Remember That Time We Went To Riot Fest? (Photos)
Remember that time we went to Riot Fest? We do. That was almost a month ago, and with all the things that can happen in a month, that actually was how long it took to wrap our heads around exactly what went down in Chicago’s Douglas Park. Instead of boring you with all the intricacies that make up this diverse (and really freakin’ fun) festival, let’s just get into the meat and potatoes:
Rain, Rain, Go Away: It seems that rain is a tradition at Riot Fest. It almost always rains, and this year was no different. At least mother nature got the slight drizzle out of the way early and bestowed upon the masses what turned out to be a weekend of stellar early fall weather in Chicago.
We Love You, Wayne: The Flaming Lips never disappoint. Ever. Wayne Coyne is a wonderful conductor for any evening. He rode a wookie. He conjured a rainbow. He got in a giant inflatable hamster ball and walked on the crowd while he sang David Bowie. Fuck Yeah, Riot Fest. Fuck Yeah.
That’s So Morrissey: Morrissey. What can you really say about Morrissey? There was a 50/50 shot he would even show up for his Saturday night headlining slot. Well, he showed up. He made the food vendors stop serving and preparing meat from 8-10 pm. He played Ramones videos and softcore porn for a good 45 minutes, and he finally took the stage at the same time as Nas, effectively making people choose between the hip-hop virtuoso and Morrissey. For those who stuck around, they got a great performance. But let’s be honest, here. Part of the draw of Morrissey is his diva streak. It wouldn’t be the same without it.
Misfits Actually Made It: It was a rocky road to Riot Fest for Misfits. After announcing that the original lineup of Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (joined by Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo) would reunite for the festival, it seems it took everything they had to not break up (again) before they got there and that now they have fulfilled that obligation are done for good. They hadn’t shared a stage in 33 years, so, for new and old fans alike, seeing such iconic musicians was a real treat.
Hello. Goodbye: Misfits weren’t the only ones to get back together that weekend. We also got a REALLY enthusiastic set from Thursday. They had just recently reunited after five years. We also got a rare performance from riot grrrl badasses Sleater-Kinney. They have been around for over 15 years, and it’s great to see those ladies still rocking. But there were also a lot of goobyes on the horizon. We got the second-to-last performance from alt-rock darlings The Motion City Soundtrack. Brand New has been threatening a break up for most of the year. It was also probably one of the last times we will be seeing Jimmy Eat World all together. Rob Zombie and Dee Snyder continue to rock, but for how much longer? You can’t beat a stacked lineup like this, especially with so many rare opportunities to see legends.
There was so much more to Riot Fest, but all we can really say is that you will have to check out this wonderful freak show for yourself next year. It’s guaranteed to be good. In the meantime, check out the photos from our own Mandi Nulph and Josh Ladouceur!
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