Microwave in Worcester

About Microwave

Microwave is an emo band from Poughkeepsie that treats anxiety like it's a subject worth getting angry about. They came up in the mid-2010s streaming era without much traditional label push, just building a quiet cult following through songs that balance vulnerable lyrics with the kind of guitar work that makes your stomach hurt. Their earlier records, especially "Much Love" and "It's Not About the Guitar," established them as the kind of band that could make a song about feeling trapped sound genuinely devastating. They're not reinventing emo, but they're not trying to. They're just very good at the specific thing they do: introspective songs that still hit hard, delivered with enough restraint that the heavy moments land differently. If you've found yourself rewatching their older music videos or relating to songs about overthinking, you're exactly who this band is for.

Known for Senators, Stressful, Dog Leather, Death Wish, The Most Beautiful Thing

Microwave + Worcester

Microwave rolled through The Palladium in December, running through a set that felt like a conversation with themselves. They hit the obvious marks—"Mirrors" and "Circling the Drain" got the expected reactions—but it was the deeper stuff that landed hardest. "Stovall" and "Vomit" cut through the room with the kind of specificity that makes you wonder what you're missing. They closed with "But Not Often," which tracks for a band that seems more interested in the uncomfortable truths than the easy catharsis.

Microwave in Worcester News

• Microwave oven catches fire inside home The Worcester News · Nov 24, 2025
• He may be 'the old man down the road,' but John Fogerty stil rocks the room Worcester Magazine · Nov 21, 2025
• Boy, 4, left with burns after man 'shoved his face into plate of hot sausage and mash' The Mirror · Jul 24, 2025
• Best small microwave UK: Stylish and functional models that won’t dominate your kitchen counter Expert Reviews · Apr 3, 2025
• On the heels of 'Analysis Paralysis,' Four Year Strong back at Palladium for holiday show Worcester Magazine · Dec 12, 2024

Live Music in Worcester

Worcester's indie and alternative rock scene has quietly built up over the years, with venues like The Palladium hosting bands that favor substance over spectacle. The city tends to attract acts like Microwave—bands more interested in solid songwriting and genuine connection than manufactured coolness. There's a working-class sensibility to the local crowd here that rewards straightforward, unadorned rock music.

Worcester road trip to see Microwave?

Stay in the Elm Hill neighborhood — it's got actual character with tree-lined streets and the best local dining concentration. Book a table at Elm Tavern for elevated comfort food, then spend an afternoon at the Worcester Art Museum, which has a surprisingly strong collection that rewards a couple hours. If you want something quieter before the show, The Hanover Theatre is worth checking even if you're not catching a play — the building itself is an ornate 1904 gem. The walk from Elm Hill to the venue area is doable and keeps you off the highway entirely.