It’s a bold move to start a new festival in Rhode Island in the middle of summer. Though the punk- and DIY-focused Foo Fest is taking a year off, the spectre of a certain Folk Festival still looms large over the Ocean State in the hottest months of the year. But Waterfront Concerts were up to the challenge, and on a gorgeous piece of land in Riverside, East Providence, with a beautiful view of Lil’ Rhody’s capital city and iconic skyline, Roadblock Music Festival took its first metaphorical breaths in the year of 2019.
It’s the type of festival that could only really take place in Rhode Island, with a stacked roster of punk acts both old and new, and the day punctuated by bouts of wrestling that would often spill out into the crowd, men in tights dunking each other into recycling bins multiple times throughout the day. Despite high-profile competition, the lineup of the inaugural Roadblock Festival carved out its own niche successfully, unabashedly punk-first, celebrating a vast array of artists united by the unmistakable, defiant punk pathos.
The band U.G.L.Y. had the honor of being the first band to ever perform at Roadblock. After a group huddle at the back of the stage, they seized the day, with frontman Jack Petit chewing the scenery with his suspenders, steely gaze, purple kicks, and punk star antics that culminated in a fiery cover of the Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’.
Each time a set ended, the crowd would make a mass exodus to the wrestling arena to see the next bout – the festival organizers did well to ensure there was never a dull moment. And each time, they returned in greater numbers to the front rail of the stage, an ever-growing wave of punks, a tide rising to meet each successive act with increased fervor.
Second up were Boston rockers Rebuilder, an area staple known best for the jams on their fantastic debut LP, Rock and Roll in America. Vocalist Sal Ellington, bearing Twin Peaks symbolism on his guitar and forearm, shared vocal duties with Brandon Phillips, with Choke Up’s Harley Cox keeping time on drums. Center stage, bassist Daniel Carswell, celebrating his 30th birthday, was characteristically animated, long limbs swinging his instrument in wide arcs around his head.
The third act of the day saw a shift towards a slew of punk veterans who cut their teeth in decades past. First of this crowd were Cro-Mags, who burned incense onstage as frontman John Joseph stalked the blacktop eagerly, feeding off the crowd, leaning over the monitors as the day’s first circle pit started to take shape in the dusty field. Joseph spoke earnestly of his love for the next act as well, H.R. (Human Rights) of Bad Brains, who brought a more relaxed reggae vibe to their set that punctuated the day. Fans stood in reverence, knowing full well that they were in the presence of an immensely influential talent.
The commitment to showcasing all sides of punk continued next with Roseview, an emo-tinged hardcore band whose members dressed all in black, and moved about the stage with truly unparalleled vigor. Frontman Keanu Papassavas-Temor climbed down the speakers to the barrier and, leaning over, taught festival-goers the hook of one of the band’s songs, which they were more than happy to shout with him.
Pivoting sub-genres once again, next up were the Old Firm Casuals, another squad of genre veterans helmed by Lars Frederiksen of Rancid. Their dadly attire only masked their intensity up to the first note, however, as they launched into a lengthy set of concise, punchy tracks that saw the circle pit pick up in earnest.
As the sun began to set, Connecticut/New York song-smiths Charly Bliss hit the stage. Though stylistically they were one of the furthest acts on the bill from traditional punk, their most recent LP, Young Enough, is a defiant triumph that absolutely belongs on any punk’s turntable. On the record, which made up the bulk of the band’s setlist, frontwoman Eva Hendricks bares herself and truly comes into her own as a songwriter, bravely and nakedly confronting her demons, including the trauma of an assault and the uncertainty of growing up. It was the final show of their tour for the record, and yet they were still full of familial charm, with Eva’s brother Sam on drums, and bandmates Spencer Fox and Dan Shure joined Eva center stage often to pose with their guitars aimed skyward. With an unmatched sense of camaraderie, they cemented themselves as one of the most engrossing, uplifting acts of the night.
With the sun firmly westward, couched behind the iconic three smokestacks that make up some of the Providence skyline, modern punk icons The Menzingers took the stage as the crowd swelled to its largest size yet under the deep orange sky. Playing heavily from their latest, After the Party, as well as their timeless On the Impossible Past, they also found time to tease the crowd with a cut from their upcoming record, Hello Exile, in the form of ‘Anna’, a forlorn rocker pleading for an absent lover to return to the band’s home of Philadelphia. Frontman Tom May’s modest frame contained an inexhaustible reserve of energy and passion, matched only by the crowd, which constantly ferried fans young and old into the night sky, carried by a mass of outstretched hands toward the lip of the stage.
As if that weren’t exciting enough, the finale would eclipse even the dizzying heights of a Menzingers’ set in the twilight hours of a warm summer evening. Living legends Bad Religion had the honor of capping the first-ever Roadblock Fest, and they came ready to awe Providence during their first time in the city in over two decades.
In front of a banner bearing their band name in massive, blood-red lettering, frontman Greg Graffin presided over the festival’s longest set by far. His statuesque, commanding presence anchored a night that drew from all corners of the band’s titanic four-decades of discography, touching on more than a dozen different releases. The tension and release as he segued between some of the band’s most forceful material, like ‘Stranger than Fiction’ and ‘Atomic Garden’ was palpable, and a truly interminable line of punks clawed their way into the air between the barrier and Graffin, many of whom were but twinkles in their parents’ eyes when Bad Religion was releasing their first albums.
But that’s the thing about punk – be it the raw energy; the dissatisfaction with society; or the rejection of the political climate of the day: this is precisely why the genre remains not only relevant, but inseparably vital to the counterculture today. Even as the genre has branched out and evolved, roping in bands like Roseview and Charly Bliss with youthful vigor and new sounds, the emotional core of punk has always remained the same, and it was a truly heartfelt and life-affirming day to see a festival wholly devoted to not only keeping that feeling alive, but nurturing it in a home both old and new: Providence.
Photos and review by Collin Heroux
