometown gig for Mabbitt, too. He lives in Tempe now.
During his more than two decades in music, Mabbitt hasn’t performed at the Celebrity Theatre.
“I played a lot of venues around the area, because this is where I grew up,” he said. “I used to go to the Mason Jar. I remember all the good shows I was going to. Neckbeards Soda Bar, that was the spot.”
Mabbitt still feels that same enthusiasm and love of music. However, he remains humble. He counts his blessings, but, he added, “At the end of the day, everybody’s the star of their own movie. I try to put myself in other people’s shoes. If I have a rough day, in the middle of a tour, I’m missing the kids, I’m missing home.
“I just think of when I was 14 years old and at my first concert, Linkin Park. I thought if I could ever do this, that would be amazing. I maybe didn’t believe in myself, but look at me now. I’m lying on a tour bus in the middle of the tour. That’s what humbles me and keeps me passionate. People could be booing me, but one person is singing every single word to every single song. That was me.
“It sounds very cliché, but if I can do it, you can do it. It really is true — just put your foot down and focus. You just have to find your own voice. It’s not like it’s top 40, pop-star radio. Do your thing and feel comfortable.”
Emo Orchestra featuring Escape the Fate
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, May 16
WHERE: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix
COST: Tickets start at $32
INFO: celebritytheatre.com
This article appears in May 2-9, 2024.
