Homie Fest II at The Rigby

Fourteen exciting emo or emo-adjacent bands in one day at $20 is a bargain that’s reflective of the genre’s storied DIY upbringing. Cartwright, Man Alive, Endswell, Honey Creek, Equipment, Excuse Me, Who Are You?, Tiny Voices, Good News Dudes!, Riot Nine, The Sinner And The Saint, Dear Mr. Watterson, Nosebleeds, Barely Civil, and Kulek make up an enticing, one-day lineup. Nearly all of the bands hail from various corners and pockets of Wisconsin, including several from Madison. Ohio-based Equipment register as one of the clear standouts here, joining Tone Madison favorites Dear Mr. Watterson in that regard. Here’s what we had to say about Dear Mr. Watterson’s 2021 EP Confusion Perfected:

“Confusion Perfected‘s outsize energy, riff-happy approach, teeth-gnashing ferocity, and unabashed scruffiness place it in territory that has rarely been inhabited this strikingly since Titus Andronicus’ 2008 debut The Airing Of Grievances. In lesser hands, the end result of that combination usually winds up being an abject mess that amounts to ambitious ideas and poor execution. Dear Mr. Watterson adeptly avoids that trap, channeling a playful precociousness that evens out the material’s jittery nature.”

—Steven Spoerl