There’s something to be said for predicability, especially when it comes to Riot Fest. Like, how you know they’re going to bring back Andrew W.K., GWAR, and all those freaks from Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow Revue. And how, yes, there’s going to be some overlap with pretty much every Warped Tour lineup from 1998-2006. But, there’s also going to be a vastly different set of headliners than any other summer music festival out there, and a middle card that’s unorthodox to say the least.
For Chicagoans, though, Riot Fest is like that mysterious carnival that used to come around town every October. The one Ray Bradbury wrote about in There’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, where the ferris wheel creaked, the carnies stared at your mother a little too long, and the cotton candy clung to your fingers in really far out ways. But, everyone was there, your friends, your classmates, your neighbors, your family. Nobody was immune to its tacky mystery and that was the fun of it.
Well, that feeling has always been the case for Riot Fest, starting way, way back in 2012, when the fringe festival first touched down in Humboldt Park, long before the aldermans and suits decided thousands upon thousands of festivalgoers weren’t good for the surrounding businesses. [Insert Rodney Dangerfield GIF] Now that they’re seemingly fine and dandy over at Douglas Park — admittedly, a gem of a find, despite being a shlep for everyone who doesn’t live near Douglas Park — they’re good.
This year, they’re very good. Once again, Riot Fest has pieced together another enviable weekend for those who prefer six strings at their festivals, and there isn’t a single line on its poster that comes close to derailing their original spirit. Maybe it’s not as varied as last year’s offerings, per se, but having Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, and a reunited Jawbreaker at the top speaks volumes during an era when major festivals have turned deaf ears on the rock genre.
To quote Bradbury himself, “Beware the autumn people.”
–Michael Roffman
Editor-in-Chief
Highlights
Queens of the Stone Age
Photo by Philip Cosores
Everything is starting to come into focus for Queens of the Stone Age. First it was a billing at Fuji Rock in Japan, then at Outside Lands in San Francisco. Now, with their first headlining slot at Riot Fest, plus word of an imminent single and expected new album, the sunburned hard rockers are gearing up to be in full swing. It’s a good time to be Josh Homme, as their last release, 2013’s …Like Clockwork, was a return to form in both critical esteem and commercial interest. And let’s not forget that Homme spent his time between releases recording with both Iggy Pop and Eagles of Death Metal, plus playing guitar for Lady Gaga. In short, if the new Queens is as good as we hope it will be, seeing their name at the top of festival lineups could become much more common. –Philip Cosores
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New Order
Photo by Lior Phillips
When New Order came through the Windy City to support 2015’s Music Complete, they opted for the Chicago Theatre. Don’t get me wrong, the place is nice and all — iconic even — but it’s not the right fit for the Manchester legends. With them, you need to dance! You need to jump up and down! You need to be lost in a sea of people! You can’t really do that in seats, and so, this writer passed on seeing them. (Dick move? Maybe. Maybe not.) Whatever the case, they’re coming back to the right setting, and while it’s not a headlining slot — $10 bucks says they draw a bigger crowd than Jawbreaker — it’s likely going to go down as the sun sets over Douglas Park, a perfect setting for, say, a “Bizarre Love Triangle”. Thank you, thank you. –Michael Roffman
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Nine Inch Nails
Photo by Philip Cosores
Each time Nine Inch Nails has appeared on a North American festival bill this year, it’s felt both like a risk and a revelation. The riskiness is in the fact that they aren’t a band for the masses. Despite some huge alt hits that span several decades, the bulk of their music is difficult for the casual fan, which has been evident for anyone that’s seen them headline a fest to modest crowds in the past five years. But what works is where the band is playing. Events like Panorama, which boasts two headliners a day, FYF, which features a less traditional festival audience that appreciates the more esoteric, and now Riot Fest, a festival built on aggression, are ideal venues for Trent Reznor’s avant nostalgia. They’re a titan in music, and at least we know that at Riot Fest, they’ll be treated as such. –Philip Cosores
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Paramore
Photo by Allyce Andrew
Prediction: Paramore is going to draw the biggest crowd at Riot Fest. It’s been four long years since the band released their self-titled fourth studio album, which was both a critical and commercial smash, and it’s no coincidence they announced its followup on the same day the festival dropped its lineup. It also helps that lead single “Hard Times” is a summer-friendly jam that’s probably going to be on every radio station and sand-covered boombox from now until September. Toss in the fact that Hayley Williams is an unstoppable ball of energy on stage and you have a performance that could easily shut down the park on any given night. One request, Ms. Williams: It’s a heavier fest and all, but please don’t forget “The Only Exception”. –Michael Roffman
Surprises
Jawbreaker
It seems like out of all the festivals Riot Fest tries the hardest to nail down reunions. So, it wasn’t exactly a surprise to see they followed through this year again. But … Jawbreaker? Who knew. It’s been 21 years since the New York punk rockers called it quits after touring behind 1995’s most excellent Dear You. Similar to Misfits last year, this is so-far a one-off performance, which bodes well for Riot Fest, and continues their humble streak of not-so-humble bookings. Get there. –Michael Roffman
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Bad Brains
Photo by Philip Cosores
The last few years for Bad Brains have been dominated by major health issues, both for guitarist Dr. Know (heart attack and organ failure) and frontman H.R. (a neurobiological disorder, which is about the saddest irony ever considering the band name). Sure, there was talk about possibly returning to make new music, but when two members have dealt with such traumatic health issues, it’s hard to be optimistic. So, Bad Brains’ billing at Riot Fest isn’t just a cool get celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band. It’s an affirmation of survival in a punk scene that’s often brutal to its artists. That’s a reason to celebrate. –Philip Cosores
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That Dog
That Dog is often considered an also-ran of 90’s alternative, but only by those that weren’t paying attention to the group. They disbanded in 1997, right after the release of their only charting single “Never Say Never”, and remained broken up until 2011 when they played a handful of shows over a couple of years. Word is that they might even have a new record coming out, which would be their first in 20 years. Regardless, That Dog is an example of what Riot Fest does so well, digging deep into rock history and bringing back some nearly forgotten gems. –Philip Cosores
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Vic Mensa
Photo by Heather Kaplan
In hindsight, we should have seen Vic Mensa on this lineup. Riot Fest has been welcoming more and more hip-hop over the years and the Chicago MC is a solid get for the festival. If you recall, Vic’s 2016 performance at Lollapalooza saw the former Kids These Days frontman go Full Kanye, delivering a totally woke performance to a bunch of Northsiders and tourists who probably came to hear “Down On My Luck”. Full disclosure: This writer was definitely one of those Northsiders, and while he did walk away reeling from the SWAT-themed spectacle, he was bummed out to not hear his 2015 banger. Perhaps Vic brings both the club and the headlines to Douglas Park come September? Either way, it’ll be worth seeing. –Michael Roffman
Omissions
The Smashing Pumpkins
Photo by David Brendan Hall
This one hurts the most. Because if there was any festival out there that would have made this happen, it was Riot Fest. Last year, we reported that Billy Corgan was shopping around a Smashing Pumpkins reunion featuring the original lineup — in other words, the first time since the late ’90s that he’d play alongside guitarist James Iha, bassist D’arcy Wretzky, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Alas, nobody forked over the cash, leaving us empty and alone with our sadness. Fuck. –Michael Roffman
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Dead Kennedys
Photo by Heather Kaplan
From The Replacements to The Misfits, Riot Fest has a long history of getting punk and punk adjacent bands to reunite. Hell, we even have Jawbreaker this year. But in February, news broke that one group said thanks but no thanks. Well, actually it was just one member of that group. Apparently, ¾’s of the Dead Kennedys were down to play the event, but frontman Jello Biafra nixed the idea. This lines up with Biafra’s long history of thwarting his former bandmates’ commercial ambitions, but really, it is the fans that lose out on the whole deal. –Philip Cosores
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At The Drive-In
Photo by Heather Kaplan
This one’s the most perplexing. Not only is At The Drive In always at the top of everyone’s wish lists for Riot Fest, but the festival itself has been promoting the band’s new material on their website. Granted, they do have a Chicago date on June 18th, but that’s not exactly a stone’s throw from mid-September. Maybe it wasn’t enough for the festival? Oh well. –Michael Roffman
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Japandroids
Photo by Ben Kaye
With one of the most anticipated albums of the early part of 2017, Japandroids seemed like a lock for festival appearances across the country. But that hasn’t been the case, and with a few exceptions, the Canadian rock revivalists have largely been absent from festival bills. Riot Fest would be the ideal setting for the band, as their earnest-as-hell anthems speak both to rock’s past and present, which is basically the event’s M.O. Who knows, maybe they’re one of the 25 bands yet to be announced. –Philip Cosores
Least Interesting
A Day to Remember
More like A Day to Forget, amirite? –Philip Cosores
Death From Above 1979
Photo by Debi Del Grande
Remember when everyone went apeshit for these guys and started a riot at South by Southwest? That was six years ago. Since then, they’ve released a super mediocre album (2014’s The Physical World) and rested on their laurels at every festival across the world. That probably explains why they’ve gone from the second line of Coachella’s lineup in 2011 to the tail end of the fourth at Riot Fest this year. But hey, three time’s the charm; maybe they’ll come back swinging by September. –Michael Roffman
Dirty Heads
Whether you hate or tolerate Sublime, you have to admit that they have songs and an identity, even if it’s with a new karaoke frontman. But a band like the Dirty Heads, which is basically a cheap Sublime knockoff, there really isn’t any excuse to get behind. Here’s a fun fact: The band’s two lead singers are known as Duddy B and Dirty J. You couldn’t make this up. They’re an act that would be better off as a house band in a SoCal beach tavern than playing big stages at major music festivals. –Philip Cosores
Gogol Bordello
Photo by David Brendan Hall
Gogol Bordello are a great live band. A total blast. But, if you’ve seen them once, you’ve seen it all. Yes, they’ve kept piling on the Gypsy punk over the years — eh, not so fast, a quick Wiki search suggests they’ve been out of the studio since 2013’s Pura Vida Conspiracy — but that’s like saying a new Resident Evil movie is worth seeing because they added another C-level actor. “Whoa, that’s kind of a weird comparison,” you might say. To that, I’d give the ol’ Kanye Shrug. –Michael Roffman
