Rock Monsters Romania

Text and photos by Ionela Pleșan

On Tuesday, September 26th, I went to Quantic Club to see Riverside live for the first time. Being a big fan of bands like Opeth or Dream Theater, I had started listening to Riverside, and I really wanted to hear them live to compare their studio performance to their live one.

I arrived at Quantic on time, and I was ready to find the answer to my question. The concert started with a 30-minute delay, during which I had time to observe the audience. From expectations and disappointment due to the small crowd or the delay to excitement and having no expectations at all, I saw it all.

Riverside is a progressive rock band from Poland, formed in 2001. The current lineup includes Mariusz Duda on vocals and bass, Maciej Meller on guitar, Piotr Kozieradzki on drums, and Michał Łapaj on keyboards. They took the stage at 8:30 p.m. They seemed a bit tired because they had a concert in Cluj the night before, but as the concert progressed, they regained their energy, and the audience charged them up. I paid close attention to Mariusz’s bass-playing technique and Piotr’s drumming skills.

However, it was Michał, the keyboardist, who surprised me the most. With an overflowing attitude and a wide smile, he presented himself throughout the concert. He interacted with the audience and his bandmates and exuded the joy of performing, which resonated with everyone. The audience loved it and reacted every time they had the chance. At one point, Mariusz said, “Are you more than welcome with your enthusiasm if you have it, of course.” and the audience responded again with applause and cheers. I walked around the entire venue to assess the sound, the people, and the atmosphere. I saw children in the audience, so if even the youngest ones enjoyed Riverside, I don’t see why older people should have any complaints. I saw interested people, people singing along with Mariusz, fans wearing Riverside shirts, and the audience was quite diverse in terms of age. Why do I emphasize this? Because at one point, the frontman told us that prog music, in general, is for older people, and everyone laughed.

Riverside has charisma, and the drums and bass are amazing. I usually focus more on them at a concert, even though I pay attention to the other instruments as well. They had cool and powerful bass solos and drums that never got tired of being heard. I admit I air-drummed along, and I saw others in the audience doing the same. At some point, I became brave and started using my air keyboards. The crowd was on the same vibe, having fun, and everyone was listening to what was presented before their eyes. Mariusz intervened again, saying, “Thank you for being a fifth member of the band,” and the audience got even more excited. Riverside uses the crowd to create a valuable concert experience. “We’re going to play something from the new album, but we’ll change it in one place and add something from another album. Let’s see if you catch it.” They played with us like that throughout the concert. This was very interesting for the audience. People were ready to catch the modified part. It was a balanced concert, with the band’s hits like “Left Out” or “We Got Used to Us” (which is my favorite), but also with songs from their new album “ID.Entity,” the new identity of Riverside. It was clear that they put in the effort to perform, but the audience helped them and provided the energy they needed after all the touring they’ve done on this tour. It was interesting to see how the energy of others can change you in a few minutes.

My conclusion was that Riverside sounds great live, not just in the studio, and their influences from Opeth, Dream Theater, or even Porcupine Tree are evident at every turn. But where would we be today if we didn’t have someone to admire? It was a successful evening if you’re a prog fan, but I think it was also an opportunity to discover that you might like this branch of music. And as long as the audience left the concert satisfied, I am happy.

If I’ve made you curious, you can still catch Riverside live on their European tour until the end of October. They have a few more countries to visit, and a city break doesn’t sound bad at all.

You can listen to Riverside on all streaming platforms, follow them on social media, but most importantly, support them.

See you again soon in the next reviews.