Screamo traditionally hits hardest while you’re watching a band play in the living room of someone’s house, smushed between the sweaty bodies of fans screaming their lyrics back at them. “Far west” emo band Vs Self is no stranger to these conditions, as the group regularly draws a new wave of rock-leaning fans while appeasing the old heads of the genre. Its discography, consisting of two EPs, an album and a sprinkling of singles, is promising and special—so much so that it stirs the instinct to gatekeep.
Now, the Southern California-based trio is gearing up to play one of its biggest shows to date at the inaugural Best Friends Forever festival. Guitarist and lead vocalist Kyle Schlenker chatted with the Weekly about the upcoming gig.
You came up in the house show scene. What’s your impression of the new generation of fans going to shows?
I’m quite often the oldest person at my shows, which feels a little weird. A lot of them remind me of myself when I first got started going to shows. But the scene I grew up in and this scene are very different in positive ways. The music seems to be a bigger focus for these kids than it was for a lot of my friends growing up. It would be a “party first, music second” attitude.
How does the band feel about sharing a bill with these nostalgic emo acts?
That’s like every band that we look up to, and a lot of the first bands I ever heard that were within this world of music who I still love to this day. So, yeah, I was like, there’s no way we’re not gonna play that [festival].
The lineup is crazy. My friends and I thought it was fake.
It looks like one of those fake Coachella things, you know? It takes your specific Spotify algorithm and makes a fake festival lineup. It looks like they did that with my Spotify!
What does the band do to prepare for a show like this?
We have played festivals but this is far bigger than anything we’ve ever done. There are some nerves involved. At the same time, I feel like with bigger shows, I’m usually less nervous. At least, me personally; I can’t speak for the rest of the band. There gets to a certain point where anything above 600 people seems like a sea of people and it’s less nerve-wracking.
Do you think playing BFF will be a turning point for Vs Self?
All of what’s happening right now with the band feels so fleeting; you never know. We’re just trying to take full advantage of it while it’s here, and appreciate all the cool opportunities, like this one, that we’re given.
BEST FRIENDS FOREVER FEST: VS SELF October 11, $159+, Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, bestfriendsforeverfest.com.
