Here’s Why Riot Fest Chicago Ruled In 2016: Misfits Reunion & More (FESTIVAL REVIEW)

Riot Fest, also known as Riot Fest and Carnival, is a multi-day music festival started in Chicago over a decade ago. Specializing in punk, metal, indie, alternative, hip-hop and good old rock and roll, the music event has grown tremendously over the last several years. Originating as a weekend festival that spanned across multiple venues in Chicago, to taking over an outdoor site and introducing its Carnival atmosphere, to expanding to shows in Toronto and Denver, Riot Fest has flourished, becoming known for huge band reunions, bringing back old favorites and shining the spotlight on new up-and-comers. Though not as well-known as other festivals like Bonnaroo, Coachella, and fellow Chicagoan Lollapalooza, Riot Fest has proven over the years that it is a force to be reckoned with on the music scene and is able to produce top name talent while never feeling out of touch with its roots. This year was definitely the biggest and best event yet, as anyone there can attest to, but for those that weren’t able to go, here’s a rundown of why Riot Fest is one of the brightest shining lights on the music scene and why any fan should make it their mission to attend.

Atmosphere: When a welcoming vibe, a fantastic musical lineup, killer fans, ideal weather, and a beautiful city all come together, there is bound to be a good foundation for a positive atmosphere. Every aspect of the weekend seemed to focus on inclusivity and making you feel like you were part of something. This wasn’t just a fan experience either, as many of the bands on stage made similar comments. Even walking the surrounding neighborhood streets, in one of the tougher areas of Chicago, felt welcoming as residents came out selling traditional street food. Hellos and friendly waves from people out watching the hordes of attendees helped you to see that this city is more than what media coverage offers up. Delicious food trucks of every styling, a Ferris Wheel, Freak Show, six stages, over 120 bands, thousands of fans, warm days and cooler nights, and a beautiful welcoming city all culminated for a near perfect musical experience.

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Music: Wild and varied, Riot Fest brings together bands and musicians of every ilk. Previously seen as just a punk festival, the fest has truly grown to an all-encompassing music bonanza where any music lover would be hard pressed to not find an act they love. With an increased focus on diversity and inclusion, Riot Fest is offering up a true musical experience with something for everyone. Whether you liked punk, metal, hip-hop, or good old fashioned rock, there were musicians there for you new and old.

Headliners: Despite having dozens of bands playing every day, Riot Fest really knows how to cap off a night, and this year they spared no expense at making sure each day left you inspired. The Flaming Lips brought confetti, giant balloons, and giant curtains of light to put on a surreal dreamlike experience. Morrissey showed up. I’m not saying this to be a jerk, this is literally a huge deal. Sure he might have made all vendors stop serving meat for the duration of his set and he might have started 20 mins late to allow for an insane intro video, but it’s still fucking Morrissey and when he was on stage the crowd was at attention. Then of course, the set no one ever thought they’d see again, the original Misfits back on stage performing together to possibly the largest single gathering I’ve ever seen for a festival headliner. Douglas Park was buzzing with energy through the lead-up and it was like an atom bomb went off when that curtain dropped. People came in from all over the world for one act on this night and it was amazing. Almost 40 years of history and over 30 years of fandom’s anticipation for a reunion epitomized everything Riot Fest should be. Sure, you’ll hear critics laugh at Danzig catching his breath between songs, or claiming things were uneven and poorly paced (I’d disagree with this), but to the fans, the only people that really matter, this was the culmination of lifelong dreams and The Misfits were up to the challenge.

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Bands: Here are the standouts that made a particularly strong impact on this writer…

Julian Marley: Playing his father’s album Exodus in its entirety is a huge task to take on, but Julian blew the crowd away. You could easily close your eyes and imagine it being Bob’s voice you were hearing. Another thing that made this set stand out was the addition of blues guitar riffs to the reggae sound that added a musical legitimacy and difficulty to the performance to quiet those that may find reggae as too simplistic of a sound.

Off With Their Heads: “We don’t practice. We don’t have a setlist. But we do fuckin’ party.” With a bottle of Jim Beam in his hand and a growl in his voice, I don’t think there is a better way to sum up the experience of seeing Off With Their Heads live than that quote from lead singer Ryan Young. Loud, in your face barroom punk at its best.

Refused: Eighteen years removed from the seminal The Shape of Punk to Come, Refused proved with their performance that they are still every bit as raucous as we remembered them. With their unique combination of Swedish metal and punk aesthetics, Refused put on a blistering performance as the sun set on the first day of Riot Fest.

Plague Vendor: It can’t be easy for a band to have an early set at festivals. The crowds are just filling in so fans are sparse at stages, but Plague Vendor wouldn’t have any of that. Lead singer Brandon Blaine, channeling a combination of Iggy Pop and Ian Curtis, put on a performance any front man would be envious of, and the band itself performed one of the best sets of the entire fest. The perfect way to start off day 2.

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The Vandals: Pop punk legends The Vandals aren’t letting age slow them by any means. Their blend of comedy and punk was more than enough to get the Saturday crowd roaring to life while the band themselves were as energetic as ever. Guitarist Warren Fitzgerald’s onstage antics are never to be missed, and his vocal performance of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” was both jaw-dropping and hilarious.

Nas: I’ve always understood the importance of Nas as an artist and liked the songs I’ve heard, but I’ve found myself intimidated to jump into such a prolific artist’s catalog. That said, his performance to close out Saturday night easily stole the show from Morrissey who was playing opposite. Raw and passionate, it was everything I love about music and from the crowd he amassed. I wasn’t the only one feeling his performance, and I won’t be sleeping on him anymore.

The Falcon: The band compiled of Dave Hause (guitar), Dan Andriano (Bass), Neil Hennessey (Drums), and Brendan Kelly (guitar and vocals), is basically a Chicago punk super-group (I’ll make Hause an honorary Chicagoan). Solid punk music played loud and fast with Kelly dropping one liners between sets, these guys were a pure joy to watch as the fun they were having carried over to the crowd.

Chevy Metal: Have you ever wanted to see the Foo Fighters, minus Dave Grohl, as a 70’s hard rock cover band? Well I’m here to say you do. Tearing through covers of Motley Crue, Faces, David Bowie, The Kinks, Van Halen, Mountain, and Queen with guest vocals by Juliette Lewis and Dee Snider, this was one of the most fun and enjoyable sets I experienced of the weekend.

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The Misfits: The Misfits reunion lived up to everything I had hoped for. It was the ultimate climax of the weekend as thousands upon thousands of attendees joined along singing their favorite songs into the cooling night air. The band seemed as one, with differences set aside, as that will be a performance that may never be repeated again. They’re getting older. We’re getting older. But aside from panting to catch your breath between songs, we were all decades younger living a rock and roll dream.

Fans: If there was an award for best fans at a festival, Riot Fest would surely be nominated. Usually festivals feel like they are geared towards the casual fans that are more interested in saying they were there than listening to the music. Sure they may know some of the acts, but the passion for the music isn’t there. Riot Fest on the other hand feels like it is of the people and by the people. When looking at the lineups, these aren’t acts that are combined because they are flash in the pan cultural blips, these are bands with history that bring with them loyal fans that in many cases have been following the bands for decades. Because of this, there’s an element of respect that is often lacking at music festivals. Young or old, longtime fan or curious friend, everyone feels welcomed without fear of judgement. Get in the crowd, sing along, and participate in the festivities. Riot Fest is able to offer a camaraderie that sets itself apart. Like the old mosh pit mentality of “if you see someone fall, you pick them up,” Riot Fest offers that same safety net. Whether feeling insecure, branded an outcast, or maybe just partied a little too hard, it feels like though surrounded by strangers, you are with your people and they won’t let you fall.

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Opportunity: Riot Fest puts together a bill that not only highlights current acts, but also brings back bands that have been in the shadows for years while highlighting ones that are still pushing for their chance to shine. It reunites huge acts that no one ever thought would resolve their issues; it allows fans to spend a weekend seeing bands that span decades of influence; it offers a safe environment and the ability to be around like-minded individuals; it offers a weekend to escape the bullshit we experience every day and just bask in some fun for a while.

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