Observations, Musings, and Lessons Learned mostly in the world of Punk, Ska, Alternative, Metal, and just plain Rock and Roll. Music with guitars…mostly
Here’s my potential schedule, noting a few conflicts and last minute decisions.
Friday, Guttermouth (Jimmy’s and my buddies from Surf City) to Motion City Soundtrack will be a decision. And how to navigate Pixies to Iggy to GWAR and Blothar will take some finesse.
Saturday there are a lot of conflicts early. Gotta see some Angine De Poitrine to see what they’re all about. PiL to Sugar to Social D to Morrissey is straight forward and back and forth on the main stages. Easy. Morrissey will win over Bad Religion, not based on taste, only that I have seen Bad Religion a bunch.
Morrissey is from Manchester, England, and is best known as the singer and lyricist of The Smiths before launching his long-running solo career. His music combines alternative rock, indie pop, glam, and classic pop influences, with lyrics that tend toward melancholy, romance, alienation, and dark humor. Fans of The Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen, New Order, Suede, and The Cure should feel familiar territory here. Live, Morrissey is very much the center of attention. His performances can be theatrical, moody, and unpredictable, and the audience tends to be intensely invested in the songs. If you’re a Smiths fan, this is obviously a major draw; if you’re not, the appeal may depend heavily on how much you connect with his solo material.
Tool 8:20 Riot Stage
Tool are from Los Angeles, California, and are one of the biggest and most influential progressive metal/alternative metal bands of the past several decades. Their music combines complex rhythms, heavy guitars, psychedelic passages, atmospheric soundscapes, and extremely long, intricate compositions. Fans of King Crimson, A Perfect Circle, Mastodon, Deftones, Meshuggah, and Pink Floyd can all find pieces of Tool’s DNA in different places. Their live shows are famously immersive rather than conventional rock concerts. Huge visuals, elaborate lighting, enormous sound, and Maynard James Keenan’s deliberately elusive stage presence create something closer to a multimedia experience than a standard gig. If you like Tool, this is probably a “plant yourself somewhere and experience the whole thing” band rather than one to casually wander into.
CallbullChatGPT Saturday take
For pure fun, I’d put The Chats, Less Than Jake, The Suicide Machines, and Destroy Boys near the top. Those are the bands most likely to give you the sweaty, communal Riot Fest experience.
For discovery, I’d prioritize Yard Act and Angine de Poitrine. Yard Act is probably the safest bet if you like the post-punk side of your Friday lineup.
For music-history value, Public Image Ltd., Sugar, and Social Distortion are especially interesting. PiL is particularly compelling if you’re already seeing the Sex Pistols on Friday—the two sets essentially let you experience two very different chapters of John Lydon’s career.
And then there are the two giants: Morrissey and Tool. Those are less “fill a gap” acts and more build your evening around them acts. If you’re a Smiths/Morrissey person, I’d protect that set. If you’re a Tool person, I wouldn’t schedule anything remotely close to their set—you’ll want the full experience.
Sugar are the alternative rock band formed by Bob Mould after Hüsker Dü. They’re from the United States, with Mould originally coming from Minnesota, and their music combines punk’s energy with huge melodic guitar hooks and ’90s alternative rock. Fans of Hüsker Dü, Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr., Buffalo Tom, and The Replacements should absolutely investigate them. Live, Sugar can be both powerful and melodic, with big guitars and a seasoned band delivering songs that feel much heavier than their catchy hooks might initially suggest. This is a great choice if you love guitar-driven alternative rock.
Social Distortion 5:55 Riot Stage
Social Distortion are from Fullerton, California, and are one of the most influential American punk bands. Their sound blends punk with rockabilly, country, blues, and classic rock, creating a style that has influenced countless punk and alternative bands. Fans of The Clash, Rancid, The Gaslight Anthem, Bad Religion, and The Replacements should give them a listen. Live, Social Distortion are relatively straightforward compared with some of the more chaotic punk bands, but that’s part of their appeal: big guitar riffs, Mike Ness’s distinctive voice, and a huge catalog of songs people know by heart. Expect lots of singing from the crowd.
Less Than Jake are from Gainesville, Florida, and are one of the defining bands of the third-wave ska-punk era. Their music combines fast pop-punk guitars, prominent horns, huge choruses, and a lot of humor. Fans of Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, NOFX, Streetlight Manifesto, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones will immediately understand the appeal. Live, they’re ridiculously fun. Expect horns, jumping, crowd participation, jokes, sing-alongs, and a band that seems determined to make the audience have a good time. If you like ska-punk even a little bit, this is a dangerous band to “just catch one song” from—you’ll probably stay.
Public Image Ltd 4:05 Riot Stage
Public Image Ltd. (PiL) are from London, England, and were formed by former Sex Pistols vocalist John Lydon after the Pistols broke up. Their music is far more experimental than the Sex Pistols, drawing from post-punk, dub, funk, electronic music, and avant-garde rock. Fans of Wire, Gang of Four, The Pop Group, Killing Joke, and early Talking Heads should investigate them. Live, PiL are more cerebral and atmospheric than a traditional punk show, with Lydon’s distinctive personality dominating the performance. If the Sex Pistols represent punk’s explosive birth, PiL represents what happened when someone asked, “Okay, but what if we make this weird?”
Angine de Poitrine are a newer French punk/alternative act, and their music sits in the more abrasive, experimental end of punk and noise rock. They’re a much more left-field choice than the established legacy acts on your Saturday list. Think jagged guitars, unconventional arrangements, and a deliberately rough-edged sound rather than polished alternative rock. If you enjoy bands such as Metz, Model/Actriz, Chat Pile, or Gilla Band, they’re worth investigating. Their live appeal is likely to come from unpredictability and intensity rather than big sing-along moments.
Destroy Boys 2:55 Rebel Stage
Destroy Boys are from Sacramento, California, and play a combination of punk, grunge, garage rock, and alternative rock. Their songs can be melodic and catchy one minute and aggressive the next, with a strong DIY punk sensibility. Fans of Hole, Bikini Kill, The Distillers, Mannequin Pussy, and The Linda Lindas should give them a shot. Live, they’re energetic and scrappy, with plenty of punk attitude but enough melody to keep things accessible. They’re a particularly good choice if you want something that sits between riot grrrl, modern punk, and ’90s alternative.
