LIVE REVIEW: Riot Fest 2023 Day 1

Words by Arthur Machado, Photos by Camila Trimberger-Ruiz

From the start of day one the underlying theme for this year's Riot Fest was clear. Regardless if you're an idol for the "elder emos" repping their early aughts band merch or a self-referential zoomer icon; every single artist shares their gratitude for the emo community behind the festival. While it's impossible to catch every single great act playing, here are some highlights of our meticulously planned journey through Friday's line-up.

ORIGAMI ANGEL

We started the day on an extremely high note: motherfreakin' Gami Gang. The emo warriors from DC started their set with the title track of their latest mixtape The Brightest Days. The surf-rock inspired summer anthem kicked-off a wave of hit after hit. With a healthy mix of songs from all three releases, with highlights being "Noah Fence," "Doctor Whomst" and "24-Hour Drive Through."

With staples of mid 2000s mall emo culture like AFI, Hawthorne Heights and Say Anything performing in the same weekend, it's easy to cling onto nostalgia. Origami Angel's performance made it clear that newer emo tracks can be just as iconic. New blood is just as welcome in the scene, and the Gami Gang fanbase made that clear with the majority of the crowd (myself included) screaming every single word back at them.

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS

We stuck around the Radical Stage to experience what it would've been like to attend Warped Tour at its peak. In between their classic hits the Ohio group talked about their legacy and how grateful they were to be performing at Riot Fest for the first time. "We're the fucking emo Grateful Dead up here. [...] and we will be doing this for the rest of our lives," frontman JT Woodruff affirmed. The band made the most with their short timeslot, using their 30 minutes to play all of their hits — "This Is Who We Are," "Saying Sorry," "Pens and Needles," "Niki FM,"— and the band was on top of their game for every single one.

During their banter the band shared their love for the city of Chicago, and reminisced about their early days. 20 years ago they recorded their debut album The Silence In Black and White was recorded in Chicago (and Madison!) Woodruff affirmed Chicago as their second home, right before closing their set with the emo classic "Ohio is for Lovers." The song was written when he was feeling homesick in Chicago, but the fans made the group feel right at home; singing back every single lyric — screamo parts included.

OSO OSO

Making our way past all of the carnival rides to the opposite end of the festival we arrived at the Rebel Stage, just in time to catch Oso Oso soundchecking. The New York group did not waste a second of their time slot, showcasing frontman Jade Lilitri's talented writing chops. While a massive tonal shift from the growls in Hawthorne Heights, their indie rock got fans just as rowdy.

Their sound has clear inspiration from acts like Taking Back Sunday, and Death Cab For Cutie (who will be performing one stage over on Saturday.) Throughout songs like "basking in the glow," "reindeer games" and "computer exploder" Lilitri's band was incredibly tight. This show kicks off their upcoming US winter tour and undoubtedly their energetic Riot Fest performance set the bar incredibly high.

Just FRIENDS

I was not super familiar with California's Just Friends. All I knew before going in this set was that they're a part of the Mom Jeans/Graduating Life/Snooze ecosystem. It only took 30 seconds of their set to convince me they're the real deal. Bars down, best set of the day. Vocalists Sammy Kless and Brianda "Brond" Goyos León had some of the best stage presence I've ever seen. Their set featured bouncy funk basslines, ska-inspired trumpet solos and choreography.

Their new album Gusher came out at the start of the month, and most of the audience was already familiar with all the words to songs like "Brain Hurt Bad," "Life I'm Living In" and "Zaza In The Sun: -)." I would have never guessed that the Beastie Boys meets Funkadelic would be the most fun I had in Day 1, but Just Friend's stage presence was unmatched. Kless and Goyos León have incredible chemistry and among crowd surfing and goofy little dances they made sure the audience was getting stupiiiiiid (S-T-U-P-I-D!)

SAY ANYTHING

Throughout the entire drive we were blasting songs from Is A Real Boy on the radio and gushing about Max Bemis' uniquely charming lyricism. Songs like "Admit It!" and "Chia-Like, I Shall Grow" hit the perfect balance between sincerity and the snarky indie sleaze attitude that marked the mid 2000s. The truth is that no one mastered this craft as well as Bemis. The band is back after an extended hiatus, and one glimpse at Bemis donning a fake Nirvana shirt with Owen Wilson's face on it already tells you everything you need to know about the ethos of Say Anything.

The crowd was just as passionate as Bemis himself about the band's return, singing along to classics like "Woe," "Every Man Has a Molly" and "Alive With the Glory of Love." With their signature call and response "woahs," Bemis' theatrical performance and vocal inflections the band's high energy carried through every single person in the crowd. The clear highlight was hearing the entire Radical Stage cheer after the phone ring sample at the start of "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too." Say Anything's wittiness is a staple for an entire generation of emo. Regardless how many midwest emo bands sing about their exes on top of twinkly guitar riffs, there's simply no one with Bemis's unabashed charisma anymore.

Day one also included performances by the Foo Fighters, Turnstile, Pinkshiift, Braid, Parliament Funkadelic, Yard Act and more. Be sure to check out our photo gallery and stay tuned for more Riot Fest 2023 coverage.