“The constant dirt dustbowls left my lungs sore and my snot black!”
That’s the first thing my girlfriend Abigail said to me on the way out of Saturday day 2 of Riot Fest, but that comment made me think…
Various people enjoy numerous activities during their free time, from bike riding to bungee jumping, but what makes people enjoy punk rock music shows so much? From the immediate looks of it, these shows seem like a chance for a bunch of people with lots of built-up anger to hurt the people around them, but I believe that it’s much deeper than that.
From constant circle pits of adrenaline-fueled freaks spinning towards you seething with rage to the punk mud fights spawning in the rain, the crowds of Riot Fest are riled up with energy and ready to fight, with an obvious thirst for music and libations in the air, but what is so attractive about going to a festival with 50,000 other people to listen to alternative music? Why do people engage in such violent forms of movement during these bands?
Well, I believe it all lies within the people who are going to these concerts themselves. In my experience at Riot Fest, I barely experienced any violence or malice within the crowds. People were moshing and being rambunctious, don’t get me wrong, but I never experienced someone coming at me with genuine malice or rage. The moshers and pitters were showing extreme amounts of love, giving everyone hugs after each song and rallying to pick up anyone who may have fallen, and the people I interacted with who were not moshing were there to talk about the music they enjoyed and experienced live.
To quote my colleague Benji Polanco, who came with me on the second day of Riot Fest and attended the headliner set of Slayer alongside my buddy Dakota Stephen, “That place was crammed with people, having to ride waves to get close to having a good view… The atmosphere was unreal, everyone surrounding us showing us a ton of love even during the heavy moshing.”
But Benji isn’t an avid of punk or metal music, yet he loved every second of the crowd and show. But why? I asked him this and he responded “It had unmatched energy within the crowd and that’s what makes or breaks it for me.” And I think that’s why people enjoy going to large events, especially with such violent crowds, are the crowds themselves. These people show nothing but love and acceptance when engaging in these acts, and it brings so much more experience and memories than some bands.
