Photo by Krystal Vasquez (@krystalcaptures)
You know that Jack Black quote, “As a child, I yearned for the mines?” Yeah well, as a child, I yearned for the club — or at minimum, live music. I would turn the lights off, let the LEDs flash, and bounce around to the blasting speakers at the tender age of 10. I’ve always loved the exhilaration of it — thrashing, jumping, throwing my body each and every way — music, especially at a high BPM, is my gospel. It’s no surprise that I’ve refound the headbanging, moshing, charged corners of music — and with it, Riovaz’s stake in the scene.
Five years after TikTok hit “Prom Night” launched him into stardom, the 21-year-old stands in constant innovation — each release a bold reinvention of his distinct sound. Impossible to tie down, Riovaz melds house, Jersey-club, dance tracks, and even alt-rock influences, creating his own space in the music scene — one he continues to redefine.
Riovaz’s new project is just that. His self-titled debut album, Riovaz, juggles vulnerability, dancefloor-ready tracks, and genre-bending chaos all wrapped up in exhilarating production. My headphones have been funneling it on repeat since the album’s October release; however, my (speedy) OC to LA drive for his Echoplex show was alternatively soundtracked by my friend’s Pierce the Veil and Panic! At The Disco.
I’d later find out Riovaz shared this love for Pierce the Veil backstage at the Echo (check out the interview here!) and much more about the show to come. After an interview in which the soundcheck above shook the walls like a bunker and a tentative exploration of the bathroom/shower/laundry room, we serendipitously found ourselves sitting down with Riovaz’s opener, Oscar Scheller.
The talented English producer/singer/songwriter was kind enough to inquire about our interview and our time in LA. Unpretentiously scrolling through his impressive discography ranging from NewJeans to PinkPantheress to Riovaz himself, Oscar shared he enjoyed making what he dubbed “nasty girl music.” The explanation — “girls singing nasty lyrics on a pretty beat” — seemed simple enough. However, it couldn’t possibly prepare me for his set.
The screams were immediate. Oscar couldn’t be calmer, strolling up to the controllers, before rolling through track after track of high-energy, club-ready tracks. The crowd reacted in kind, with each drop bringing more excitement and anticipation for the performance to come. Oscar was his own show — the crowd more enthusiastic for an opener than I’ve ever seen before.
The excitement didn’t end there. The intermission was buzzing with a mixture of songs from Snow Strippers, Carti, and staple rave tracks. Soon though, overheads dimmed, fog crept in, and the backlights of the Echo beamed.
Cheers erupted as Riovaz bounced on stage, grinning through the haze and the wash of neon strobes. The crowd surged forward, feeding off his energy before he even touched the mic. Within seconds of the opening synth pulses of “327BPM” off Riovaz, the crowd turned into a sea of flailing hands and frenzied movement.
Riovaz rode this momentum, performing hits off his debut album, each being met with roars from the crowd. From “don’t kill my fun,” “radiolove,” to “brush it off !!!,” the album’s pounding snares, shimmering melodies, and glitchy, fast-paced beats were made to be performed live. The album’s production, while stellar, was never designed to be appreciated and analyzed silently through your headphones — it demands to be felt. It’s realized here, coming alive in the convulsing crowd and rising higher with each thump.
Even in more introspective cuts, Riovaz’s artistry shines. His track “warm face” is a stripped-down, slower song, echoing an imploring lens of intimacy and loss. The crowd doesn’t let up, chanting back every bit of its heartfelt turbulence.
Riovaz’s set is electric, a euphoric high slamming audiences with drops after drops like Knock2’s “party! (dance alone).” Yet within all the chaos of crashing bodies and stomping feet, the performance feels deceptively intimate. Riovaz effortlessly engages with the crowd — in the breaks to express his gratitude and in the calls bringing fans right back to the performance’s peak. He even giggles before taking photos on a fan’s DS. It’s easy to forget this is his first album — that he’s only 21 — when the performance feels like this.
Photo by Krystal Vasquez (@krystalcaptures)
When he calls back to his older tracks, the crowd explodes with near-rapturous response. People around me scream every word to songs like “the Rake (can’t complain),” “waiting alonE,” and “unpredictable thinGs.”
I was almost taken aback. It’s hard to come across a concert where the crowd really gets it. No drops in attention. No mumbling along to everything except the part that’s gone viral. Riovaz is not an artist people come to hear one track for. A sea of people showing up for the full ride, from his first snippets to everything to come.
5 years since TikTok virality cast him into the musical zeitgeist, Riovaz is building something rare. In a live experience where no song feels like filler and no fan feels like a bystander just along for the ride, it’s not a fleeting moment, but a world that Riovaz is steadily shaping with each groundbreaking release. He’s sharpened his sound, production, and delivery while staying rooted in the artistry and emotion that first drew listeners in. And the fans? They’ve stayed — not for nostalgia, but because they believe in where he’s headed. With each packed show, each release, Riovaz is defining the sound of a scene — one that is entirely his.
