From Alternative Press cover stars in 2006, to setting up their own stage in tiny venues in 2017, you have Hawthorne Heights.

Sure, they had a spot on the main stages on Warped Tour all summer long. However, there seems to be a disconnect between the musician on the stage and the fans in the crowd.

This was definitely the case at the Maintenance Shop on Sunday night.

Hawthorne Heights, an emo-rock band from Ohio, played a set that pulled heavily from their first three albums. The focus on their earlier material certainly hangs on the time when they were more relevant to the music scene.

Hawthorne Heights is very good at what they do; however, the scene that they are a part of has somewhat declined since they reached their peak. Since then, their touring has become relentless.

It’s very common for bands to lose their spark over years of heavy touring. It seems as though Hawthorne Heights has lost some of that energy and engagement that accompanies many newer bands.

Musically, they are nearly perfect on stage. There were no perceivable mistakes in their music. Over the years they have honed their skills as a band to make their live sound almost identical to their recordings. This can only be taken as a positive.

That musical perfection, however, does not translate well into other aspects of the performance.

The recording-ready sound stems from a level of practice that leaves them looking over-rehearsed on stage. Their interaction and conversation with the audience seemed forced and insincere, as well.

The audience gave back a similar vibe. There were a few exceptions, but most of the audience was still and quiet for most of the show with only applause between each song.

This was so obvious that frontman JT Woodruff commented on it, saying that the audience was “polite.”

Some of these problems may stem from the size of the venue. In larger settings, like Warped Tour, Hawthorne Heights is able to pull their energy from the enormous energy of the crowd. In smaller settings, the energy is more intimate and stems more from the audience singing back to the band, Woodruff said.

Despite the shortcomings in Hawthorne Height’s performance, their musical strength remains commendable. It’s possible some new music could help them reconnect. A fresh set of songs might liven up their set and eliminate that over-rehearsed quality.

Woodruff said Hawthorne Heights is currently working on writing and recording a new album 

It seems impossible that the band could write a new album with their hectic touring schedule, but it doesn’t seem to present any challenge the band can’t overcome.

“Sometimes it delays the writing process, but it always inspires the writing process,” Woodruff said.

Hawthorne Heights is visiting some cities around the Midwest while the weather is still snow-free. Once winter starts to set in, they will be back in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio, spending time in the studio to get the new album finished. It looks like we’ll be able to hear some new Hawthorne Heights in the near future.

Hawthorne Heights has played the M-Shop a number of times and has enjoyed it every time, Woodruff said. When they come back in the future, precedent seems to indicate they’ll be back, hopefully some new music and their continued musical talent will mean a better overall show.