I must be Emo @ Ohio IS For Lovers in Cincinnati
“Dear Diary,
Mood: apathetic…”
Just kidding! Despite being at a music festival for my fellow sad Emo Kids, the Ohio date of the Is For Lovers 2024 was a total blast and I was anything but sad! Hawthorne Heights has put on Year 3 of what’s becoming my favorite festival to attend every year. Riverbend Music Center played host to IFL once again, and I was stoked to be there. Early September in the Midwest is chef’s kiss weather-wise, with just enough breeze to keep you cool and sunshine to keep you dancing, and the weather was truly perfect this year. And of course there is nowhere better to have it (sorry, other IFL dates!!) than Cincinnati Ohio, only an hour away from where Hawthorne Heights was formed in Dayton.
Riverbend had three stages again this year, which meant I was constantly hopping from one stage to the next, trying to catch as many bands as possible. It’s a workout, but worth it! The lighting on all three stages was on point—whether it was mid-afternoon or after the sun went down, it just worked. And the sound? Crisp and loud, as it should be. Sure, there were a few tech glitches here and there (it wouldn’t be a festival without them), but the team at Riverbend always seemed to fix things before anyone really noticed. On another note, though, one thing that was worse this year? The bathroom situation. For some reason, the mirrors have disappeared. What!? Us Emo kids need mirrors to fix our hair and makeup! How are we supposed to maintain our perfectly imperfect, moody look without them!?
As always, one of my favorite parts of Is For Lovers is the activities they set up around the festival grounds. Just like in past years, they had the Cryspace booth, which is basically a trip down Myspace memory lane. You could get your makeup done to look like a Scene Queen (think heavy eyeliner, neon eyeshadow, and just the right amount of sparkle) and then snap pics in a grid set up to look like your Top 8. If you know, you know.
The lineup this year was SO GOOD. I love seeing a blend of classic emo bands that we all know and love from our teenage years mixed in with the current wave of super talented and up-and-coming emo (and related genres) outfits. I also love seeing local Ohio bands on the lineup. This year’s lineup included acts such as: Leggy, Touchdown Jesus, The Raging Nathans, Snarls, Turnover, Knuckle Puck, Real Friends, Emery, Anberlin, The Devil Wears Prada, Silverstein, Movements, and Hot Mulligan just to name a few.
This year’s Is For Lovers festival not only met my expectations, but for the third year in a row exceeded them. I hope to continue to get the opportunity to witness the growth I know this festival can achieve, and I look forward to returning next year to hang out with Hawthorne Heights along the Ohio River in Cincinnati.
Full gallery of the Ohio Is For Lovers fest can be found HERE.
