Spitalfield's Mark Rose spills about the emo-pop band's anniversary tour, Riot Fest appearance

It's the summer of Spitalfield.

For Mark Rose, who as a sophomore at Glenbard South co-founded the group that would become Spitalfield, this weekend's appearance at Riot Fest is just a capper to a great season for the band. A highlight of a summer-fall tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 2003 album "Remember Right Now" - with the hits "I Loved The Way She Said L.A.," "Stolen From Some Great Writer" and "Those Days You Felt Alive," among others - Riot Fest marks Spitalfield's second run at the three-day celebration of all things rock, punk and emo.

"This window of nostalgia is open right now with music from the early- and mid-2000s. And that interest spoke to us," Rose said. "It started as, 'Hey, should we figure out a way to re-press this record and play a few shows?' But what really pulled the trigger was getting an offer from Hawthorne Heights and Armor for Sleep to go tour with them in March and April. We hadn't done anything like that since we were an active band."

Through its nearly 10-year run, Spitalfield - the lineup for the "Remember" release included Rose on vocals and guitar, Dan Lowder on guitar, T.J. Minich on bass and J.D. Romero on drums - dropped four albums and a number of EPs and singles, signed with Chicago's Victory Records and toured internationally before stepping back from the scene in late 2007. Since then, they've played a few one-off shows and 2018's Riot Fest, but nothing compared to the weekend warrior tour Spitalfield embarked on this year.

"I can't believe that we're going from having played about nine shows in the last 10 years to hitting 50 cities this year," he said. "It's a lot, but I'm feeling really good about it."

Rose, who has released a steady stream of solo work since Spitalfield, said a major perk of (ahem) getting the band back together this year is the relaxed feel with which they can approach performances. With members more spread out now, previous reunion shows meant a frenzied weekend of getting back in town, practicing and then performing. He said it's been easier spending more time together, rebuilding their friendships and refining their live shows.

"It's been really fun to take advantage of that, to reconnect with everybody, and getting to hang out with the fellows has been amazing," he said. "And I feel like the performance has gotten tighter and tighter in a way that we haven't experienced since we were an active band."

On the tour, Spitalfield has treated fans to a set built around "Remember Right Now," tapping into a longing for nostalgia as the band, and many of its fans, have grown out of their scenester days and are heavily enmeshed in adult lives.

"We're at a spot now where people who are there, they're there with purpose. And for me personally, that's amazing. Every fan wants to connect and they want to talk about why this music matters to them," he said. "I know music is super powerful, because I know how it impacts me. And I know the records that mean a lot to me and that shaped me. So when those fans come out and this is that record for them, it's overwhelming and humbling."

Spitalfield's plan for their Saturday Riot Fest set focuses more on the overall catalog, pulling hits from across the band's albums. But no, they won't forget to include some favorites from "Remember Right Now."

"We got to do more than so many folks get to do. We really did get to see the world and play music with our friends and make fans, and I can't believe that we sold a couple hundred thousand records, being a band that came out of playing basements," Rose said. "So yeah, we won't take any of that for granted."

• Spitalfield plays the Rebel Stage at 4:10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16.

• • •

Riot Fest

When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, Sept. 15-17

Where: Douglass Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Drive, Chicago, riotfest.org

Tickets: Single-day passes start at $109.98