Category: Riot Fest

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Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 6 – Save Ferris

Save Ferris.  They are famous for two things.  First, they have one of the coolest names for my generation.  Do they cover “March of the Swivelheads?”.  And second, they do a pretty mean version of Dexy’s Mignight Runners’ “Come On Eileen”.  Full on pop ska, complete with stand up bass and horns.  Interesting history, after a long hiatus “they” reformed a few years ago.  After many legal battles, the reformed band’s only classic lineup member is their singer, Monique Powell.  Don’t know if I could tell they were a different lineup.  Sure to be a favorite of some.

She plays Sunday at Riot Fest.

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Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 6 – The Ergs!

The Ergs!; a musical family.  The Von Trappes, the Partridges, the Osmonds, The Ergs!.  They fit right in. A three piece punk band from Jersey; Mikey, Jeff, and Joey Erg (aliases…never done that before…a punk band from the NYC area taking aliases as a musical punk family). A drummer that sings. Cool. And I dig the sound of a three piece punk band.

They play Sunday at Riot Fest.

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Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 6 – Less Than Jake

We’re going five wide again this week.  Don’t see all that of a common theme in these.  There’s a little ska, some punk bands from the south, one from Jersey.  But all from line 7 of the Riot Fest poster or lower.  All should get consideration when the schedule is released and conflicts abound.  Or an aftershow.

Less Than Jake are billed as ska punk.  I remember them about the same time the third wave of ska blew up with Reel Big Fish, Skanking Pickle, No Doubt, Goldfinger, etc.  And I threw them in the same category.  But they’re much more pop punk than ska, but still have a cool ska sound.  Take a three piece punk band and add a horn section.  How cool would that be?  That’s Less Than Jake.

They play Sunday at Riot Fest.

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Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 7 – I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME gets the nod for longest name.  Kinda the opposite of the HU.  But their name is from Back to the Future, McFly.  A modern day Devo in a duo?  Sure feels like it.  And “That’s Good”.  Their singer has roots from Panic! At The Disco, who I’ve generally been indifferent to.  But that gives them some staying power.  It also might get them a lot of screaming girls at their show.  Another I’m hard pressed to describe.  They’re getting some alt radio play out here with their song “Choke”.  From Salt Lake City, but I’m sure that’s obvious…

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Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 7 – The Garden

I’m really struggling how to describe The Garden.  And that’s not a bad thing.  They’re just….different.  They’re a two piece.  One on drums and one on bass.  Yeah, no guitar.  They certainly have an attitude that makes me think they’re like Slaves (but the drummer does sit down…soft).  But they have a fuller sound and play with backing tracks like Twentyone Pilots.  Some videos even show the drummer singing out in front of his set with a drum machine playing.  And there’s a certain “Sparks” quality to them (remember Coachella 2013?).  By the way, they’re from the OC so maybe they have some influences from our Surf City Blitz buddies.  So wrap up Slaves, Sparks, T0P, and some OC Punk in a big ball and you might get this.  Anyway, check them out and let me know what you think.