Canadian emos of all ages followed the irresistible call of nostalgia and camaraderie to Burl’s Creek, Ontario, for the inaugural All Your Friends Fest last weekend. The two day extravaganza featured a massive lineup headed by Billy Talent and Fall Out Boy and brought a brand new experience to the Toronto area. With two stages of talent to bounce between, plenty of comfy grass with room to lounge or dance, photo opp spots for your squad and plenty of food to munch on, there was something for everyone at this camping-style fest. Atlas was in the middle of the action for the whole weekend- here’s the best of day one!
Canadian Acts Take Center Stage
While All Your Friends Fest boasted plenty of international artists, the spotlight was on the Canadian locals and day one had so many to choose from. The Honest Heart Collective drew the campers from their tents and RVs early in the day for a stellar rock show to kick off the weekend and put the focus on homegrown talent.
Later on, Lights also performed at the secondary Tent Stage, debuting her new song, “Damage”, and bringing some old favorites home. Her crowd was ecstatic to have her back and lifted her above the barricade to close out the set. Over at the Main Stage, nearly every artist hailed from around Canada and fans arrived in droves to catch the likes of LØLØ, Silverstein and Billy Talent.
Silverstein is unfailingly consistent, with a set that had the crowd roaring along to “Smashed into Pieces”, “The Ides of March” and a killer cover of Linkin Park’s “One Step Closer”. The energy poured off of the steadily growing audience and clearly fueled the bands onstage throughout the day
Swing, Swing Down Skyway Avenue to Jersey
Day one brought some classic bands to Burl’s Creek, with We the Kings, The All-American Rejects and Mayday Parade handling the throwback tracks for the day. We the Kings and AAR pulled huge audiences to the Tent Stage as the sun moved lower in the sky and AAR’s mesmerizing light show accented a set that was bursting with unforgettable songs like “Dirty Little Secret” and “Gives You Hell”. Tyson Ritter stomped around the stage barefoot, getting the fans riled up to sing along and they gave the band everything they had, even after a long day in the sun.
We the Kings jumpstarted a high-energy set with “Skyway Avenue” and kept that spirit going with “She Takes Me High” and so much more. Naturally, singer Travis Clark jumped into the pit to party with the fans and the band closed with “Check Yes Juliet”. The Tent Stage was also graced by the return of Gym Class Heroes and their laidback set was punctuated with smiles from the band and fans- and what a power move to kick off a set with “Cupid’s Chokehold” (sadly sans Patrick Stump on the chorus).
Mayday Parade emerged on the Main Stage into blinding late afternoon sunlight and took the audience on a journey through 20 years of music. Derek Sanders, sans shoes, tossed his hair and encouraged the fans to sing along to “Oh Well, Oh Well”, and “Jamie All Over”. The band is fresh off a run on Sad Summer Fest and they brought their own summer to a close with a perfect performance.
Billy Talent Rounds Out Day One
Canadian icons Billy Talent are celebrating over 30 years of the band and their home country was more than happy to welcome them to the final performance of a stellar first day. Bathed in red and purple light, the band opened with “Devil in a Midnight Mass” and the night only got wilder from there. Fans had spent all day at the barricade for a chance to be as close as possible to the group and singer Benjamin Kowalewicz wore a huge grin as he observed everyone rocking out to “Afraid of Heights” and “Rusted in the Rain”. Backed by a huge LED screen and plenty of production, Billy Talent was a natural and fitting conclusion to end a Friday night.
The party went on long after the final notes of the set faded out, with DJs spinning emo classics into the night for campers wanting to keep the good vibes going. The crowd got a taste of what was to come for day two- from battling the summer humidity to indulging in the many offerings of poutine at the food truck alley, day one was a success and kicked off an enormous weekend of fun ahead.
