Category: Riot Fest

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Riot Fest 2019 Countdown 4 – Jawbreaker

Jawbreaker was one of the bands that helped advance the pop punk/melodic punk sound in the early nineties.  They’re referenced here. Though the broke up pretty quickly (something about a fist fight on the side of the road) and didn’t get to enjoy it.  They are the big reunion act at Riot Fest in 2017, though following Rage probably didn’t do them so good.  Jawbreaker has been touring since then.  They’ll probably play right before Blink this year.  We’ll find out soon.  I’d rate them an “Okay” on a day full of conflicts.  Odd fact, the drummer’s sister is the singer for the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black (remember them from RF17?).

They play Friday.

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Aftershows at the Cobra

We’ve got aftershows. An important tradition of any Chicago Festival. Take that Coachella! And we’re targeting the Cobra Lounge. Because they have a couple of great bands. And it’s just a cool, small, loud place. Lolla has Lincoln Hall. Riot Fest has the Cobra. And Hot Snakes are one of my top ten bands to see, so even though they’re up against a couple of my top five bands to see (Descendents and Cock Sparrer), the Cobra takes it for Saturday’s show. And why not go back the next night for some Fort Collins punk rock with Teenage Bottlerocket. I hear if you walk in backwards you don’t need a ticket. Anyway, here’s a playlist of both Cobra Lounge aftershow acts. Using the actual setlists they’ve been playing recently.

Late Edit: Violent Femmes and two Cobra Openers (Des Demonas and Clowns) have been added

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Riot Fest Countdown 4 – Daily Schedules and Conflicts

We’re just shy of a month out.  And I’ll pick up some band previews tomorrow.  But today….conflicts.  The great thing about festivals is getting to see a lot of bands.  And the sucky thing is when some of your favorites are playing at the same time.  And with the strength of the Friday lineup, I’m bracing for the schedule release knowing that many of the bands I want to see will be playing at the same time.  Saturday and Sunday are still super stout; I’m really looking forward to them with some amazing acts and legacies (hello Die Antwoord and Bob Mould), but Friday is ridiculous.  There are truly 18 bands that I would be happy seeing any day (if I didn’t have to miss others), including a couple of my all time favorite live acts with Rancid and Pennywise. 

We’ll need to study up and be ready.  Here are the acts in play for me (and not discounting any of the others except Lucero), from the small print to the headliner (linked to earlier preview posts when available):

Pkew, Pkew, Pkew, The Garden, Angel Du$t, IDKHOW, H2O, Anti-Flag, Hot Water Music, The Get Up Kids, Glassjaw, Hot Snakes, Neck Deep, Cock Sparrer, Pennywise, Descendents, Violent Femmes, Rancid, Jawbreaker, and Blink-182.

That’s a helluva a day.  Likely a few of the small prints will be playing early which puts them in jeopardy.  The rest get jumbled in until the headliners.  For the headliners, I’d guess Jawbreaker plays the Roots stage before Blink on the Riot stage (sidenote, let’s face it…Blink isn’t a great live band but they likely won’t be up against anyone).  It would fit the profile for Rancid and Descendents to play in front of them.  That would relegate the Femmes to the Radicals or Rise stage.  But who knows.  It really is a good problem to have.  Hot Snakes will get cut because we have them at the Saturday night aftershow.  It’s also likely that one of the small prints gets slotted into an opening slot for Hot Snakes at the aftershow, a la the late add of Slaves (UK) with Buzzcocks in 2017.  For me the two must sees are Cock Sparrer (carrying the Pete Shelley banner of the weekend as the elder statesmen of punk) and Descendents.  So I could be bouncing around from stage to stage, but will still need some time for a Jay Reatard or Lemmy drink or two.

And let’s not sleep on Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday is loaded also:  Masked Intruder, Cherry Glazerr, The HU, Surfer Blood, The Selecter, Turnover, Anthrax, the Struts, Manchester Orchestra, Die Antwoord, Bloc Party.  That’s eleven and ingredients for another epic day.

And Sunday: Skating Polly, The Beaches, Teenage Bottlerocket, White Reaper, The Ergs!, Save Ferris, Less Than Jake, Ride, Bob Mould (my #1 must see of the entire weekend), Streetlight Manifesto, Raconteurs, and maybe Bikini Kill.  Twelve.  Killer!

So that is a lot of music, and a lot of conflicts.  If we’re lucky, the schedule is likely to be released soon.  In 2017 it was released August 10th, 2016 was August 30th.  Last year it didn’t drop until the Tuesday before (amid scrambling to replace Blink and rumors of visa issues for a Bauhaus reunion).  Once it’s out I’ll have my answers and will be less anxious, but likely pissed (a good pissed). Fingers crossed.