The Riot

The Riot
Published: May 2010
Story: Jeff Royer
Photo: Press Photo

God bless Hot Topic. Not only does it sell the same studded belts and lip rings your favorite band wears, but you can apparently start a band of your own while you’re there.

That’s how it worked for Harrisburg pop-punkers The Riot, whose two Ryans (Henderson on vocals and guitar, Williams on drums) united while stocking shelves at the trendy teen pit-stop.

“I heard my local mall was getting a Hot Topic. I applied, got hired, and Ryan was my manager,” says Williams (known within the band as “Ryno”). “Everything basically fell together after that.”

The two recruited Henderson’s brother, Brad, on bass and Paul Mendenhall on guitar and got to work transforming Ryan’s acoustic songs into polished pop-rock anthems befitting the racks of the band’s birthplace. Sonically, The Riot’s music would be filed somewhere between Jawbreaker and Jimmy Eat World, but thanks to Ryan’s winning, Patrick Stump-worthy delivery, would fit just as nicely next to mom-friendly mall punk like Fall Out Boy or All-American Rejects.

“Jimmy Eat World is one of the few bands we all agree on,” says Ryan of the band’s influences. “Their sound appeals to so many, but remains unique.”

In its brief, three-year existence, The Riot has released two albums (including Sitting Duck Syndrome in January), toured extensively, earned two fan-voted slots at Warped Tour and shared the bill with everyone from Bad Religion to The Ataris. It’s an auspicious start for a band with members in their teens and early 20s.
“I can honestly say that with this band I’ve been living my dream. We’ve been able to accomplish things I never thought possible,” Ryan says. “So many of my long- term goals have been accomplished and so many more are within our reach.”

Immediate goals include recording The Riot’s next album (the band already has a dozen new song in the bag), touring and, as Ryno puts it, “making a shit-ton of friends along the way.

“Are we serious about this? Yes!” he adds. “This is our lives. We’ve moved in together and have literally devoted our lives to this. We all eat, sleep, and breathe The Riot!”

“From the minute we wake up till we hit the sack, we are ‘on the clock’ for the band,” Ryan says. “It takes a lot of energy, but as we are finding out, all our hard work is starting to pay off. This is our dream. This is what we live for.” - Fly Magazine

The power pop-punk quartet from Harrisburg, PA has put out their second release titled “Sitting Duck Syndrome”. The Album starts off with an odd time track called “Heart Attack Sandwich” which has a ton of energy and a great chorus. Vocalist Ryan Hendersons vocals remind me of a mix between Jordan Pundik (New Found Glory), and yes James Taylor! With very tight and smooth harmonies these guys have a wonderful vocal sound. As for guitar work, the hook driven riffs are played by both guitarists Ryan Henderson and Jonathan Fye. The rhythm section of Brad Henderson (bass) and Ryan Williams (percussion) keep the songs in time negotiating the stops and starts without a hitch. The album was recorded at A Street Studios in Northumberland, PA. If you enjoy artists such as Halifax, Bayside and New Found Glory, you will LOVE this record! - CD Review by Jazz - Harrisburg Online

Riot, The - Sitting Duck Syndrome
Reviewed by: alienantidote (08/24/10)
The Riot - Sitting Duck Syndrome
Record Label – Unsigned/Self-released
Release – January 26th, 2010

“I just wanna stay in this moment and listen to the radio play.”

This single line, taken from the track “Captain Murphy’s Law” can pretty much sum up my feelings of Sitting Duck Syndrome in its entirety. It’s catchy enough for quotable sing-a-longs, but relaxing enough to throw on the stereo when you want to mingle in your thoughts as well.

With a heavily noticeable influence from Jimmy Eat World, Pennsylvania’s The Riot has developed a solid collection of songs that may have best found their musical counterparts in the late 90’s and early 00’s. It’s a treasure to find current up-and-coming bands embracing such a straight forward take on rock music, and one can only hope that others will see the talent and dedication this band has to offer.

I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical at first glance. A big cartoon-ish face takes up the majority of the album’s cover and with track titles like “Heart Attack Sandwich” and “Counting Sheep With A Sledgehammer,” I was expecting something a bit more…well, loud. Fortunately, The Riot has found that perfect niche between acoustic sing-a-longs and high-energy rock anthems.

The lead vocals of guitarist Ryan Henderson and backing vocals of bassist Brad Henderson blend harmoniously together, particularly on the tracks “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” and “Captain Murphy’s Law.”

On the first listen or two, I had to question my liking of the singer-songwriter style of the acoustic “Out West.” With wishes of starting over somewhere new, the song begins to grow on you after a while.

The more I listen, the more I wonder at the fact that this band is relatively unknown in the ever-expanding collection of young bands marketing their way into the ears of big name labels or at least into the hands of more music-hungry kids. With Sitting Duck Syndrome, The Riot brings hope to a genre that is in dire need of something real. - ABSOLUTEPUNK