All Your Friends Fest Launches a Pop Punk Glory Party in Canada
The inaugural All Your Friends Fest occurred on August 23rd and 24th at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ontario. The two-day festival boasted an impressive lineup of Pop-Punk favorites as well as several Canadian acts. The organizers did an excellent job with the festival’s debut, creating a seamless experience for fans.
DAY 1
GAMES WE PLAY
We started off the first day of the festival with Games We Play, a band that’s recently been opening for a lot of popular acts like All Time Low and Fall Out Boy. The band is so energetic and very enjoyable to watch. Their frontman, Emmyn Calleiro, is a true entertainer. They played songs off their new debut album ‘Life’s Going Great’ like “Petty Enemy,” “Naked” and “The End.”
LØLØ
Next, we traveled over to the next stage to see LØLØ, a Canadian Pop-Punk singer who’s garnered a whole audience from posting on TikTok, and currently has over 767.8K in monthly listeners on Spotify alone. She was insanely fun and someone to check out, and she entertained the All Your Friends Fest audience with her tracks “debbie downer,” “kill the girl,” and “junkie.”
WE THE KINGS
We The Kings delivered a solid mix of beloved hits and newer tracks to keep the audience entranced. One of the newer tracks, “Alien,” was met with a nice reception from the crowd, and seems to be their more popular recent release. Of course, the band also treated fans to iconic hits from their back catalog like “Skyway Avenue” and “Check Yes Juliet,” with the audience screaming their hearts out to the lyrics.
GOB
Gob proved that their infectious energy hasn’t withered away over the years. The band’s spirited performance featured fan favorites like “I Hear You Calling” and “Soda.” They also pulled out an impressive cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” and showcased their versatility during this display. Their set left fans pleased to see them still rocking the stage after all this time.
GYM CLASS HEROES
Gym Class Heroes ranked high on our list of acts we were eager to catch live at the festival. Their performance was joyful, full of energy, and very impressive. Travie McCoy looked like he was enjoying himself so much, which is great to see for a legacy act from the 2000s. To everyone’s surprise, they started out their set with the catchy “Cupid’s Chokehold” from ‘As Cruel as School Children.” They also played songs from Travie’s solo catalog such as “Loved Me Back to Life” and “Billionaire.”
MAYDAY PARADE
Next up on the main stage was Mayday Parade, a band that knows how to get the crowd fired up. As they played through crowd-pleasers such as “More Like a Crash,” “Stay,” and “Jamie All Over,” fans responded enthusiastically, dancing and reciting the lyrics.
LIGHTS
Lights, a Canadian singer-songwriter, was absolutely stunning. She came onstage sporting a brand-new haircut that caught everyone’s attention. She started her set with “Salt and Vinegar” and had the whole crowd vibing. As a treat for the fans, she performed her new track “Damage,” which is set to release on September 27th. She continued to light up the stage with songs like “Ice” and “Up We Go.” Lights showcased her exceptional talent and songwriting abilities throughout her whole set.
SILVERSTEIN
Silverstein showcased their iconic blend of emo and Post-Hardcore influences during their set at All Your Friends Fest. Performing a diverse setlist that included songs like “Infinite,” “It’s Over” and “Smile in Your Sleep,” they made it very apparent why Silverstein’s fans are still so devoted to them after all this time.
THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS
The All-American Rejects is a band that knows how to put on a righteous show. They opened with “Swing, Swing” and “Fallin’ Apart” before pretending to travel back in time and play “My Paper Heart” from their debut album. Fans were glued to the performance, dancing with one another, reliving their youth in a simpler time.
BILLY TALENT
Ending the first night of the festival with a bang was Billy Talent. Lead singer Benjamin Kowalewicz kept the crowd engaged throughout and commanded the stage with boundless energy the entire performance. The band showcased their seasoned musicianship and delivered a powerhouse set that left the audience in awe. Songs like “This Suffering,” “Afraid of Heights,” and “Try Honesty” were expertly executed. A surprise for everyone occurred when Alexisonfire’s guitarist, Wade McNeil, joined the band on stage during their hit “Red Flag.” Billy Talent’s exhilarating performance left us yearning for more, wishing that they graced American stages more often.
DAY 2
STEREOS
The second day of All Your Friends Fest was somehow even more stacked than the first. We started with seeing Stereos on the main stage. They’re a band that appeared on the Canadian reality TV show ‘disBAND’ and landed a record deal from Universal Music. They had a 10-year hiatus, but now they’re back on the stage and rocking out harder than ever.
SUCKERPUNCH!
Montreal-based band SUCKERPUNCH! stormed the stage at 2:45 PM. The energy they displayed was impeccable and left the crowd in awe. We had never heard of them prior to this festival, but they will have a bright future in the Pop-Punk scene. Some of their focus tracks included “99” and “Freak Show.”
CHARLOTTE SANDS
Charlotte Sands delivered a performance filled with raw emotion. She performed songs such as “Bad Day,” “use me” and “pity.” Despite it being her first time performing in Canada, the audience was excited to welcome her with open arms. Charlotte and her band had a passion that was contagious, drawing in the crowd and creating an unforgettable experience.
FEFE DOBSON
Fefe Dobson took the stage with a charisma that set her apart from the rest of the played songs from her catalog such as “Ghost,” “Take Me Away,” and “Bye Bye Boyfriend.” We could’ve watched Fefe and her band all day, if we’re being honest. Their performance was definitely a stand-out moment at the festival. The level of entertainment they brought rivaled every other band on the lineup.
GRANDSON
Grandson’s performance was full of dynamic and unmatched enthusiasm, which he brings to every show he performs. The crowd was pumped from the very moment he ran on stage until the end of his set. He played songs such as “Drones,” “Overdose,” and “Blood // Water” for the All Your Friends Fest audience, and proved he is an undeniable powerhouse on stage.
THE MAINE
The Maine have a truly dedicated fanbase and you obviously can see it during their live shows. Performing tracks such as “Bad Behavior,” “Slip The Noose,” and “Sticky,” the band showcases why they’re so beloved in this genre, and are never a letdown in terms of their energy and fan interactions. They closed out their set with “Loved You a Little” with Charlotte Sands joining them onstage for her parts of the song.
THE PLAIN WHITE T’S
The Plain White T’s hit the stage at 5:45 PM, wasting no time launching into “Feeling (More Like) Myself.” The crowd came to life when hits like “Our Time Now” and “1,2,3,4” were played. As their set progressed, inclement weather started to roll in. The band decided to play “Hey There Delilah” early in case their set was cut short. It began to rain as the band played through their hit song, and we’re sure that created a core memory for some of the audience as the huge group of people sang that iconic ballad with the falling raindrops. The band was given the green light to continue, so they ended their set with “Rhythm of Love.”
DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL
Dashboard Confessional has so many cherished acoustic rock anthems, and their set seemed to suggest they were warming up for their Vegas set for When We Were Young in October. They played songs like “Don’t Wait,” “The Good Fight,” and “Stolen.” But it was their hit single “Vindicated,” which is featured on 2004’s ‘Spider-Man 2’ soundtrack, that really resonated with the crowd. This performance proved that Dashboard Confessional still has the ability to connect with their audience through their powerful lyrics. Their music continues to hold a special place in the hearts of fans around the world.
JIMMY EAT WORLD
Seasoned rock band Jimmy Eat World is always a band worth seeing, so we were thrilled they were on the lineup for this festival. They started their set with a fan favorite from their album ‘Bleed American’ called “A Praise Chorus” which got everyone moving and shaking. Other songs played were “Let It Happen,” “Lucky Denver Mint” and “Sweetness.” They even busted out a cover of Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Every member of the band looked ecstatic to be there and they were the perfect band to get the crowd ready for the festival’s headliner.
FALL OUT BOY
Closing out the last night of the festival was the legendary Emo band, Fall Out Boy. They started their set with “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago” and “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy,” which are songs from their breakout album ‘Take This to Your Grave.’ They too seemed to be testing out their When We Were Young setlist, breaking their set down to a Taylor Swift-esque ‘Eras’ situation.
The crowd seemed to liven up when they started the ‘From Under the Cork Tree’ section of the set. Fall Out Boy has included a thrilling twist into their current tour by incorporating a Magic 8 Ball that is projected onto the stage. The 8 Ball chooses a random surprise song from their discography to be played. The one for this show was “Of All the Gin Joints in All the World” and the crowd instantly lost it. During their last song “Saturday,” bassist Pete Wentz stunned the crowd as he was lifted into the air on wires, clutching a cluster of balloons that created the illusion of him floating.
Fall Out Boy is a band that every emo kid knows and loves, but they always put on an unforgettable set. Their captivating production, playful set pieces, and an effective setlist make them an act to not miss. It’s not often that bands are willing to play so many deep cuts from past albums for their diehard fans.
All Your Friends Fest managed to bring together a ton of acts from the Warped Tour days and made us feel young again. The lively and inclusive atmosphere was one of the many standouts. It was wonderful to see so many people come together to enjoy all the bands that we grew up loving together. This festival was truly one for the books and a welcome addition to the growing music festival scene. With such a strong first year, we can only hope that the festival continues to grow and thrive in the future. Fingers crossed that we’ll see it back again next year!
