"It's about time." That was the resounding sentiment when Canada finally announced its own emo nostalgia festival, All Your Friends Fest, which will turn all sorts of tender-hearted millennial scene queens into a pulp at Burl's Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, ON, this August 23 to 24.
Tickets for a weekend primed for eyeliner tears are on sale now. When pretty much every artist on the lineup has a song that any now-grown alt person considers to be an all-timer, how is one to possibly navigate an event specifically designed to help you heal your inner child? Here are Exclaim!'s five must-see acts.
Fefe Dobson
Just like a ghost, you'll have to watch her go — so be sure not to miss Fefe Dobson before she disappears into a fine mist and her absence haunts you forever. Few returns to form in the pop-punk renaissance have been as exciting to witness as the Scarborough-born singer-songwriter finally getting her flowers with EMOTION SICKNESS.
Fall Out Boy
Although absolutely nobody needed them to rhyme deepfakes with earthquakes while covering Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," the opportunity to see longtime legends Fall Out Boy headline an emo nostalgia music festival is something that can't be refused. Th mmrs will be so great.
Jimmy Eat World
It just takes some time. In their 30-plus years together as a band, Jimmy Eat World have produced some timeless classics — and even though they all can't be "The Middle" or "Hear You Me," even their later-career albums have uncovered hidden gems more often than not. With such a worthwhile back catalogue, expect a no-skips setlist.
Lights
Singer-songwriter, producer, tattoo artist, graphic novelist, knife thrower; there are so many titles you could give the tour-de-force that is Lights, who has stayed an absolute fixture in the Canadian music scene since the release of her beloved 2009 debut, The Listening. Especially considering her more recent endeavours in the EDM realm, you know this high-energy set is going to drive the party (and your soul).
The Maine
Fun bit of CanCon history for you: once upon a time in the year 2012, the Maine toured with Arkells — and it was all thanks to an introduction from a kid named Rob Laska, who you now know as the frontman of Valley. In this way, the Arizona-formed band feel like they have inadvertently helped propel the modern Canadian pop landscape, while making plenty of bops of their own along the way.