Here are some acts that didn’t make my original reviews via callbullChatGPT. Most were conflicts, some were just overlooked.
3OH!3
From: Boulder, Colorado
Sound: Electro-pop, crunkcore, dance-pop and electronic rock, built around huge synth hooks, programmed beats, shouted/sung vocals and deliberately ridiculous party lyrics. They’re best known for songs like “Don’t Trust Me” and “Starstrukk.”
Live: Expect a very high-energy, party-oriented show rather than a traditional rock concert. Lots of jumping, dancing, electronic backing tracks, big sing-along moments and a knowingly goofy sense of humor. They should be a fun change of pace from the punk and hardcore surrounding them.
Similar artists: Cobra Starship, The Millionaires, LMFAO, Metro Station, Hollywood Undead, Gym Class Heroes, The Ready Set, Fall Out Boy.
The Paradox
From: Boulder, Colorado
Sound: A relatively new four-piece that describes itself as a genre-mixing band, so they’re harder to pigeonhole than most of the Riot Fest lineup. Think alternative rock/punk energy with a willingness to bounce between styles.
Live: This is one of the wild-card sets on your list. Because they’re less established than many of the other acts, I’d expect a hungry, energetic club-band performance rather than a polished arena production. They could be a great discovery if you like checking out unfamiliar bands at festivals.
Similar artists: The Armed, Foxy Shazam, Drug Church, Turnstile, Refused, IDLES.
Bayside
From: Queens, New York
Sound: Melodic punk/pop-punk with emo, hardcore and alternative-rock elements. They’re guitar-driven, emotionally intense and considerably darker and more serious than the pop-punk label might initially suggest.
Live: Excellent live band. Bayside tends to be tight, loud and energetic, with Anthony Raneri leading a very engaged crowd. Expect lots of singing along, especially on older material, with the songs retaining a harder edge live than they sometimes do on record.
Similar artists: Alkaline Trio, Taking Back Sunday, Silverstein, Senses Fail, Brand New, Saves the Day, The Wonder Years.
Rise Against
From: Chicago, Illinois
Sound: Melodic hardcore/punk — fast, aggressive guitars combined with enormous choruses and politically charged lyrics. They’re one of the best examples of a band that can sound genuinely hardcore while still writing songs that work in arenas.
Live: Big, passionate, very physical. Tim McIlrath is an excellent frontman, the crowd tends to sing almost every word, and the faster songs can turn the pit into absolute chaos. They’re probably one of the safest bets on your Friday schedule for a huge festival payoff.
Similar artists: Bad Religion, Pennywise, Strike Anywhere, The Offspring, Alkaline Trio, Billy Talent, Sum 41, Thrice, NOFX.
GWAR
From: Richmond, Virginia
Sound: Thrash/crossover metal, punk and hardcore wrapped in comedy and shock rock.
Live: There is nothing subtle about GWAR. Their shows are essentially a giant heavy-metal horror/comedy production featuring elaborate costumes, characters, fake blood, monsters, stage violence and copious amounts of audience spray. The music is legitimately heavy, but the spectacle is the main attraction. Wear something you don’t mind getting filthy.
Similar artists: Municipal Waste, Suicidal Tendencies, Anthrax, S.O.D., Green Jelly, White Zombie, Dethklok, Corrosion of Conformity.
NOBRO
From: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Sound: Garage punk with fuzzed-out guitars, bass-heavy riffs, keyboards and an almost danceable garage-rock groove. They’re loud, loose and wonderfully chaotic.
Live: Blazing. NOBRO has built a reputation on raucous, high-energy shows, and they’ve toured with PUP, Alexisonfire, Billy Talent and FIDLAR. Expect dancing, jumping, crowd interaction and a band that looks like it’s having an absolute blast onstage.
Similar artists: PUP, FIDLAR, The OBGMs, Amyl and the Sniffers, The Linda Lindas, Bikini Kill, Bully.
Brian Fallon
From: New Jersey
Sound: Roots-rock, heartland rock, folk-rock and punk songwriting. He’s best known as the frontman of The Gaslight Anthem, but his solo material is generally more stripped-down and singer-songwriter oriented. His current work also leans into classic ’70s/’80s rock influences.
Live: Warm, conversational and very song-focused. This isn’t going to be a mosh-pit set. Fallon tends to connect with the audience through storytelling, big emotional choruses and the feeling that you’re watching a great bar-band songwriter rather than a distant rock star.
Similar artists: The Gaslight Anthem, Bruce Springsteen, The Hold Steady, The Menzingers, Jason Isbell, Tom Petty, Lucero.
Gurriers
From: Dublin, Ireland
Sound: Post-punk with elements of garage rock, dance-punk and hardcore. Their music is tense, noisy and socially charged, with a lot of forward momentum.
Live: Sweaty, aggressive and very physical. They’ve developed a reputation for bone-rattling, mosh-ready performances, and their shows can feel more like a punk club exploding than a conventional indie-rock concert.
Similar artists: Fontaines D.C., IDLES, The Murder Capital, Shame, Viagra Boys, Protomartyr, Turnstile.
Thrice
From: Irvine, California
Sound: Post-hardcore that has evolved dramatically over the years — from aggressive, technical early material to atmospheric alternative rock, prog, indie and even folk influences. They’re one of those bands where the catalog is much broader than the genre label suggests.
Live: Extremely tight and powerful. Thrice is less about punk chaos and more about musicianship, dynamics and emotional intensity. They can go from a quiet, atmospheric passage to a crushing wall of guitars almost instantly.
Similar artists: Brand New, Thursday, Deftones, Coheed and Cambria, Circa Survive, The Receiving End of Sirens, Glassjaw.
PUP
From: Toronto, Canada
Sound: Explosive melodic punk with indie-rock hooks, self-deprecating humor and extremely catchy guitar parts. Their songs are often funny and miserable at exactly the same time — a pretty useful description of PUP generally.
Live: One of the best pure festival bands on this list. Loud, frantic and incredibly communal. The audience tends to know the words, and PUP shows can turn into enormous sing-alongs with crowdsurfing and moshing throughout.
Similar artists: Jeff Rosenstock, The Menzingers, Joyce Manor, FIDLAR, The Dirty Nil, The Front Bottoms, Bomb the Music Industry!, Antarctigo Vespucci.
Descendents
From: Manhattan Beach, California
Sound: Foundational Southern California punk combining hardcore speed with pop melodies, power-pop hooks and brutally honest/funny songs about relationships, aging, food, anxiety and everyday life. They essentially helped invent the blueprint that later became pop-punk.
Live: Fast, tight and surprisingly joyful. Milo Aukerman isn’t a theatrical frontman; the songs and the audience provide the spectacle. Expect an extremely knowledgeable punk crowd singing every word and a set that moves at a ridiculous pace.
Similar artists: Bad Religion, NOFX, ALL, Face to Face, Lagwagon, Green Day, The Offspring, Blink-182.
Bad Religion
From: Los Angeles, California
Sound: Melodic hardcore/punk with rapid-fire songs, intellectual/socially conscious lyrics and those instantly recognizable three-part vocal harmonies. They’ve been doing this since 1980 and remain one of punk’s most influential bands.
Live: Veteran punk perfection. Don’t expect elaborate production — expect an incredibly tight band ripping through song after song while thousands of people yell the lyrics back. Greg Graffin is more professor/punk philosopher than rock-star caricature, which fits the band’s intellectual side perfectly.
Similar artists: Pennywise, NOFX, Descendents, Rancid, Lagwagon, Face to Face, Propagandhi, Millencolin.
Afroman
From: Palmdale, California
Sound: Hip-hop with a strong Southern California underground feel, built around laid-back beats, humorous storytelling and weed/party-themed lyrics. He blends rap with elements of funk, blues and soul. He’s best known for “Because I Got High” and “Crazy Rap (Colt 45 & 2 Zig Zags).”
Live: Afroman is much more of a comedy/party experience than a conventional hip-hop show. He plays guitar as well as rapping, interacts heavily with the audience, and leans into the absurd humor of his songs. Expect a relaxed, loose atmosphere and a crowd that knows the big songs word-for-word. It’s a nice breather from the hardcore/punk intensity elsewhere on Saturday.
Similar artists: Cypress Hill, Kottonmouth Kings, Snoop Dogg, Sublime