5 types of bands playing Riot Fest 2014 in Toronto

by Mark Teo

May 6, 2014

0

0

0

0

0

Email this article to a friend

It’s not quite summer yet, but it’s early May, which can only mean one thing: It’s allergy summer festival announcement season. NXNE and Osheaga had splashy rollouts announcing their rosters, and today, Riot Fest—the punk festival that brought us the Replacements and Iggy Pop last year—announced its Toronto show details.

The biggest change off the hop? Riot Fest weekend, taking place on September 6 and 7, won’t be happening at Fort York—this time, it’s at Downsview Park. And it’ll have a 50-band lineup, which we took the time to break down for you. Here’s are the five categories of bands appearing at this year’s Riot Fest.

The Indie 88 alt-rock set: These bands are the ultimate utility—they’ve got enough pizazz to appear on at a traditionally punk festival, but they’re also the types of acts that’ll appear on TV soundtracks. Metric, City and Colour, the National, New Pornographers, Billy Talent, Stars, Death Cab For Cutie, and the Head and the Heart, welcome to Riot Fest.

Emo from the mid-aughts: A.K.A. the stuff the ’10s emo revival is obsessed with. No, it’s not ’90s-owing skramz. No, it’s not crabcore. It’s emo as we remember it from our childhoods: Brand New, Glassjaw, Taking Back Sunday, Death From Above 1979 (a white-belt favourite), Circa Survive and Alakaline Trio, we know all the lyrics to all your songs. Also, here’s to hoping that Brand New and Taking Back Sunday revive their beef.

The heritage acts from punx in the know: Listen, punks can’t be youngbloods forever. Eventually, you’ll go to law school, start eating vegetables, buy a pug, and maybe have a kid. And when that happens, you’ll inevitably start listening to Elvis Costello, Paul Westerberg, and, when you’re looking for new music, The Both. It’s all good stuff, to be certain, and for you, stately ex-punk, Riot Fest has a program of legends: The Buzzcocks, Bob Mould, and Thurston Moore are all on hand, and you’d be a fool to miss them. Also: For the mature punk who discovered old country, there’s also Lucero.

Neck tattoo suburb-core: Of course, youngbloods also gon’ be youngbloods. Riot Fest isn’t quite Warped Tour, but there’s still something for the Warped Tour set: Die Antwoord, Bring Me the Horizon, and Radke are all on board. Also, there’s a Hot Topic at the Eaton Centre, so def hit that up before the show.

And the good ole punx: And what of you, the pizza-noshing, coffee-guzzling, scream-the-chorus-all-night-with-the-windows-down-because-tonight-we-will-be-young-forever punks? Isn’t Riot Fest supposed to be for you? Well, it still is: Lemuria. Title Fight. Pup. Pentimento. New Found Glory (lol). And motherfucking Title Fight again.

The point? Riot Fest may not be reuniting the Replacements again, but it’s a diverse bill with, in all likelihood, a little something for everyone. Tickets go on sale on May 10.

Tags: Music, Lists, News, riot fest, Tegan & Sara

0

0

0

0

0

Email this article to a friend