Faygo-fueled Violent J of ICP as they close out the festival. A group whose Discogs page boasts more releases from 2004-2006 than any other artist at this year’s Riot Fest. Real talk, check out their lofi rap album ‘The Calm’ from 2005.
Riot Fest was born in 2005 - birthed in a time over 20 years ago that just felt… different. The center aughts brought us so much that we yearn for, that we hold onto, and in many ways are bringing back. For each of the three days, 50k fans and 30+ artists (more than a dozen bands who had released an album in ‘05) filled Douglass Park. Some remember a post-Y2K world fondly, and some weren’t even alive then, yet altogether, many know and love a plethora about the era.
From wonderful new-to-you bands, to many of your favorites from maybe a less responsible time of life, they all reflected on their favorite things, times, and places of the mid-2000s. Because many artists intrinsically gave their Top 8 of the MySpace era to the question, “With Riot Fest having kicked off in 2005, what's one of your favorite things about/from the mid-aughts?", we narrowed down their responses chosen by those who Limewired their way through minimum wage and minimal worry:
Scumdogs of the (2005) Universe - GWAR, whose 2005 music video for ‘War Party’ is still poignant today.
GWAR Grodius Maximus: “…broke, living with cockroaches in Koreatown working at a pizza place and coffee place, 30 hours a week each….and no breaks, you walk back and forth so mostly I was lost in the depression sauce so… hold on I’m getting a call from Kanye on my seared foot phone!”
Glixen’s Aislinn on vocals and Sonia on bass (both on mid-2000s low-rise fashion).
Glixen Stevie - “A lot of movies were awesome, such as Equilibrium, and all the aesthetic choices. Aislinn - “The colors! The colors of horror movies especially were edgy and vivid, and the music choices” (House of Wax soundtrack was the unanimous choice). Sonia - The ads and campaigns are so amazing, and sex appeal was artistic. Keire - “Skate videos, 2nd wave emo, this band is, admittedly, very inspired by the time period.”
Aim High, who still love a Y2K dragon motif, because we all did!
Aim High Jake - “Culture all day, skate and punk culture finally made it to the forefront. We’re having its cyclicality right now too, but back then Warped Tour was $40, movies like Grind, and soundtrack for teen comedies were so relevant." Cesar - “Video games were peak: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Madden, Crazy Taxi - for the play and soundtrack.” Clayton - Power Rangers. Cesar (again) - Everyone was so willing to be themselves; there was no cringe or being lame.
The Flatliners (Do y’all remember how we ironically brought back mustaches in the 2005 scene?)
The Flatliners Paul - “Seeing and then playing Riot Fest when it was still indoors.” Chris - “Burner phones. Every time we’d tour the US, we had one; sometimes they’d run out or explode from being charged, and we’d say fuck it, no phones.” Scott: “Dollar menu, specifically Wendy’s.” Jon - “Physical maps, fuck these phones, throw them in Lake Ontario.”
Taking Back Sunday playing for an even bigger crowd than I saw them play for at The State Theatre in Detroit in 2005 because iykyk (and you know you’re old).
Taking Back Sunday Adam - “The Lower East Side of Manhattan felt like the center of the universe and like I was doing something, and we love that something like Riot Fest is still here since 2005 doing something.” Shaun - “I don’t miss how I used to drink in 2005 (Riot Fest is legal drinking age now, and this is a tale of caution) and I don’t miss who I was in 2005. Touring was way cheaper; Mrs. Fields cookies were cheap; fuel prices, dad stuff.”
Sincere Engineer’s Deanna Belos has been keeping the 2005 eyebrow piercing dream alive.
Sincere Engineer Deanna - “Just the general vibe, stuff seemed better and more colorful, cartoons were better, and life was simpler. Commercials were louder. Still hope. Less responsibilities.” (Amen, sister.)
NOBRO (Is also what they told us about adding a cheesy caption.)
NOBRO Andy - “Canada was killing it in music, plus music videos across the board!” Kathryn - “How hopeful it was, and Tony Hawk Pro Skater. Everyone was gonna get a job, and it was cool, or not get a job, and the future was still bright.” Karo - “Flip phones, chatting MSN with your friends.” Josée/Tara - “Limewire, getting viruses on the family computer.”
Almost There But Not Really remembers mesh and spiked collars from 2005, and so does Pepperidge Farm.
Almost There But Not Really Amanda “Emo culture, prime Hot Topic, legends were created.” Jay - “Media and movies and culture made it a great time to grow up, and technology was nicer, nicer to us.” Ben - “Pokémon, and it’s still Pokémon today.” Armando - “Early YouTube, discovering goth kids making music.”
Panic Shack, and yes, those are ‘05 Nike Air More Utempos!
Panic Shack Meg- “Indie rock/mucic.” Sarah - “Indie sleaze particularly, no camera phones (also the rest of the band’s answers contained the same brain sentiment), no judgments.” Romi - “No smartphones, specifically.” Emily - “Being outside playing with your friends, everyone’s happy with four TV channels.”
Foxy Shazam’s independent debut, The Flamingo Trigger, came out in 2005, and for the love of a gender-neutral god, someone please find me a copy!
Foxy Shazam Alex - “FuseTV, or any weird music video channel.” Sky - “Knowing nothing about anything, just being weird kids in Cincy.” Devin - “The time of my life where my entire diet was worry-free and consisted of milkshakes and cakes.” - Misster Universe - “When all the dollar menus were actually a dollar, and Devin didn’t have body mage issues, we love you, Devin!” Teddy - Doesn’t remember a moment because, LBH, our memories were better in 2005.
Macseal Cole - Guitar-based indie rock: Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Phoenix, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend… (Many of the bands have new music out right now!) Pop punk: FOB, PATD, Paramore, Motion City Soundtrack. Francesca - “It was the prime time in our lives, do you remember Neopets and Nintendogs?” Justine - “True handheld gaming like my old PSP, playing Star Wars Battlefront, eating up a good amount of time. And it was chill.”
(Our apologies to the band, on the way to shoot their set, Matt got swallowed up by the mud and landed in a warp hole, momentarily taking him back to 2005.)
It seems we all live for lighter, brighter, more hopeful times. More true connection and self-expression. It’s a beautiful reminder to put down the smartphone (once you’ve finished this article), toss on your thrifted Hot Topic outfit, and let your friends know to fire up the Winamp player because you’ll be knocking on their door at 7p - it’s time for an indie-sleaze sleepover filled with dubbed ninja robot shows and colorfully fun commercials.
Melt-Banana laid some heavy math (rock) on us in 2005 with a 56-track compilation called ‘13 Hedgehogs’.
The Suicide Machines played for a HUGE 2pm crowd for their full set of the classic ska-punk ‘Destruction by Definition’. (Their 2005 release, ‘War Profiteering is Killing Us All’, is pretty solid and relevant.)
Would you believe this guy crowdsurfed for the first time in 2005?
We were legit told that neither Angine de Potrine’s intergalactic nor French translators were available (the set was out of this world for real though). We were told by a French-Canadian couple that they think this is DFA1979 (we were hoping it’s Hella in disguise, because have you heard 2005’s ‘Church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard’).
Frank Carter and THE Sex Pistols bringing middle-aged anarchy in the USA.
Oh. Fuck. It’s. WILLIAM SHATNER. and his metal band the fXckers. Do not sleep on his Ace of Spades cover (or his role in 2005’s Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous)!
Accordian to many, Gogol Bordello’s ‘Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike’ was one of the best albums of 2005.
The kids are going to be alright! (If you were born after 2001, you’re technically considered a youth by most standards.)
The Paradox is pop punk in all the best ‘05 ways.
Brian Fallon and the Painkillers
Strike Anywhere with a twirl for the 2005 world.
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (2005) featured Bad Religion’s song "We're Only Gonna Die".
When you hear today’s secret word, ‘2005’, scream real loud!
The aforementioned Taking Back Sunday covered these Descendents’ "Suburban Home" and "I Like Food" for the 2005 AHHHHHHH (sorry, we said the secret word) video game soundtrack, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.
Massive Attack co-founder and trip-hop legend Tricky did a 4-episode stint on ‘Girlfriends’ in 2005.
Mariachi el Bronx
Alkaline Trio released Crimson in 2005 (and also covered a T.S.O.L. song for Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland the same year).
GWAR shoots roughly 2005 gallons of space blood per decapitation per show (our estimate is based on being drenched in it year after year).
Motion City Soundtrack… to our lives in 2005.
Corn dog prices have more than doubled since 2005 (don’t believe us, ask someone who worked at a state fair 20 years ago), but DoorDash gave out free breaded footlongs for Sincere Engineer’s nosh pit.
2005, eh? (PUP is adorably Canadian).
When this kid gets to U.S. history class, 2005 will have been 30 years ago. Your knees will hurt even more, and he will learn what caught Mike Meyers so off-guard during a live hurricane relief broadcast.
Just let your Soul Glo!
This fella had stories from 2005 you wouldn’t believe (unlike every anecdote in this article is lived, true, honest-to-goodness real).
You made fun of Juggalos in 2005; now you’re one of us…err, them.
Angine de Potrine Jr.
If you ask any generation what the best time in history was, it’s usually during their biggest time of freedom. We were lucky enough to enjoy moments with folks from multiple generations during the Riot Fest weekend, and almost every single one of them had fond memories of the 2000s. Maybe there’s something we need to harbor about that time and work towards bringing more of that essence back. Not just the fashion, media, and lack of technological addiction, but the whimsy, individualism, and quirky greediness that brought so many different walks of life together. For whatever it’s worth, go get your ‘05 on (or at least play one of the Tony Hawk games)!
The End. Because harmless butt jokes were cool in 2005 and they still are now!
On-stage artists and crowd photos by Matt Christ. Interviews, stories, and artist photos by Curtis Schabath. All photo editing by Matt Christ.
