Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup, MOD SUN, Buddy Nielsen of Senses Fail and Will Pugh Join Nashville Musicians for a Massive Sober ’90s/2000s Pop-Punk Sing-Along Benefiting Access to Mental Health and Addiction Treatment
Sober Sessions Presents: “Songs That Saved My Life” Powered by Recovery Unplugged
Nashville, TN, Sept. 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NASHVILLE, Tenn. — September 11, 2026 — On Saturday, October 24, Sober Sessions will take over Marathon Music Works in Nashville for Songs That Saved My Life, a completely sober concert experience celebrating the songs that helped an entire generation realize one simple thing:
It’s okay to not be okay.
The night will feature special appearances from Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup, MOD SUN, Buddy Nielsen of Senses Fail and Will Pugh, alongside Nashville musicians performing a nonstop set of songs from Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance, Yellowcard, Green Day, Fall Out Boy, blink-182, Weezer, Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory, The Killers, A Day to Remember, Killswitch Engage, Sum 41, The All-American Rejects and more.
But Songs That Saved My Life isn’t intended to be another nostalgia show.
It’s about what those songs meant — and still mean.
For millions of people who grew up in the emo, alternative and pop-punk communities, these records became the soundtrack to heartbreak, anxiety, isolation, friendship, identity, getting sober, starting over and simply making it through another day.
Now, those songs are bringing that community together again.
THE SONGS HAVE REACH. THE ARTISTS HAVE AUDIENCES. THE MESSAGE HAS PURPOSE.
The artists participating in Songs That Saved My Life represent decades of live music history and multiple generations of alternative music.
Bowling for Soup frontman Jaret Reddick has spent more than two decades performing songs including “1985,” “Girl All the Bad Guys Want” and “High School Never Ends.” Bowling for Soup’s live history ranges from sold-out headline dates to major international festival and arena stages, with an estimated 10,000 people attending the band’s acoustic Download Festival appearance in 2024.
MOD SUN brings another chapter of that story to the stage. A musician, songwriter and producer whose career has moved through punk, alternative, hip-hop and the modern pop-punk revival, MOD SUN has built a deeply personal catalog centered on transformation, resilience and starting over. His music and story have connected with a generation of listeners navigating change, making his appearance uniquely aligned with the message behind Songs That Saved My Life.
Buddy Nielsen, founding frontman of Senses Fail, has spent nearly 25 years at the center of the emo and post-hardcore community. Senses Fail’s recent anniversary touring has included major American theaters and sold-out performances, continuing the connection between songs written decades ago and the people who still carry them today.
Will Pugh helped create one of the defining records of the mid-2000s pop-punk era with Chroma. His career has included sold-out headline performances, major festivals and a catalog that continues reaching both the generation that discovered these songs when they were released and younger listeners finding them today.
That multigenerational connection is at the center of Songs That Saved My Life.
ONE SHOW AT A TIME.
Sober Sessions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization creating concert experiences where alcohol isn’t required for connection.
The organization believes that removing alcohol from a concert doesn’t mean removing everything people love about concerts.
It means keeping the music, the lights, the screaming, the dancing, the community and the moment when an entire room sings the same lyric together — and creating a place where everyone can experience it.
“When I got clean, I thought my life was over. I thought getting sober meant I wasn’t going to have fun anymore,” said Riley Osborne, founder of Sober Sessions. “What we’re trying to show people is that life doesn’t stop when you get sober. You can still go to a concert, scream every word to the songs that saved your life and have one of the best nights you’ve had in years. You just get to remember it.”
Proceeds from Sober Sessions events help connect people with resources for mental health and addiction treatment.
The October 24 event is being produced with support from Nashville Is The Reason, Nashville’s long-running emo and pop-punk community and promoter, bringing together the city’s recovery community and one of its most passionate music audiences.
For Sober Sessions organizer Robert Tomlinson, that crossover is the point.
“Somewhere along the way, these stopped being songs we listened to when we were kids and became songs that followed us through our lives. People got married. People had kids. People got sober. People lost friends. People started over. But you put on that one song and suddenly everybody in the room knows every word. That’s the connection we’re trying to create — and we’re doing it in an environment where everyone belongs.”
MORE THAN A SOBER CONCERT
Sober Sessions is also setting aside tickets that can be provided through community partners and event sponsors to individuals who otherwise may not have the opportunity to attend.
The concept allows organizations to support the nonprofit while directly putting people into the room for a completely sober concert experience.
For some attendees, October 24 will simply be an incredible pop-punk show.
For someone else, it could be their first concert sober.
For someone considering recovery, it could be an opportunity to see what life on the other side can actually look like.
And for someone already struggling, it could be a reminder that they’re not alone.
That’s why these songs still matter.
EVENT INFORMATION
Sober Sessions Presents: Songs That Saved My Life
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Marathon Music Works
Nashville, Tennessee
Doors: 6:00 PM | Show: 7:00 PM
General Admission: $30
Featuring Jaret Reddick, MOD SUN, Buddy Nielsen and Will Pugh, with Nashville musicians performing the music of the artists who defined the ’90s and 2000s alternative, emo and pop-punk generations.
Tickets and additional information are available through Sober Sessions.
ABOUT SOBER SESSIONS
Sober Sessions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization using live music to create meaningful sober experiences, build community and help connect individuals with resources for mental health and addiction treatment. Its mission is simple: prove that some of life’s loudest, most memorable and most connected moments don’t require alcohol.
One show at a time.
MEDIA / INTERVIEW / PARTNERSHIP INQUIRIES
Sober Sessions
Nashville, Tennessee
sobersessions.com
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- Sober Sessions Presents: "Songs That Saved My Life" Powered by Recovery Unplugged
CONTACT: Riley Osborne - President of Sober Sessions Recovery Unplugged 615-715-3450 [email protected]
