Category: Riot Fest

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Riot Fest Countdown 1 – The Raconteurs and a little Blink-182

We are close.  Less than two weeks away from Riot Fest 2019.  I purposely chose to not preview a couple of bands that we either won’t see or don’t need a preview.  Like Lucero (we won’t see them) or Blink (do you really need a preview?).  If you want a preview for Blink here’s a quickie….Go listen to Enema of The State.  It’s their breakout album, though for me probably third best.  And let’s face it, they aren’t a great live band.  It shouldn’t stop anyone from seeing them as they are still fun.  Long on dick jokes and short of musicianship.  Except Travis; he is a monster on the drums.  I don’t know if Matt Skiba, joining them from Alkaline Trio replacing Tom DeLonge, changes much.  It will be a blast and not much preview needed.  Enema is a good album to play in its entirety as there aren’t many slow spots.  And they’ve been ending their set with one of my favorites, Dammit (“well I guess this is growing up” sings the 52 year old…).  In probably the biggest conflict of the weekend, they play opposite of Jawbreaker.  There are some emo/pop punk kids apoplectic about not being able to see both, as these two bands really set the table for the blowup of emo and pop punk in the 2000s (love it or hate it).  Not me.  We skipped Jawbreaker last time.  And we’ll make it a tradition, like deep dish pizza and third night aftershow trainwrecks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTZuw3uN9mo

Jack White doesn’t need much fanfare, but here’s a little bit about The Raconteurs.  They rock.  They might be the most accomplished musicians at Riot Fest (I know, I know…that’s like being the tallest of the Seven Dwarfs).  I had always thought of them as a side project of Jack White, but he swears it’s a group and no side project.  Started as a collaboration with the other guitarist and singer in the band, Brenden Benson.  In a seven degrees of Kevin Bacon kinda way, Benson worked way back with Jason Faulkner.  Faulkner was in Jellyfish.  We saw Jellyfish at the ‘HFS Birthday party at Hammerjack’s.  And The Raconteurs’ drummer is now touring with Afghan Whigs.  We saw them at a Coachella.  So there you have it.  It’s meant to be.  The Raconteurs play at 725pm opposite The Starting Line and Ween.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddeYoQl3KzE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ8VOerXk6g
https://youtu.be/VTUMDQ4jYRM?t=1100
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Schedule release musings – conflicts, early shows, and Good Friday

We have a schedule for Riot Fest 2019.  For me it’s exciting when the schedule is released.  Probably sounds weird, but kinda like seeing the NCAA Bracket…who’s playing who and when and where.  And there’s anxiety.  Will you be able to see everyone you want?  When can you sneak out to get a refreshment?  Who are you gonna cut out on for some ice cream late on a Friday?  With such a full lineup there is bound to be conflicts.  And there are.

First off, on first lineup release I was excited for sure but for some odd reason now that I see times and places I’m crazy excited.  Even the perceived slower days are full.  And Friday….crazy…it’s almost as if Surf City Blitz died (it did, btw) and was resurrected into one day.  Legacy punk, So Cal punk, and more punk.  For this Surf City Blitz resurrection, we’ll call Friday “Good Friday”.  We just don’t have the beach cruisers.

Conflicts? One HUGE one for me a few lesser ones.  Descendents could very well be a casualty.  While they were one of my top fives, I’m not sure I can see myself cutting away from Pennywise to see Descendents and miss Rancid.  Damn, if there’s a bar and shitter near the Radicals stage I could post up there all day until Blink with Anti-Flag, Senses Fail, Cock Sparrer, Pennywise, and Rancid all on that one stage.  (Correction, after listening to Senses Fail again they probably won’t make the cut over seeing Angel Du$t on the Karen Black side stage). That’s a good run, but I would miss Descendents.  The rest of the other conflicts are meaningless compared to this one.

And while it would have been nice to see the B-52s off into the sunset (because of their first albums, Red and Yellow, not that Love Shack junk), they will be skipped for the #1 act of the weekend, Bob Mould.  And Saturday night brings up some decision making with Manchester Orchestra against Rise Against and Bloc Party up against Slayer.  Less Than Jake up against Ride is another conflict.  I kinda feel Ride is a need to see, but Less Than Jake is fun.  But who knows my mindset by Sunday afternoon.

The early shows are also a tough call.  The dreaded “Wombats” slot to open a festival day went to a couple of great bands, PkewX3 and Masked Intruder.  I don’t think we made it to Riot Fest 2017 day one until around 5pm (the KJ disappearing act day) and neither of the other days until 130pm or 2pm.  I knew the lineup was bottom heavy with a lot of great bands in small print, but it will be difficult to catch them. The Garden, The HU (top five must sees), and Save Ferris are also in jeopardy early.  There is faint hope that one will get slotted to open for the Femmes aftershow as a late add.  It happened with Buzzcocks’ opening act when they added Slaves the week of.  And that turned out quite dandy.

Speaking of aftershows, one of the multitudes of reasons to do aftershows is because of conflicts.  You can skip them during the day opening up slots for others.  We went 2 for 3 in our aftershow choices in avoiding conflicts.  Skipping Femmes allow Cock Sparrer and Pennywise and skipping Teenage Bottlerocket allows Bob Mould.  If only we chose Descendents instead of Hot Snakes we could have batted 1000%.  But Hot Snakes at the Cobra?  Fuhgetabouit.  They’ll be awesome.

And there’s some decisions to make:

Friday

Hot Water Music vs I DON’T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME

The Flaming Lips vs Rancid (just kidding)

Saturday

Manchester Orchestra vs Rise Against

Slayer vs Bloc Party

Leaving early to see Hot Snakes’ opener Des Demonas or seeing Slayer play Raining Blood and Angel of Death

Sunday

Skating Polly vs Save Ferris

White Reaper vs Frank Iero

For those with other priorities: NFL football vs Skating Polly, Save Ferris, White Reaper, and Frank Iero

Ride vs Less Than Jake

Against Me vs Streetlight Manifesto

Raconteurs vs Ween (kidding again)

Bikini Kill’s encore vs getting Lou Malnatis before the Cobra Lounge

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Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 2 – The Selecter

2 Tone ska emerged from the late 70s punk scene taking the punk mentality and fusing it with Jamaican Ska.  2 Tone was the record label that launched many of the bands.  I’ve always considered 2 Tone to be a “Big 5” (Dance Craze bands)…The Specials, The English Beat, Madness, Bad Manners, and The Selecter.  And while these bands are still around it’s rare to be able to catch them (Dave Wakeling as an exception…RIP Roger).  So if you want to see one of the bands that set the course for that third wave of ska…the No Doubts, The Reel Big Fish’s, the Less Than Jakes, even the Rancids and the Interrupters…you should check out The Selecter.

This “Selecter” is two only two of the original members; both singers Pauline Black and Gaps Henderson lead this version of The Selecter.  (Founder and main songwriter Noel Davies has a version as well).  They’re playing their debut album “Too Much Pressure” in its entirety and it will be a good set as it has five or six great songs.  I’ve seen them twice…Coachella in ’13 or ’14 and they opened for Rancid and Dropkick on their Boston to Berkley tour.  They were “okay”.  They’d be so much fun in a small venue late at night (like the Cobra), and might not be great on a big stage.  But they may be worth a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyghdPuPIGU
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Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 2 – Patti Smith

When thinking about the explosion of punk …what was 1977 London or New York like when the bands that set the stage for the next 40+ of punk rock?  What was driving the Ramones or the Damned or the Pistols or the Clash or Buzzcocks? But you can go back even further.  New York Dolls, MC5, The Stooges and even The Who provided a spark for these bands and those that followed.  And there was Patti Smith right in the middle of it.  When Patti Smith plays at Riot Fest, it’s safe to say no once at this year’s festival, and very few at any punk festival have influenced so much of what else is being played.  A beat poet, a la Alan Ginsberg, from New York she’s been at it since before  her debut album “Horses” in 1975.  While her music may be light on punk energy, it absolutely has the punk messaging and ethos.  Certainly not going to be the most energetic, rocking, or loud set at Riot Fest.  But probably deserves catching if not to only respect the history.  Added, videos of her live show that she is a great story teller and historian.  Plus her current set includes covers of Hendrix, Neil Young, Lou Reed, U2, and Midnight Oil (yes, that Midnight Oil), infused with her own poetic messaging and style.  And she’s freaking 72 years old.  That alone is amazing.  But wait, she’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame …how many Rock Hall of Famers have we seen at festivals…(Desert Trip excepted)…Sir Paul, Metallica, Chuck D (in Prophets of Rage), Radiohead, Mike D (forgettable DJ set), Chili Peppers?  That’s it.  So Patti Smith is rarefied air and deserves respect.  And on a lazy Sunday afternoon after loud punk for three days and two nights, it might be a nice reprieve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9r0wVtzxxs
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What Are Your Top Bands Each Day for Riot Fest 2019?

The schedule for Riot Fest 2017 is imminent (I hope).  Some believe even this Wednesday.  Once it’s released, a game plan of who to see and when will be necessary.  With that in mind, what are the top three acts each day you want to see, plus one sneaky under the radar band you had never listed to until about three months ago?

For me (with after show bands discounted as they can be skipped):

Friday: Descendents, Cock Sparrer, Rancid and the sneaky pick is Hot Water Music

Saturday: Manchester Orchestra, Surfer Blood, Masked Intruder and the sneaky pick is The HU

Sunday: Bob Mould (#1 choice for entire weekend), The Raconteurs, Patti Smith and the sneaky pick of Dave Hause