September 4, 2016
The festival bubble feels like it has burst, which only makes Riot Fest more impressive. Perhaps the biggest punk rock festival in America, it also draws from lots of other genres, from reggae to hip-hop, with line-ups that range from veterans to up-and-comers, including reunions and classic albums played in full. 2016 is no exception, coming to Chicago, Friday-to-Sunday, September 16-18:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16th
Riot Stage The Flaming Lips, 8:45 PM – 10:00 PM There’s a good reason The Flaming Lips (QRO photos at a festival) have been so popular for so long on the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival), as there is no live show out there like a Flaming Lips live show (QRO live review). Confetti cannons, costumes, video screens, balloons from the sky, puppets, singer/guitarist Wayne Coyne (QRO interview) surfing the crowd in a giant plastic bubble – The Lips have it all (QRO photos), and expect them to take it even higher (QRO photos at a festival) as they play their umpteenth festival (QRO photos at a 2014 festival). Oh, and they’ve got some great music, too, from early nineties hit “She Don’t Use Jelly” to seminal The Soft Bulletin (QRO photos from top-to-bottom performance, at a festival), as well as 2006’s Grammy Award-winning At War With the Mystics (even put out a movie, Christmas On Mars – QRO review), and 2009’s Embryonic (QRO review) to 2012’s The Terror (QRO review). Plus they (QRO spotlight on) appeared in an issue of X-Men, headlined both The Colbert Report’s ‘Pepsi Presents StePhest ColbChella ‘012 Rocktaugustfest’ (QRO photos) and Amnesty International’s ‘Bring Human Rights Home’ event two years ago (QRO recap). They return to Riot Fest for the second time in three years (QRO photos at Riot ’14). |
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Jimmy Eat World, 6:05 PM – 7:05 PM Jimmy Eat World (QRO photos) set the standard for emo-rock in 2001 with Bleed American and “The Middle” (QRO video). Though have never lived up to that (but did play it & prior Clarity in full – QRO live review), 2010’s Invented (QRO review) and songs like “Movielike” (QRO video) and “Coffee and Cigarettes” (QRO video) still kept the band in the top tier of emo (QRO live review) – though they’ve kept repeating themselves with 2013’s Damage (QRO review) and the subsequent tour (QRO live review). They come to Riot Fest in the run-up to the release of Integrity Blues. |
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Julian Marley, 3:55 PM – 4:55 PM If you want reggae, you want Marley, and as Michael said on Lost, “Who doesn’t like Bob Marley?” Obviously you can’t go see Bob anymore, but how about his son, Julian? And how about him playing the Bob Marley & The Wailers classic Exodus? |
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Also: Girls Against Boys, 2:25 PM – 3:05 PM Fu Manchu, 1:10 PM – 1:45 PM Tigers Jaw, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM |
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Roots Stage Ween, 7:10 PM – 8:40 PM Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo form Ween (QRO live review), which had been one of the more enduring and out there acts out there, with a wide-ranging fan base more typical of jam bands (QRO photos at a jam band festival). They had a jam band-like longevity – twenty-eight years until Freeman had to call it quits in 2012. But you can’t push th’ little Ween without making them come up (QRO photos at a festival), as they’ve reunited this year for a handful of shows, including Riot Fest (QRO photos at a festival). |
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The Specials, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Rivaling genre-founders The Skatalites in importance in ska music is The Specials (QRO photos at a festival). The group took the Jamaican sound and brought it to merry ol’ England in the early eighties, as well as uniting races in their Two-Tone theme & style. From classic unemployment song “Ghost Town” to the anthem of the anti-apartheid movement in England, “Free Nelson Mandela”, The Specials (QRO photos at a U.K. festival) are a very special band. |
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Meat Puppets, 3:10 PM – 3:50 PM ‘The Brothers Meat’, as Kurt Cobain called Curt & Cris Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets (QRO photos outdoors) in the seminal MTV Unplugged session where they sat in with Nirvana (QRO DVD review), have been through major ups & downs, including break-ups & jail time. But the seminal eighties (QRO live review) punk rock act helped birth the ‘cowpunk’ genre, and have kept it up (QRO photos) with post-reunion records like 2009’s Sewn Together (QRO review), 2011’s Lollipop (QRO review), and 2013’s Rat Farm (QRO review). |
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Dan Deacon, 1:50 PM – 2:20 PM One of the acts bringing the wild, DIY element to Riot Fest is Dan Deacon (QRO photos). The Baltimore native (QRO photos outdoors) is a man of many talents, including throwing his own DIY festivals & tours, like 2009’s ‘Round Robin’ tour (QRO live review) with No Age (QRO live review) & Deerhunter (QRO live review). But he’s still best known as an electronic musician, most recently with last year’s Gliss Riffer, 2012’s America (QRO review), and 2009’s Bromst (QRO review), which get wild live (QRO live review), whether with his fifteen-piece backing band (QRO live review) or Deacon standing & playing from in the crowd (QRO photos, outdoors at a festival), like at festivals (QRO photos at a festival). Also: Big D & The Kids Table, 12:35 PM – 1:05 PM |
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Rock Stage NOFX, 8:55 PM – 9:55 PM If you don’t want to be all high-minded and serious at Riot Fest, go the exact opposite direction with NOFX (QRO photos). The ska-punkers have turned cheeky fart jokes into a musical career for decades now (including Riot Fest ’12 & ‘14), most recently on 2012’s Self Entitled and 2009’s Coaster (QRO review) – and right before the release of next month’s First Ditch Effort. |
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Refused, 7:20 PM – 8:20 PM Before Sweden was known for indie-pop and haunting harmonies, it and the rest of Scandinavia trafficked in the harder fare (QRO photos at a festival in Europe), from black metal to the hardcore punk of Refused (QRO photos at a festival in Europe), who come to Riot Fest (QRO photos headlining a festival) behind last year’s Freedom. |
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Pepper, 6:05 PM – 6:50 PM A rare rock group from Hawaii, Pepper (QRO photos) is a Vans Warped Tour regular (QRO photos on Vans Warped Tour), but somehow this is only their first time playing Riot Fest. |
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Enanitos Verdes, 5:00 PM – 5:35 PM Argentina’s Enanitos Verdes have been making music since punk found it’s rock, and now come north of the Equator to Riot Fest. |
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The Anniversary, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM One of the important bands in turn-of-the-millennium emo who never got their due, this year The Anniversary reunite. |
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GWAR, 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM There is no band as unique as GWAR (QRO spotlight on). Somewhere between Motörhead (QRO album review), Tenacious D (QRO photos at Riot ’15), George Romero, KISS (QRO photos), and Gallagher, GWAR combines thrash metal with sci-fi/horror spectacle, including massive costumes & massive amounts of stage gore (QRO photos), plus taking on about every taboo there is for one of the most amazing spectacles out there (QRO live review), including at Riot Fest the last three years (QRO photos at Riot Fest ‘13). The group (QRO live review) survived longtime member Flattus Maximus (Cory Smoot) departing to the intergalactic heavens in 2011, recruiting a new scumdog of the universe from the Maximus clan, putting out Battle Maximus last year – only to lose singer/frontman extraordinaire Oderus Urungus (a.k.a. Dave Brockie – QRO interview) last year. The band could have folded their tent, but instead put on another awesome GWAR-B-Q and returned to Riot Fest (QRO photos at Riot Fest ’14). And now, after another bloody GWAR-B-Q, GWAR (QRO interview) returns to defile Chicago once again (QRO photos at Riot ’15)! |
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Touché Amoré, 1:45 PM – 2:15 PM Post-hardcore outfit Touché Amoré (QRO photos at a festival) come back to Riot Fest on the release day of Stage Four. |
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Diarrhea Planet, 12:45 PM – 1:15 PM Bringing the rock ‘n’ roll to Project Pabst is the awfully-named but great-sounding Diarrhea Planet (QRO mp3 review), off of this year’s Turn To Gold. |
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Radicals Stage Pierce the Veil, 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM From the San Diego punk rock scene came Before Today; from Before Today came the post-hardcore outfit Pierce the Veil (QRO photos), centered around brothers Vic and Mike Fuentes (QRO photos), who play Riot Fest again behind this year’s Misadventures. |
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All Time Low, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Kind of the definition of emo-rock from a certain period in time, from their three-word name to starting covering Green Day & Blink-182, All Time Low (QRO live review) return to Riot Fest (QRO photos at Riot Fest ’13) behind last year’s Future Hearts (QRO review), their follow-up to 2012’s Don’t Panic (QRO review). |
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Glassjaw, 5:45 PM – 6:30 PM One of the founders of the post-hardcore scene was Long Island’s Glassjaw, who return to Riot Fest. |
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Set Your Goals, 4:30 PM – 5:15 PM Hardcore has gotten to the point where there are established acts who are named after songs from even older acts, like Set Your Goals, named for the hit single from CIV. |
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Neck Deep, 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM Welsh pop-punk outfit Neck Deep play Riot Fest after founding guitarist Lloyd Roberts was kicked out last year over allegations of sexual misconduct. |
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Dillinger Escape Plan, 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM New Jersey’s Dillinger Escape Plan (not to be confused with Dillinger Four – QRO photos) have endured numerous line-up changes over the years, but have gotten more & more critical acclaim. Unfortunately, they’ve announced that after they finish touring this year’s Disassociation, they’ve be going on a “indefinite hiatus” – so catch them while you can at Riot Fest (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Also: Citizen, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM – QRO photos at a festival |
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Rise Stage Highly Suspect, 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM Cape Cod rock trio Highly Suspect come to headline Rise Stage behind two Grammy nominations last year. |
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Basement, 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM Ipswich rock outfit Basement broke up in 2012, but reunited only two years later. |
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Off With Their Heads, 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM Minneapolis punk rockers Off With Their Heads (QRO photos at a festival) play Riot Fest for a third time. |
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Also: Somos, 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM Laura Stevenson, 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM – QRO photos at a festival Jule Vera, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM The Far East, 2:30 PM Bad Cop/Bad Cop, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM |
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Rebel Stage 3Teeth, 8:00 PM – 8:30 PM Violent Soho, 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM Turnover, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM Holy White Hounds, 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM Eskimeaux, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Tancred, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM Worriers, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM |
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Sound Stage Dan Deacon, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Citizen, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Sleep On It, 2:45 PM – 3:15 PM |
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th
Riot Stage Morrissey, 8:15 PM – 10:00 PM Headlining the second day of Riot Fest is the one, the only, the Morrissey (QRO live review). The iconic singer (QRO photos) first came to prominence fronting the band of the alt-eighties, The Smiths, before they broke up and he headed out on a storied solo career, most recently with 2014’s World Peace Is None of Your Business (QRO review), his first since 2009’s Years of Refusal (QRO review) and b-sides album Swords (QRO review), not to mention an autobiography and even a (poorly-received) novel. In addition to a penchant for awesome album & song titles, Moz (QRO photos) has kept up his tart tongue and animal rights advocacy, so make sure you’re eating vegan. And hopefully the capable Riot Fest security staff can keep away his too numerous stage-crashers hoping to hug Morrissey (QRO photos). |
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Brand New, 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM Long Island’s Brand New (QRO photos at a festival) were getting bigger & bigger, like with 2009’s Top Ten release, Daisy, but have since announced a sonic shift for the long-awaited follow-up, so who knows what to expect as they come back to Riot Fest (QRO photos at a festival)? |
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Bob Mould, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM Few even at Riot Fest (QRO photos at a festival) have been doing it as long as Bob Mould (QRO live review). From the seminal Hüsker Dü (QRO spotlight on) in the eighties through the nineties’ successful Sugar (QRO deluxe edition review) to his solo work and today’s Bob Mould Band (QRO live review), Mould has been crafting great record after great record, most recently with 2008’s District Line (QRO review), the following year’s Life and Times (QRO review), 2012’s Silver Age (QRO review), 2014’s Beauty & Ruin (QRO review), and this year’s Patch the Sky (QRO review). In 2012 he toured playing Sugar’s amazing Copper Blue (QRO live review) for its twentieth anniversary, but comes back to Riot Fest (QRO photos at Riot ‘13) with his whole impressive discography in tow (QRO live review). |
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Also: Smoking Popes, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM Plague Vendor, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM |
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Roots Stage Death Cab for Cutie, 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM When Pacific Northwest alternative favorite Death Cab for Cutie (QRO photos at a festival) left long-time indie imprint Barsuk for major Label Atlantic in 2005 with Plans, fans thought the sky might be falling. But instead, Death Cab (QRO photos) has released not one, but two of their best records to-date, following up Plans in 2010 with the excellent Narrow Stairs (QRO review), 2011’s Codes and Keys (QRO review), and last year Kintsugi (QRO review). Singer/guitarist Ben Gibbard may have gone from dork to looking like a Cascadian beefcake (QRO photos at a festival) – he was married to Zooey Deschanel of She & Him (QRO live review)/The New Girl (meanwhile, his side project, The Postal Service, went on a reunion tour– QRO photos – behind the tenth anniversary deluxe edition of the one-and-only album, Give Up – QRO deluxe edition review), and guitarist Chris Walla may have left for solo projects (QRO solo album review), with over a decade’s worth of strong material (QRO photos), their well is deep for a wide performance (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Fitz & The Tantrums, 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM While acts like Brooklyn’s Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (QRO live review) revive the soul sound, Los Angeles’ Fitz & The Tantrums (QRO photos) are reinventing it with an indie-pop twist (QRO photos at a festival) – and their own amazing live show (QRO live review), including at festivals (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Motion City Soundtrack, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Catch the synth-led emo-punk of Motion City Soundtrack (QRO live review), who return to Riot Fest (QRO photos at Riot ’14) for the second time in three years. |
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Also: Hippo Campus, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM Night Riots, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM Brick + Mortar, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM |
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Rock Stage Social Distortion, 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM Sometimes, plugging away pays off, even for a punk band. Fullerton’s Social Distortion (QRO photos) started all the way back in 1978, and, other than a year-long break in the eighties due to drug & legal problems, have kept on going (albeit with singer/guitarist Mike Ness as the sole remaining original/twentieth century member – QRO photos). They helped establish both the ‘cowpunk’ sound, and today’s workingman’s punk (QRO photos) – and reached #4 on the Billboard charts in 2011 with eighth record, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, and come back to Riot Fest (QRO photos at a festival) to perform the twentieth anniversary of White Light, White Heat, White Trash. |
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Descendents, 6:05 PM – 7:05 PM Amid the plethora of indie reunions in the twenty-first century, one of the most welcome was that of Los Angeles’ own Descendents (QRO photos at a festival). One of the seminal punk bands of the eighties, singer/research biochemist Milo Aukerman left the group in 1987, with which the rest of the Descendents recruited a new singer and became ALL, but Aukerman returned in 1995. The group went on hiatus again in 2004, but 2010 saw them return, again – so go see where today’s punk is Descended from (QRO photos), as they play Riot Fest for the fourth time in six years (QRO photos at Riot Fest East ‘11). |
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The Hives, 4:50 PM – 5:35 PM ‘The’ garage-rock explosion a decade-plus ago gave a lot of ‘The’ bands, including The White Stripes (QRO live review), The Kills (QRO live review), The Vines (QRO album review), and the most energetic of the bunch – The Hives (QRO spotlight on)! The Swedish outfit (QRO interview) have the kind of explosive & fun live (QRO live review) that Jack White (QRO live review) only wish he could pull off, with maximum call-and-response & frenetic activity (QRO photos) all around the world (QRO photos in Europe), plus top hats & tails (QRO photos). The Hives come to the Chicago (QRO photos at a festival) after releasing single “Blood Red Moon” for their upcoming sixth album, which will be their latest since 2012’s Lex Hives (QRO review). |
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The Hold Steady, 3:20 PM – 4:20 PM Brooklyn’s The Hold Steady (QRO photos at a festival) have reached serious heights with their classic rock and singer/guitarist Craig Finn’s talk-sing storytelling. They’re also incredibly overrated, but certainly have fun outdoors (QRO live review outdoors). They come back to Riot Fest (QRO photos at a festival) behind their sixth full-length, 2014’s Teeth Dreams (QRO review), but are playing classic Boys & Girls In America. |
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The Vandals, 2:10 PM – 2:50 PM Coming out of the same agit-punk eighties L.A. scene as Bad Religion (see below), The Vandals go for the sarcasm & humor such as Hitler Bad, Vandals Good and “Anarchy Burger! Hold the Government!”, which should really be the new Tea Party anthem (note that The Vandals have toured both Iraq and Afghanistan for the troops…). |
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Fucked Up, 1:05 PM – 1:40 PM While Holy Fuck (QRO live review) lost the Polaris Music Prize in 2008, that kind of a name didn’t stop Fucked Up from winning it the following year with Chemistry of Common Life (though it almost derailed the Pool Parties at Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn – QRO photos), and the band followed that up with singles collection Couple Tracks (QRO review) and 2011’s concept rock opus, David Comes to Life. Whether their hardcore music lives up to praise rarely given to hardcore is still up for debate, but what isn’t is how nuts the crowd goes (QRO photos at a festival) for this act out of Toronto (QRO photos outdoors), with singer/frontman Damian Abraham bringing it (QRO live review), shirtless and crazy (QRO photos at a festival). They come to Riot Fest after 2014’s release of Glass Boys. |
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The Toasters, 12:00 PM – 12:35 PM New York Third Wave ska legends The Toasters (QRO photos) – who’ve been skankin’ for literally ever – open up Saturday at Riot Fest. |
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Radicals Stage Nas, 8:45 PM – 9:45 PM One of the most consistently strong rappers for more years than you realize has been Nas (QRO photos at a festival). His 1994 debut Illmatic has been consistently ranked as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and follow-up It Was Written made him internationally famous (as did a ten-year feud with Jay-Z). More recently, he and Damien Marley of reggae fame & family collaborated both on record & live (QRO photos together at a festival), donating all the royalties to African charities, and in 2012 Nas put out his tenth studio album, Life Is Good. Yes it is for Nas (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Method Man & Redman, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM A great, classic pairing is Method Man & Redman. The two East Coast rappers, of Wu-Tang Clan (QRO photos at Riot Fest ‘14) and Def Squad, respectively, have released two team-up records, Blackout! and Blackout! 2, plus starring together in stoner cult classic How High, and even a short-lived FOX sitcom, Method & Red. |
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GZA, 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM Riot Fest is most definitely for hip-hop fans as well, and the fest has picked a strong seller in The GZA (QRO photos at a festival). The Brooklyn native was a founding member of the famed Wu-Tang Clan (QRO photos at Riot Fest ‘14) with his cousin Ol’ Dirty Bastard. He’s subsequently gone on to do acclaimed work both with Wu-Tang and on his own. The Wu recently reunited (QRO photos at a festival), but for Riot Fest GZA comes solo. |
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People Under the Stairs, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM Los Angeles underground hip-hop group People Under the Stairs (QRO photos at a festival), or P.U.T.S., a celebrated outfit compared to the pioneering likes of A Tribe Called Quest and Jurassic 5. |
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Also: Denzel Curry, 2:45 PM – 3:30 PM – QRO photos Dee-1, 1:30 PM – 2:15 PM Donna Missal, 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM |
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Rise Stage I the Mighty, 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM San Francisco alt-punk outfit I the Mighty come to Riot Fest off of last year’s third studio album, Connector. |
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White Lung, 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM Vancouver’s White Lung (QRO photos at a festival) bring some punk rock to Riot Fest (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Also: Death Spells, 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM Partner, 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM The Walters, 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM Microwave, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM High Waisted, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM School of Rock, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM |
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Rebel Stage Deal’s Gone Bad, 8:00 PM – 8:30 PM Chicago’s own Deal’s Gone Bad return to Riot Fest with their unique mix of reggae, rocksteady, ska, and soul. |
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Kitten Forever, 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM Sort of a cross between Karen O and Pussy Riot (QRO photos at Riot Fest ’14) is feminist punk trio Kitten Forever. |
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Also: Blackbox, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM Balance & Composure, 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM – QRO photos Black Foxxes, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM – QRO video review Summer Cannibals, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM NOTS, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM Sleepy Kitty, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM – QRO photos at a festival |
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Sound Stage Smoking Popes, 6:15 PM – 6:45 PM Night Riots, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM Microwave, 1:00 PM – 1:30 PM |
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th
Riot Stage The Original Misfits, 8:45 PM – 10:00 PM Riot Fest is known for three things: classic acts, punk rock, and reunions, but might have outdone itself in all three categories with the one of the greatest class punk reunions ever, The Original Misfits. Formed back in the spirit of ’77 with singer Glenn Danzig, bassist Jerry Only, and later guitarist Doyle Only, they formed the horror-punk sound that has terrified suburban moms worldwide. They disbanded in 1983, with the Only brothers getting the rights to The Misfits name after legal battles with Danzig (who formed his classic self-titled outfit) in the nineties, adding the likes of Black Flag’s Dez Cadena and Ramones’ Marky Ramone. But for Riot Fest ’16, Glenn Danzig returns for one of the can’t-miss performances of 2016. Oh, and on drums? How about Dave Lombardo of Slayer (QRO photos at a festival). Yeah, it’s gonna rock. |
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Deftones, 6:35 PM – 7:35 PM Alternative metal doesn’t come much better than the Deftones (QRO live review). The Sacramento has been act elevating the often-derided style for over two decades now, most recently with 2012’s Koi No Yokan (QRO review) and this year’s Gore. They’re also mainstays on the rock festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival). They (QRO live review) are known for being the rare band that both head-bangers and hipsters like (QRO photos), so come see why (QRO photos at a festival). |
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Bad Religion, 4:45 PM – 5:25 PM Riot Fest has recruited a ton of veteran punk acts, and there might not be a more veteran punk act than Bad Religion (QRO photos outdoors). Born in the eighties punk scene of southern California, Bad Religion’s aggressive yet intellectual, and socially minded, punk has inspired/influenced so many bands that those bands are even influencing new acts today. While they peaked commercially in the early nineties with Recipe For Hate and Stranger Than Fiction, guitarist Brett Gurewitz’s 1994 departure only lasted until 2001, and even if they’ve basically been making the same record for years now (most recently 2013’s True North), it’s a good record, with singer Greg Graffin’s literate lyrics still on target. Oh, and they founded Epitaph Records, which has been home to big names like Alkaline Trio (QRO album review) and even Weezer (QRO photos at Riot ‘14). They play Riot Fest for a second time (QRO photos at Riot ’13). |
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Also: Tiger Army, 3:15 PM – 3:55 PM Leftöver Crack, 1:45 PM – 2:25 PM Swingin’ Utters, 12:35 PM – 1:05 PM |
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Roots Stage Rob Zombie, 7:40 PM – 8:40 PM Before the nightmares that will be induced by the horror-punk Original Misfits reunion (see above), get your Zombie on thanks to another horror-rock icon, Rob Zombie (QRO live review). Recent years has seen Mr. Zombie spending more time making horror films than horror music, but there was 2013’s Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (QRO review) and this year’s The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (QRO review), and for Riot Fest he plays White Zombie’s last record, 1995’s Astro-Creep 2000. |
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Underøath, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Of course a Christian hardcore band would have a name like “Underøath”. They broke up in 2013, but rose again last year. |
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Thursday, 4:00 PM – 4:40 PM New Brunswick’s Thursday defined the post-hardcore sound of the twenty-first century before hiatus/break-up, but after frontman Geoff Rickly ended the financial backing for his label Collect Records from pharmaceutical price-gouger/most hated man in America Martin Shkreli, they thankfully reunited this year (QRO photos at a festival this year). |
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Dee Snider, 2:30 PM – 3:10 PM Frontman for iconic eighties hair metal act Twisted Sister, Dee Snider has done everything from testify in Congress (against a mandatory parental advisory on music, together with the likes of John Denver and Frank Zappa) to his own radio show, narrating numerous pieces in film and television, appearing on Kitchen Nightmares & Celebrity Apprentice, and more. He’s even done Broadway, in 2012’s Dee Does Broadway. |
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The Falcon, 1:10 PM – 1:40 PM Members of Alkaline Trio, The Lawrence Arms, Rise Against, Slapstick and more have formed punk supergroup The Falcon. |
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The Bronx, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM Last few years, certain hardcore bands have been breaking into the indie-mainstream, such as Canada’s Fucked Up (see above) and Los Angeles’ own The Bronx (other than Chicago & Boston, are any bands named after their own hometowns?…). Not that The Bronx (QRO photos at a festival) are your run-of-the-mill hardcore act – see their Latin alter ego, Mariachi El Bronx (QRO photos at a festival), who played Riot Fest last year (QRO photos of Mariachi El Bronx at Riot Fest ’15). |
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Rock Stage Sleater-Kinney, 7:40 PM – 8:40 PM One of the bands that defined the Riot Grrrl alt-rock feminist movement of the nineties (alongside the likes of Babes In Toyland – QRO photos at Riot ‘15 – and Kathleen Hanna, now of The Julie Ruin – see below), Sleater-Kinney (QRO live review) reunited last year behind new album No Cities To Love (QRO review), and are as vital as ever. |
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Jake Bugg, 6:15 PM – 7:00 PM Catch the latest overnight Brit sensation, young folkster Jake Bugg (QRO photos at a festival), who hit number one in his native land with his self-titled debut (QRO review) – those his nasal voice and less-than-impressive alt-country seems way overhyped… |
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The Julie Ruin, 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM An original Riot Grrrl, Kathleen Hanna (who’s married to Beastie Boys’ Ad-Rock – who knew?), is back, as the Bikini Kill star fronts The Julie Ruin (QRO live review). They play Riot Fest in the wake of this summer’s sophomore release, Hit Reset. |
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Chevy Metal, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Foo Fighters (QRO album review) drummer Taylor Hawkins fronts his own cover band, Chevy Metal (now with Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett), who play lesser-known tracks by big rock bands. |
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Juliette Lewis & The Licks, 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM Actress Juliette Lewis (From Dusk till Dawn, Natural Born Killers, Cape Fear) formed her own rock group, Juliette Lewis & The Licks, a decade ago, and then broke it up to get back to her acting work. But this year she’s been rocking again, so catch this celebrity side-project at Riot Fest. |
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Also: Frnkiero & the Patience, 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM Bleached, 12:15 PM – 12:45 PM – QRO photos at a festival |
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Radicals Stage Death Grips, 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM Alt-hip-hop has grown into experimental hip-hop, the next big thing in outfits like Sacramento’s Death Grips (QRO photos at a festival) – who also have a wild stage show more akin to Odd Future (QRO live review). But the big question is whether they’ll even show, as they’re notorious for canceling shows (sometimes without notice), like in 2013 at Lollapalooza (including an after-party, which caused a riot), Osheaga (QRO recap), and FYF Fest – but since breaking up and reuniting, they’ve actually been playing shows… |
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Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM If you’re gonna have a cover band at Riot Fest, this is how you should have a cover band at Riot Fest: make it a punk supergroup with members from Foo Fighters, NOFX (see above), Swingin’ Utters (see above), No Use for a Name, and more, i.e. Me First & The Gimme Gimmes (QRO photos), who play the festival for the second time in three years. |
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Joey Bada$$, 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM Bed-Stuy bred Pro Era collective member Joey Bada$$ (QRO photos at a festival) represents after last year’s debut studio album, B4.DA.$$ – and appearing this summer in Mr. Robot. |
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The Wonder Years, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM The Wonder Years (QRO photos at a festival) mix pop-punk with melodic hardcore, and are no strangers to festivals (QRO photos at a festival), like Riot Fest ’13. |
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Andrew W.K., 2:50 PM – 3:30 PM No artist in this millennium has done as many different things, worked with as many different people, while staying true to who he is, than Andrew W.K. (QRO photos). He started as a party-rock impresario with 2001’s I Get Wet and “Party Hard”, but has since built a wide list of accomplishments, from founding his own NYC venue, Santos Party House (QRO venue review), to doing self-help & motivational speaking, his own MTV series (and guest-appearing on Adult Swim’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force), playing with a classical string quartet (QRO photos), hosting the World Snowboarding Championship in Oslo in 2012 (QRO kick-off review), founding the ‘Party Party’, and even bringing I Get Wet back for its tenth anniversary (QRO live review of I Get Wet show). The hard-partying, hard-working man comes to Riot Fest for his fifth year in a row (QRO photos at Riot ‘15) on his latest tour (QRO live review). |
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Also: Billy Talent, 1:40 PM – 2:20 PM Pouya, 12:50 PM – 1:20 PM Tasha the Amazon, 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM |
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Rise Stage Syd Arthur, 8:30 PM – 9:00 PM The Wans, 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM – QRO photos at a festival Creeper, 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM The Gallow Walkers, 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM Can’t Swim, 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM A Will Away, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM With Our Arms To the Sun, 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM School of Rock, 1:30 PM – 2:00 PM |
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Rebel Stage The So So Glos, 8:00 PM – 8:30 PM Headlining the final day of Rebel Stage is the kick-ass punk rock of The So So Glos (QRO album review). |
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Also: The Dirty Nil, 7:00 PM – 7:30 PM Hard Girls, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM Marina City, 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM War On Women, 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM BIG UPS, 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM – QRO photos at a festival All Dogs, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM |
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Sound Stage Andrew W.K., 6:00 PM – 6:430 PM Frank Iero & The Patience, 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM The Walters, 2:20 PM – 2:50 PM |
For festival website, go here: http://riotfest.org/
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