Philly FM Fest: Riot Fest @ Festival Pier.

Text by Aaron Jollay. Images by Matt Emmerich.

Punks and punk lovers gathered at Festival Pier Saturday for Riot Fest. There was an appropriately grimey layer of clouds early in the day that gave way to a scattered-cloud sundown and not a drop of rain.

Headliners The Descendents rolled through their set, pausing to bring singer Milo Auckerman’s  (right) well-indoctrinated kids on stage to help read some commandments and chant “quah” for the song “All-O-Gistics.”

Fellow legends X (bassist/ singer John Doe is at right) performed their 1980 debut album Los Angeles not bothering to stop the onslaught when the house speakers failed. Both of these bands have been around more than 30 years and still sound amazing. They’ve also not lost their ability to energize fans and entertain.

Philadelphia punk elder statesmen Dead Milkmen excelled along those same lines. Lead singer Rodney Anonymous was a bouncing ball of energy when away from his keyboard, traversing all over the stage every half minute. Their cover of Gary Neuman’s “Cars” highlighted the more Devo-sounding aspects of this group when they play songs easier to dance to than mosh.

There was also a cameo by Green Party Sherriff candidate Cheri Honkala, touting her no-evictions platform and introducing the song “Bitchin’ Camero.”

Hardcore heroes 7 Seconds (right) also delivered a scorching set to a packed-out tent audience earlier in the lineup.

Riot Fest did a great job representing the local scene in the lineup. One highlight was the reunion of Plow United, originally from Wilmington. Their set at dusk started with singer/guitarist Brian McGee playing a solo intro while the rhythm section got in place for a tune based off “La Bamba.” The speed of the drummer and bassist was impressive, and the whole set was compelling and fun. The band seemed so natural in the festival setting – it’s odd to know they may have never played to such a large crowd. Before they broke up, they mostly played house shows, spaces and dives. The strangeness of it all was not lost on the band.

“We know, we don’t understand it either,” said bassist Joel Tannenbaum, “but thank you… What have you guys been up to since the 90s?”

A mid-set song featured some terrific drum solos, with drummer Sean Rule jumping away from  his set after his last go for a quick break before finishing the song. To make a great reunion show even better, the band was joined by Exene Cervenka of X to sing back up on a country-inspired number. Hopefully this will be the first of many more opportunities to see this band play now that they’re picking up where they left off.

Signed to Epitaph Records this spring, Scranton natives, The Menzingers, got great reception from their audience and inspired the first crowd surfer of the day. They were the first act of the day to draw a significant group of fans in who could shout back parts of lyrics and quickly heeded the band’s request for a circle pit. The music was well-arranged pop-punk that used the bass lines, historically the unifying melodic element in much punk music, to drive the songs along. At the end of the set guitarist Tom May handed his axe off to a friend on stage, took his mic and leapt into the crowd that was enthusiastically singing along. Now that they call Philly home and have been opening for Anti-Flag on tour, let’s hope they remain a fixture in the local punk scene.

The sound of The Holy Mess hits you initially by evoking the energy of a close quarters house show, until subtleties in their dynamics betray the musical maturity behind their youthful energy. Punk was born in dingy basements and dives, and how well a band translates that heritage to a larger stage is telling. Hailing “from down the street,” they had a solid sound and approach to their songs. Their final number “Asleep in a Room Full of Dog Shit,” was a stand-out tune that ventured into more post-punk sounds and was slower than their usual up-tempo attack. With two guitars, they kept the practice of doubling up parts to a minimum and instead wove more complex melodies through some tasteful lead parts. Definitely a local group to follow.

The hardcore side of Philly punk was represented by two groups, The Claw (above) and Population Zero (below).

Population Zero played a good set. The 5-piece band had great stage presence with their no-shirt-sleeves dress code. If you really want to shred, sleeves are only going to be a hindrance.

The band had heavy riffs, driving rhythms and good melodic components. They delivered all the menacing sounds of doom promised, but some songs seemed like they could use more imaginative arrangements. Two guitars in unison sounds heavy for sure, but the opportunity for more layers of sound should be taken advantage of. Their song “No Fucking Peace” stood out in the set with its blazing lead guitar arpeggio intro, which unfortunately was somewhat lost in the house speakers’ mix. The South Philly punk scene was well represented by hardcore fans in the crowd who joined the band in singing the final song, “S.P.P.”

The punk of the day award goes to Jo Jo from Troy, NY, who sported a full-body chicken costume under his heavily studded and patch laden denim jacket (the image at the top of this post).

Unfortunate tattoo of the day was “Made in the U.S.A.” on someone’s forehead. JUMP was too embarrassed for them to ask their name.