Girl at the Rock Shows

Well, everyone, it’s here. It’s the best weekend of the year- RIOT FEST! If you have been following this blog for multiple years, you know I absolutely love Riot Fest. It’s one of those festivals that feels like home. From the music to the people, everything about this Fest makes me feel “normal” or at least as “normal” as I can get because I’m surrounded by so many like-minded people. Things have changed with my relationship with this festival over the years, and this is the second year that I have had the complete honor of doing press. It adds so much work and a bit more stress, but, in the end, it will all be worth it. That being said, I’m still at this festival for the music. Sure, I may drink a little less and see my friends a little more sparsely through the weekend (which they aren’t super excited about, but they are also so stinking supportive), but, in my mind, this is a priceless opportunity, and, well, just read on to hear a bit about why with what I saw and experience on day of one of Riot Fest 2024.

Before I go any further, this is not everyone I saw on Friday. These are the acts that I was able to catch and take photos of. Some of them were planned, some were not, but I can tell you that all were amazing, and, again, it was like living in a dream.

After seeing Jhariah earlier this year at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, I knew that their set was one I could not miss. With a sound that can only be described as a mix between Panic at the Disco and Queen, Jhariah gave a charming set full of an undeniable sense of fire. They had nothing to lose and everything to prove, and I think it’s safe to assume that they proved whatever that was to anyone who was there to watch.

I did my best to stick with my group of friends for at least the first half of the day, which meant that after Jhariah, they wanted to go check out Australian-based metalcore band Polaris. And who was I to say no? Polaris was my first and only taste of heavy for Friday, but they gave me more than what I needed. Math, progressive, post-rock—Polaris had it all and presented it to the audience flawlessly.

Something told me to stick around the two main stages and check out what The Warning was all about. Consisting of three sisters from Mexico, The Warning had one of those sounds that is so familiar yet so explosive. It was super well-thought-out rock music with an edge and an energy that felt like fire to the touch. It was truly an impressive showing of a band I had never even heard of before, but after their set, I knew that all I wanted to do on the six-hour drive home on Monday was dig into their catalog.

Like Jhariah, Poison The Well was another one of those acts that I knew I had to see on Friday. It has been decades since I’ve had the chance to see this iconic metalcore band, but I still listen to them on a daily basis and am so excited to witness their magic. I’ll be honest: this band, like myself, has clearly aged, and I feel like it made it hard for the group to hit some of the same tones and levels as they did in the past, but that didn’t stop me from being completely captivated throughout their short time on stage.

ALL is a legendary group, so, of course, I had to check them out. This band is basically Descendents minus vocalist Milo Aukerman, with a similar vibe but a bit more edge. Although there’s really nothing that stood out especially brightly for me when it came to ALL’s set, it sure was fun to see such an iconic band.

The next act I caught was Tornillo, and this was absolutely on a whim. It was one of those “this is the closest stage to me right now, so let’s see what’s happening,” and I am sure glad I did. Tornillo’s club meet rap sound was electric. Add the dancers on stage with him, leaving you with a somewhat immersive experience. I think the coolest thing about seeing Tornillo on Friday was that it showed the wide-range of music that this festival features.

Hot Mulligan has been my obsession lately, so naturally, I couldn’t miss their set. I have to be honest: When I saw them open for Fall Out Boy, I was a bit less than impressed by their live performance, but they changed that opinion really quick on Friday. There was something so raw and genuine about their set even though it was super short, and that’s exactly what I wanted from Hot Mulligan.

Suicidal Tendencies has been through a million and twelve line-up changes over the years, but that didn’t stop them from absolutely slaughtering the stage on Friday afternoon. With “Cyco” Mike Muir as the sole original member, I loved the classic vibe that the group gave off even though some of the members were fairly new (including Jay Weinberg, ex-Slipknot on drums). It felt like this group had been playing together for years, and they truly gave a solid and powerful performance.

It was time for some nostalgia. I had the taste for it, and New Found Glory had the cure. Their set mostly consisted of old bangers. It was hit after hit with this band, and every song was served with a side dish of charm. Vocalist Jordan Pundik felt engaging throughout the performance, which is a hard thing to pull off, especially at such a large festival.

Hometown heroes, The Lawrence Arms, were next on the docket for me. It’s been a couple of years since I have witnessed their midwest-punk sound live and it was just how I remember it– raw and perfect. I wish I had more to say about their set but, honestly, it was just one of those times in the day where I just got lost in the music.

There, for a minute, I felt like I was seeing Circle Jerks every couple of months, but then it stopped, so I couldn’t miss them on the NOFX World stage on Friday. Vocalist Keith Morris kicked off the set by introducing each member along with some of their past projects. It was truly insane to think about the amount of talent and experience that were on that stage all at once. Then they kicked into a set that only lasted about an hour, but they were able to fit about 8,364 songs in, so everyone was happy (and, yes, that is a joke).

Closing out my first night of Riot Fest 2024 was Fall Out Boy. As the pop-punk princess I am, this was obviously a blast. What made their set on Friday that much more special for me was being able to take photos of this band. Honestly, this is one of the bands that got me started on this live music trajectory that has become my life. Fall Out Boy is one of those bands that you don’t realize just how many hits they have until they start playing a set, and then it’s just hit after hit. From old bangers to new jams, Fall Out Boy had the audience stuck in the palm of their hand until the fireworks went off, signaling the very end of the night.

I’m already exhausted. Thankfully, I’m not sunburnt yet, but I’m sure that’s coming, with Saturday slated to be even hotter than Friday. Somehow, I’ve evaded getting any blisters on my feet, and, all things considered, my back isn’t feeling too bad. Check-in with me again after day two, but I’m pretty sure that even if I am hurting, I will have the biggest and cheesiest smile on my face.
Are you out at Riot Fest this year? Come find me and say hi!