FourChord Music Festival / Instagram / Website
Four Chord Music Fest returned to Pittsburgh for its 12th installment, bringing two days of punk, emo, hardcore, and alternative music to F.N.B. Stadium.
With a lineup that covered several generations of the scene, Four Chord 12 had something for longtime fans and people looking to discover their next favorite band.
Friday brought a heavier side of the festival, with sets from Pain Clinic, Facewreck, Militarie Gun, Haywire, Thousand Below, Counterparts, Superheaven, Saosin, We Came As Romans, Kublai Khan TX, Underoath, and Knocked Loose.
Pain Clinic / Instagram / Website / Spotify
Thousand Below / Instagram / Website / Spotify
Underoath / Instagram / Website / Spotify
Saturday shifted toward the emo and pop-punk side of things with Heading North, Don’t Panic, Keep Flying, Eternal Boy, Patent Pending, Hit the Lights, Driveways, Finch, Cartel, Motion City Soundtrack, Mom Jeans, State Champs, Boys Like Girls, Mayday Parade, and Pierce the Veil closing out the weekend.
Patent Pending / Instagram / Spotify
Finch / Instagram / Website / Spotify
Mayday Parade / Instagram / Website / Spotify
The best part about a lineup like this is that you could show up for one band and walk away talking about another one you had never heard before.
More Than the Music
Four Chord wasn’t just about what happened on the two stages. The festival had plenty happening around the venue, including vendors and merch tables that gave fans another way to interact with the scene.
One standout was Elder Emo Co., whose presence felt right at home alongside a lineup packed with bands that have shaped the emo and alternative scene.
Elder Emo Co. / TikTok / Instagram / Website
The vendor area added another layer to the festival experience. Between sets, fans could grab merch, check out different brands, and spend some time away from the stages without really stepping away from the festival itself.
Smartpunk Records / Instagram / Website
Seeing It From the Crowd
I had the opportunity to cover Four Chord 12 for Sound Off Press with a no-pit media pass. Instead of shooting from the traditional photo pit, I was working from within the crowd and finding different angles wherever I could.
It definitely made things more challenging, but it also meant experiencing the festival from the same perspective as the fans.
The crowd became part of the photos, and some of the best moments came from simply watching what was happening around me.
A Weekend Built Around the Scene
Four Chord 12 brought together different generations and corners of the alternative music scene for one weekend in Pittsburgh.
Knocked Loose / Instagram / Website / Spotify
Kublai Khan TX / Instagram / Website / Spotify
From Knocked Loose and Kublai Khan TX to Motion City Soundtrack, Cartel, Mayday Parade, and Pierce the Veil, the lineup covered a lot of ground without losing its identity.
Pierce The Veil / Instagram / Website / Spotify
Add in the vendors, the fans, the merch, and everything happening between sets, and Four Chord 12 felt like more than just two days of concerts.
It was a celebration of the scene itself.
Written & Shot by Dustin Gipe / DG.Visuals_
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