Riot Fest

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Riot Fest
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Years active2005–present
Founded byMike Petryshyn & Sean McKeough
Websiteriotfest.org

Riot Fest is an annual three-day punk rock music festival based in

Chicago, Illinois, at Douglass Park.[1] It is known for booking reunions, guest performances, and full album performances.[2] Riot Fest remains one of the largest independently owned music festivals in the United States.[3]

History

Riot Fest was established in Chicago in 2005 by Mike Petryshyn and Sean McKeough, the latter who also co-produced Chicago's Motoblot annual motorcycle rally.[4] Riot Fest spent seven years as a multi-venue festival, using the Metro, Subterranean, Double Door, Cobra Lounge and the Congress Theater to present bands over a three-day weekend, such as Social Distortion, Danzig, Cock Sparrer, Weezer, Alkaline Trio, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bad Brains, the Dead Milkmen, Fun., the Lawrence Arms, Bad Religion, the Murder City Devils, Butthole Surfers, the Suicide Machines, and more.

Punk, rock, indie rock, alternative, psychobilly, metal, skate punk and ska are represented at Riot Fest along with reunion sets from Naked Raygun, Wax, Blue Meanies, Articles of Faith, Plow United, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Chiodos, Misfits, Jawbreaker and the Replacements.

In 2012, Riot Fest moved from various venues around the city to an outdoor venue at Chicago's Humboldt Park and was marketed as Riot Fest & Carnival, with rides, games, wrestling, and food vendors. 2012 also saw the festival expand through North America with events staged in Brooklyn, Toronto, Dallas, and Denver soon after. Since the death of McKeough in 2016, Riot Fest has remained a once-a-year event in Chicago.[5]

The festival played a key role in the reunions of Naked Raygun, The Replacements in 2013, the Misfits in 2016, and Jawbreaker in 2017, among others.[6]

2012

The festival consisted of two days of music at Humboldt Park on Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16 and a Friday night kickoff at the Congress Theater. The lineup for Riot Fest in 2012 included:

Friday, September 14: The Offspring, Neon Trees, Pegboy, Dead Sara

Saturday, September 15:

Droids Attack
, Environmental Encroachment

Sunday, September 16:

the Infected
, Battle Royal Winner, Environmental Encroachment

2013

Riot Fest & Carnival returned to Humboldt Park in Chicago in 2013 and included satellite festivals in Toronto (August 24–25) and Denver (September 21–22).[7] The 2013 festival was noted for being the first performance by reunited punk legends the Replacements and notably the first performance by the band in Chicago since their very public breakup onstage at the Taste of Chicago in 1991.[8] The 2013 Chicago lineup included:

Friday, September 13: Fall Out Boy, Sublime with Rome, Danzig with Doyle, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Bad Religion, Atmosphere, Yellowcard, Screeching Weasel, Andrew W.K., Gwar, Hatebreed, Smoking Popes, Dessa, Saul Williams, the Flatliners, Masked Intruder, Flatfoot 56, Environmental Encroachment

Saturday, September 14:

, Environmental Encroachment

Sunday, September 15:

, Environmental Encroachment

2014

In September 2014 Riot Festival & Carnival returned to Humboldt Park for the last time. Roberto Maldonado, who had been a supporter of Riot Fest in the past, stated he would not have the fest back for 2015. This was due to damages to the park after heavy rain during the festival. The repairs cost $150,000.[9]

Riot Fest 2014 included the inaugural "Riot Fest Speaks" panel, moderated by

Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina, Bad Religion vocalist and UCLA professor Greg Graffin, Rise Against vocalist Tim McIlrath, writer/activist Marcelle Karp
, and Riot Fest founder Michael Petryshyn. In addition, 2014 saw the return of Riot Fest in Denver and Toronto.

The 2014 Chicago lineup included:

Friday, September 12: Jane's Addiction (performing Nothing's Shocking), Rise Against, Slayer (performing Reign in Blood), the Offspring (performing Smash), NOFX (performing Punk in Drublic), Gogol Bordello, Of Mice & Men, Mastodon, the Murder City Devils, Failure, Circa Survive, Clutch, GWAR, Stiff Little Fingers, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, We Came as Romans, Senses Fail (performing Let It Enfold You), All, Title Fight, Emarosa, Pity Sex, From Indian Lakes, the Hotelier, Radkey, Pianos Become the Teeth, Red City Radio, Baby Baby, Wounds, Plague Vendor, Somos, ¡Vamos!

Saturday, September 13: the National, the Flaming Lips, Wu-Tang Clan, Samhain (performing Initium), Descendents (performing Milo Goes to College), Metric, Taking Back Sunday, Die Antwoord, City and Colour, Paul Weller, the Used, the Afghan Whigs, Cock Sparrer, Dashboard Confessional, Television, Saosin, Say Anything, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Tokyo Police Club, the Dandy Warhols, the Get Up Kids (performing Something to Write Home About), Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Streetlight Manifesto, Buzzcocks, Face to Face, Wavves, the Orwells, Rx Bandits, Samiam, 7 Seconds, Anti-Flag, FrnkIero and the Cellabration, Citizen, the World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, Lemuria, the Pizza Underground, Nostalghia, Skaters, the Unlikely Candidates, Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas, the Bots, Broncho, the American Scene, Restorations, the Picturebooks, Rose's Pawn Shop, the Crombies, Ex Friends, Daniel Wade, Buffalo Rodeo

Sunday, September 14:

Pup, Dads, ShowYouSuck, Lucki Eck$, My Gold Mask, Tiny Moving Parts, Team Spirit, Survay Says!, Chumped, Archie Powell & the Exports, Netherfriends, Mutts
, the Grizzled Mighty

2015

Conflicts over the condition of the grass and negative effects on the

Boricua community, including gentrification of Humboldt Park and lack of financial benefits to the residents of the area led to the festival being moved to Douglas Park.[10] After settling on the new location, Saint Anthony Hospital filed a lawsuit against Riot Fest on September 4, arguing that the festival would be detrimental to their patients' health because of the "extreme noise" and the heavy traffic that would surround the hospital.[11] The two sides reached an agreement which included "restoring parking on 19th Street in front of Saint Anthony Hospital, building pedestrian barricades on the west side of California Avenue and sound monitoring within the hospital to protect patients."[12]

The 2015 Chicago lineup included:

Friday, September 11:

Saturday, September 12:

, Pears, Clowns

Saturday also saw the return of the "Riot Fest Speaks" panel series, once again moderated by Henry Rollins. The panel featured Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin of the West Memphis Three, discussing their history and the contribution of music activism to their release from prison. They were joined for the panel by Thurston Moore and former Crass vocalist Steve Ignorant.

Sunday, September 13:

the White Buffalo, Black-Am-I, Skip Marley, Knuckle Puck, Jazz Cartier, Have Mercy, Superheaven, Foxing, Beach Slang, Cayetana, Blis, Northern Faces, Souvenirs, Skating Polly, Signals Midwest, Modern Chemistry, Tashsa the Amazon, Foxtrott
, Twin River, Indian School

Sunday also featured an additional "Riot Fest Speaks" panel, entitled Basement Screams, on Chicago's independent and punk scenes. The panel was moderated by Metro Chicago owner/founder Joe Shanahan and included Rise Against bassist Joe Principe, Naked Raygun lead vocalist Jeff Pezzati, the Lawrence Arms bassist/vocalist Brendan Kelly, Bloodshot Records founder Nan Warshaw, the Bollweevils vocalist Daryl Wilson, and Oz owner Dem Hopkins. Sunday also included a performance by "punk poet" John Cooper Clarke and a surprise side stage performance from Taking Back Sunday

2016

On May 12, 2016, it was announced that after 33 years, the Misfits lineup of Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein would reunite and headline the Riot Fest in Chicago and Denver in September 2016.[13]

The Chicago lineup included:

Friday, September 16:

Eskimeaux, the Far East, Bad Cop/Bad Cop, Stellar West

Saturday, September 17: Morrissey, Death Cab for Cutie, Social Distortion (performing White Light, White Heat, White Trash), Nas, Brand New, Fitz and the Tantrums, Descendents, Motion City Soundtrack, the Hives, Bob Mould, the Hold Steady (performing Boys and Girls in America), Method Man & Redman, GZA, Smoking Popes, the Vandals, Fucked Up, I the Mighty, the Toasters, Hippo Campus, Balance and Composure, People Under the Stairs, White Lung, Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas, Dee-1, Brick + Mortar, Night Riots, Plague Vendor, Microwave, Death Spells, Deal's Gone Bad, Black Foxxes, the Walters, Nots, Donna Missal, Tasha the Amazon, Blackbox, High Waisted, Summer Cannibals, Partner, Kitten Forever, Sleepy Kitty, School of Rock

Sunday, September 18:

Bleached, Creeper, Tancred, Marina City, Syd Arthur, the Dirty Nil, the So So Glos, Big Ups, All Dogs, War on Women, Hard Girls, A Will Away, Can't Swim, With Our Arms to the Sun, the Gallow Walkers, School of Rock

2017

On March 17, 2017, Riot Fest announced that the festival would not return to Denver, citing the death of co-founder Sean Mckeough the previous November as making it impossible to focus on more than one event in 2017. Despite this, the festival has expressed interest in eventually returning to Denver. In April 2017, it was announced that Jawbreaker was reuniting after 21 years and playing Riot Fest 2017.

The Chicago lineup included:

Friday, September 15:

, Warm Brew, and Hdbeendope

Saturday, September 16:

, Cold Beat, Turnspit, and Gin Rummy

Sunday, September 17: Jawbreaker, Paramore, Prophets of Rage, M.I.A., TV on the Radio, Dinosaur Jr. (performing You're Living All Over Me), Pennywise, Built to Spill (performing Keep It Like a Secret), the Mighty Mighty Bosstones (performing Let's Face It), the Orwells, Best Coast, Cap'n Jazz, Minus the Bear, Say Anything, the Menzingers, GWAR, Hot Water Music, Real Friends, Andrew W.K., Beach Slang, that dog. (performing Retreat from the Sun), Mad Caddies, the Flatliners, Dessa, the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, Engine 88, Downtown Boys, Culture Abuse, Gazebos, Kitten Forever, and Upset

2018

Riot Fest was again held in Douglas Park in Chicago, September 14–16. Behind the scenes issues led to the finalized lineup and schedule not being released until the week before the fest,[14] leading many to assume the 2018 version would be the third iteration to be canceled.[15][16][17] Blink-182 was originally set to headline the first night but dropped out after drummer Travis Barker was hospitalized for blood clots in his arms. The band was replaced with Weezer and Run the Jewels, and would ultimately be booked the next year.

The lineup included

Friday, September 14: Weezer, Taking Back Sunday, Young the Giant, Dropkick Murphys, Bleachers, Atmosphere, Flogging Molly, Cypress Hill (performing Black Sunday), Matt and Kim, Sum 41, the Front Bottoms, K.Flay, Digable Planets (performing Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)), Liz Phair, Lagwagon (performing Let's Talk About Feelings), Pussy Riot, the Aquabats, Hobo Johnson & the Lovemakers, Face to Face, Arkells, Flor, Speedy Ortiz, Fever 333, Direct Hit!, the Bombpops, Archie Powell & the Exports, Typesetter, Blood People

Saturday, September 15: Beck, Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Interpol, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Jesus Lizard, the Voidz, Twin Peaks, Cat Power, Gary Numan, Killing Joke, Wolfmother, Reignwolf, Andrew W.K., GWAR, Conflict, Piebald, Adolescents, Cobra Skulls, HEALTH, the Frights, the Districts, Bully, Street Dogs, Lower Class Brats, Total Chaos, Mannequin Pussy, Badflower, Beach Bunny

Sunday, September 16: Run the Jewels, Incubus, Blondie, Alkaline Trio, Father John Misty, Bad Religion (performing Suffer), UnderØath, Suicidal Tendencies (performing Suicidal Tendencies), Bullet for My Valentine, Clutch, the Wonder Years, SWMRS, Johnny Marr, Superchunk, JD McPherson, Fear (performing The Record), the Bouncing Souls, Dillinger Four, Avengers, Calpurnia, Kevin Devine, the Audition, Spitalfield (performing Remember Right Now), the Dangerous Summer, Mom Jeans., Beach Rats, pronoun, Beach Goons, Just Friends, Save Face, Super Whatevr, No Small Children

2019

Douglas Park, Chicago, Illinois, September 13–15, 2019. This year marked the 15th anniversary of the festival.

Friday, September 13:

I Don't Know How But They Found Me, Caroline Rose, Mat Kerekes, Angel Dust, The Garden, Pkew pkew pkew, Pink Fly, No Parents, Thin Lips, Yours Truly
, Can't Swim

Saturday, September 14:

, Elder Brother, Monarchy Over Monday

Sunday, September 15:

, Ultra Q, Kali Masi, Ganser, Ramona

2021

Riot Fest was held in Douglass Park, Chicago, Illinois, on September 17–19 with a preview party on the 16th.

My Chemical Romance was initially announced in January 2020 as the headliner for Riot Fest 2020.[18] The event was then postponed in June 2020 due to COVID-19.[19]

On April 16, 2021, My Chemical Romance announced the postponement of all shows until 2022. In response, Riot Fest confirmed the 2021 edition of the festival was still happening and shared a letter from founder Mike Petryshyn stating their intent to announce new headliners and a complete lineup in May 2021.[19]

On August 19, 2021, Nine Inch Nails announced the cancellation of their 2021 dates. In response, Riot Fest booked Slipknot as a new headliner, and added a special 'preview party' on the 16th with Morrissey.[20] Later, the Pixies also canceled their 2021 tour dates, with which on September 2, Riot Fest added The Flaming Lips on Sunday with Slipknot, and on the 16th added Alkaline Trio, Patti Smith, Joyce Manor and more.[21] Around the same time, Dinosaur Jr. also canceled their dates until November, with Riot Fest adding Pinegrove soon after.

On September 14, both Faith No More and Mr. Bungle also announced the cancellation of each band's fall 2021 dates, including Riot Fest, citing vocalist Mike Patton's ongoing mental health issues. Riot Fest organizers booked Rise Against and Anthrax as replacements for both bands.[22]

Thursday, September 16 (Preview Party): Morrissey, Alkaline Trio, Patti Smith and Her Band, Joyce Manor (performing S/T), WDRL, Kristeen Young

Friday, September 17:

Envy On the Coast, the Sounds, Amigo the Devil, Eyedress, Beach Goons, Meet Me at the Altar, Seratones, Radkey, Kississippi, Jackie Hayes, Oxymorrons
, Girl Puppy, Senor Kino

Saturday, September 18:

, The Orphan the Poet, Bearings, Spider, Devon Kay & The Solutions

Sunday, September 19:

, Gymshorts, The Weak Days, Airstream Futures

2022

Riot Fest was held in Douglass Park, Chicago, Illinois, on Friday, September 16 – Sunday, September 18.

The festival's 2022 lineup was announced on May 11.[23] Placebo was initially announced to be playing on Friday, September 16, but had to withdraw from the festival when their planned North American tour was postponed due to visa and logistical issues.[24] Bauhaus was scheduled to play on Saturday, September 17, but canceled their planned 2022 tour when lead singer Peter Murphy entered rehab.[25] Placebo and Bauhaus were replaced in the lineup by Sparta and Gogol Bordello, respectively.[26]

Friday, September 16:

Boston Manor, Sincere Engineer, Pale Waves, Cloud Nothings, LS Dunes, carolesdaughter, Destroy Boys, AViVa, Bob Vylan, Holy Fawn, Algiers, Wargasm (UK)
, Cliffdiver, Sitting On Stacy

Saturday, September 17:

Sunday, September 18: Nine Inch Nails, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ice Cube, Sleater-Kinney, Jimmy Eat World, The Academy Is..., Action Bronson, Lunachicks, The Maine, Midtown, PVRIS, Jawbox, Less Than Jake, Alice Glass, Coolio, The Linda Lindas, Poliça, Zola Jesus, Mom Jeans., Real Friends, The Juliana Theory, Josh A, renforshort, Joey Valence & Brae, Weathers, Kid Sistr, Save Face, The Bombpops, Treaty of Paris, Concrete Castles, Chastity, Reece Young, Moon Kissed, Night Spice, DJ Livia

2023

It was announced on May 15, 2023 that Riot Fest would be returning to Douglass Park September 15–17.[27] The lineup was announced on May 17.[28] On Sunday, rainy conditions led to the festival's start time being delayed until 2:00 PM and the cancellation of all early sets scheduled for that day.

Friday, September 15:

Quicksand (performing Slip), The Wrecks, Hawthorne Heights, Braid (performing Frame & Canvas), Yard Act, Screaming Females, Sludgeworth, Quasi, Origami Angel, Just Friends, Oso Oso, Bearings, Pinkshift, Olivia Jean, Calva Louise, The Aquadolls, Fea, The Bobby Lees
, Young Culture

Saturday, September 16:

United By Fate), Corey Feldman, Enola Gay, Taylor Acorn, Pool Kids, 1300cadoe, Total Chaos

Sunday, September 17: The Cure, The Mars Volta, The Gaslight Anthem, AFI, The Used, The Dresden Dolls, Flogging Molly, Finch, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, L.S. Dunes, Gorilla Biscuits (performing Start Today), Ride, Cults, Balance and Composure, Thursday, H2O, The Bronx, Microwave, The Black Angels, Nothing, Smoking Popes, Free Throw, Just Mustard, Hotline TNT, Earth Crisis, Empire State Bastard, Fleshwater, Fade 'em All, Future Nobodies, Through N Through

Cancellations

Three instances of Riot Fest have been canceled over the course of the festival's run.

The first came in 2009 in the form of Riot Fest West, originally set to happen in November 2009 and postponed in September. The fest initially vowed to make up the dates in spring 2010 but the replacement fest did not materialize.[29]

The second cancellation came in 2012 when Riot Fest East in Philadelphia was again postponed, this time one week before the show's planned July 19 start date. Though a reschedule was initially promised a follow-up never emerged.[30]

The third cancellation came in 2020 when concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic made the festival's cancellation inevitable. Organizers have called this a postponement, as a significant part of the 2020 lineup played in the 2021 festival.[31]

Though not an outright cancellation, Riot Fest Brooklyn in 2012 was shut down early due to weather concerns.[32]

Controversy

In 2023, residents of the Douglas Park neighborhood where Riot Fest had been held since 2015 protested the festival's plans to continue operating there.[33] Discussions deteriorated into yelling at a community event between neighborhood residents and festival organizers, as community members complained that the music fest forces them out of large sections of the public park for weeks at a time so private events can be held, damages the park and has displaced youth sports teams that have had to find homes elsewhere. Community members had previously petitioned the Chicago Park District to remove Riot Fest and other music festivals from Douglass Park in 2022.[34]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Riot Fest Lineup Announced". bookclubchicago.org. 11 May 2022. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
  2. ^ Regan, Helen (May 28, 2015). "Riot Fest Announces Lineups Featuring Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and No Doubt". Time. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  3. ^ "What Does It Mean to Be an Independent Festival in 2019?". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  4. ^ Lulay, Stephanie (November 30, 2016). "Riot Fest Founder, Cobra Lounge Owner Sean McKeough Dies". DNA info. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  5. ^ "Riot Fest Organizer Sean McKeough Dead at 42". Rolling Stone. December 2016.
  6. ^ "Riot Fest Oral History: The unlikely story of punk rock's most beloved festival". Alternative Press Magazine. 2017-09-06. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  7. ^ "Riot Fest Announces Two More Locations; Launch VIP Contest Prize Package". propertyofzack.com. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  8. ^ "Review: Sunday at Riot Fest". chicagoist. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  9. ^ "A Complete History of Riot Fest 2015's Troubles". Chicago magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  10. ^ "Boricua Community against Riot Fest". DNA Info. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27.
  11. ^ "Riot Fest still on for the weekend after hospital drops lawsuit". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  12. ^ "Riot Fest, Saint Anthony Hospital reach agreement".
  13. ^ "Riot Fest Brought Rowdy, Raging Fun This Weekend". 19 September 2016.
  14. ^ "At long last, the Riot Fest 2018 schedule has arrived". 11 September 2018.
  15. ^ "I'm just got me to assume riot fest is canceled". 3 September 2018.
  16. ^ "Riot Fest is happening — schedule expands to add Run the Jewels, Weezer". Chicago Tribune. 6 September 2018.
  17. ^ "Riot Fest full lineup, single ticket sales announced". 7 September 2018.
  18. ^ "My Chemical Romance To Headline Riot Fest 2020". GRAMMY.com. 2020-01-29. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  19. ^ a b "My Chemical Romance Postpone Reunion Tour To 2022". Stereogum. 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  20. ^ "New Headliners Announced! Slipknot Headlines Sunday, Morrissey Headlines Thursday Preview Party". Riot Fest. 2021-08-19. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  21. ^ "Alkaline Trio, Patti Smith, The Flaming Lips, and More Added to Riot Fest 2021". Riot Fest. 2021-09-02. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  22. ^ "Just Added: Rise Against and Anthrax Join Riot Fest 2021". Riot Fest. 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
  23. ^ "The Riot Fest 2022 Lineup is Here (Plus Single Day Tickets)". 11 May 2022.
  24. ^ "Placebo postpone first North American tour in 8 years due to "visa and logistical issues"". 3 September 2022.
  25. ^ "Bauhaus Cancel Remaining 2022 North American Dates as Peter Murphy Enters Rehab". Billboard.
  26. ^ "3-Day Passes Are Sold Out; Gogol Bordello, Sparta Added for Riot Fest 2022". 8 September 2022.
  27. ^ "Riot Fest makes 2 big announcements for 2023 event". 15 May 2023.
  28. ^ "The Riot Fest 2023 Lineup is Here". 16 May 2023.
  29. ^ White, Lisa (September 3, 2009). "Riot Fest West Postponed Until Spring 2010". Gapers Block. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  30. Brooklyn Vegan
    . July 12, 2012. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  31. ^ Williams, Kevin (16 June 2020). "Riot Fest makes its own way in 'postponing' the 2020 edition in the face of COVID-19, moving it to 2021 with many headliners already known". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  32. ^ http://www.brooklynvegan.com/chicago/2012/09/riot_fest_brook.html
  33. ^ "Riot Fest Meeting Devolves Into Chaos As Hundreds Of Douglass Park Neighbors Make Their Voices Heard". Block Club Chicago. April 7, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  34. ^ "Despite opposition, Riot Fest is on". Axios Chicago. September 16, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2023.

External links