Musings…observations from the fourth line on the festival lineup poster

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Riot Fest 2021 Preview – Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Coheed and Cambria

Bad news last week as one of my early favorites, PUP, dropped from the lineup. Rumor is that Canadian bands are having a hard time getting in and out of the country. Sucks. And if the rumor is true a couple more may drop.

Faith No More – Saturday

Alright, you remember them for the “Epic” video with the fish dying at the end, right?  You may have heard them before with “We Care a Lot”.  I remember that on MTV 120 Minutes and it was on a 120 Minutes Compilation CD too.  Oh yeah; they were pioneers of funk metal.  I don’t think I had heard anything like that before.  At least not mainstream on MTV.  So we now know who to blame for Limp Bizkit.  Most of the original lineup is intact with the biggest change being their lead singer.  Mike Patton joined them between “We Care a Lot” and “Epic” so he is really the only singer I really ever knew.  They broke up for a while and reunited about 10 years ago so this is a little bit of a reunion. Could be interesting. They do some non-sequitur-like covers every once in a while.

Mr. Bungle – Sunday

I have no idea what to expect from them.  “Experimental” rock is the best description.  They can go heavy metal or disco or between.  This was Mike Patton’s band before (and during) he joined Faith No More.  They have a crazy fan base that may know what to expect but I can’t tell.  Rumor was they would only play Riot Fest if they could play immediately before Devo.  So we’ll see about that.  They were broken up for 20 years and reunited in early 2020 for a reunion that lasted three shows before COVID.  Scott Ian (Anthrax) and Dave Lombardo (Slayer and Suicidal) joined the band.  I’d love to see them join them at RF but who know post COVID.  If it’s any indication of what we’ll see, they’re reunion shows covered hardcore and metal bands like Slayer, Circle Jerks, The Exploited, and Corrosion of Conformity.  Plus some Mr. Rogers (Won’t you be my neighbor) and Seals and Crofts.  Again, don’t know what to expect.

Coheed and Cambia – Friday

Well prog rock is alive and well with these guys.  They put out concept albums based on science fiction comic books.  And you can’t tell me you don’t hear Geddy Lee when you listen.  There has to be some 2112 in there somewhere.  But they look like a fun live act.  I’ve seen their name on many festival posters and they have a big following.  Might be worth checking out.  I’m jealous of the lead singer’s hair.

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Riot Fest 2021 Preview – NOFX, Fever 333, Meg Myers

We’ve got 17 weeks until the return of Butter Stamos (or some other butter sculpture).

NOFX

So stoked to see these guys.  They go way back to the early days of California Punk with Rancid, Green Day, Offspring.  The 90s.  Always walking a fine line around controversy with their lyrics and fashion but great musically.  For me they got lost up in that wave of mid 90’s punk and I never embraced them, but their recent collaboration with Frank Turner put them back on my radar and I’m so glad it did.  Still in the midst of controversy (google them and see why they aren’t at Punk Rock Bowling) but so important to punk.  They were at many Warped Tours I was at but my memory of them is missing so I’ll consider this my first time seeing them.  Oh and a head’s up the lead singer may be wearing a dress and have blue or pink hair.  His name is Fat Mike.

Fever 333

New band outta LA.  Rap Core, Hardcore, Metal Funk?  I dunno but when I heard them I had visions of RATM, if Zach screamed more.  I bet you will too, not to disservice them or Rage.  And there’s only three of them-vocalist, drummer, and guitar/bass.  Check them out.  I predict they take the prize for the Slaves-surprise-in your face-what was that award.

Meg Myers

Soon to be a fave of KJ, Meg Myers is from Nashville but broke through after moving to LA.  Considered art pop or alternative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWIBwrSkJJQ
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Riot Fest 2021 Final Lineup and Daily Schedule Release Reaction

New adds Rancid, Dropkick, Knuckle Puck, The Bronx.  Rancid is an all time best, Knuckle Puck is on the good end of pop-punk/emo, and The Bronx are full on hard core punk.  But the cherry in this group for me is Dropkick.  They’re always one of the best shows (bagpipes and punk…fuhgettaboutit) plus they have a new album that calls out Mick Jones of the Clash as a cleptomaniac for pudding, yes pudding.  The best.

But with the new release we lost a few more. Saves the Day (pop punk/emo) is gone.  Word on the street is the lead singer has issues with young girls.  Also lost L7, Don Broco, and Boston Manor.  Don Broco and Boston Manor are from the UK and could have travel issues, but each is showing Thursday on their website.  Maybe they were pulled from the poster for the preview night?  We’ll see.  It’s possible the same for L7, but they also dropped off Aftershock so maybe there’s something else going on. Too bad; they f-ing kill it. 

I count 92 bands.  2019 had about the same, 91.  Even though this year feels light it’s probably a COVID-19 hangover and comparing it to the colossal lineup of Lolla.  This lineup brings it.  And we don’t even know what Thursday holds yet, or who will be the butter sculpture.

We know headline acts can be hit and miss.  Once the sun goes down it’s difficult to get a good spot.  And if they don’t have the sound dialed in well you can have a Blink-182 like disaster.  In 2019 I didn’t make it through a headliner set, leaving early to get to aftershows or pizza.  But the lead ups to those headliners were amazing: Rise Against and Raconteurs.  And in 2017 we skipped two headliners; cutting out early from QOTSA to catch the mother of all aftershows (Slaves and Buzzcocks) and skipping Jawbreaker after rightly ending the weekend with the intense and fittingly finale of Prophets of Rage.  But one headliner was absolutely amazing.  Nine Inch Nails in 2017.  So while headliners have been generally a throw away I am looking forward to two this go round.  Smashing Pumpkins and NIN.  I am already getting excited for that pause in March of the Pigs.  And it’s been a while for SP but it’s time to come back, Billy.  Sorry Run The Jewels but Saturday may be our aftershow night.  Who has the key to the condo?

Friday for me is three bands and the headliner.  NOFX, Circle Jerks, and PUP are the three must sees and I’m stressing they will conflict.  If Dirty Heads and Sublime played on the same stage back to back it might have the largest mj cloud this side of sunsplash.  Would love to see Living Colour or Fishbone on the small side stage.  And Smashing Pumpkins to close is cool.  While unlikely because they’ll probably play their latest album, CYR, how cool would an album play of Siamese Dream be?  Riot Fest does love its album plays.

Saturday is a banner day just with Rancid, Faith No More, Dropkick, and the Bosstones.  Pretty please don’t let any of them conflict.  I’ve still got emotional scars from Descendents conflicting with Rancid in 2019….how do you do that RF when Rancid and Descendents have exactly the same fan base. There’s also a little crossover with these bands.  The whole Boston thing with Bosstones and Dropkick (the first time I saw Dropkick was opening for Bosstones) and the Bosstones just released an album on Tim Armstrong’s Hellcat records and he sings on at least one track (The Final Parade).  Can there be a RiotFest collaboration with any of them?

And Sunday has the #1 and #2 must see of the weekend for me.  #1 Devo and #2 Hall of Famers Nine Inch Nails.  Can’t conflict with those two.  In a perfect world they’d be on the same stage back to back.  And add Pixies playing at the adjacent stage.  Let’s plan it right now; Devo at 6:30 on the Riot Stage, Pixies at 7:40 on the Roots Stage, and NIN at 8:45 on the Riot Stage, Lou Malnati’s at 11pm.  Great way to wrap it up.

Is it September yet?

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Riot Fest 2021 Preview – PUP, Devo, K. Flay

We’ve got 18 weeks until Riot Fest.  And a shitpot of bands to preview.  Not sure how I’ll do this going forward but here are a few to get started.  A couple soon to be your faves and a legacy act the deserves our attention.

PUP

A Canadian punk band (which means they rage but are very polite about it).  All original members still and really hit their stride in the mid 2010s touring with Modern Baseball and Menzingers and playing festivals like Lolla and Warped Tour.  Really like their sound and energy.  In that sweet spot between pop-punk and screamo hardcore.  One of my top bands to “discover” here.  By the way, PUP stands for Pathetic Use of Potential; of which I can relate.

Devo

Do we really need a preview for DEVO?  Prolly not but I bet if you get past Whip It and Girl You Want in their catalog you’ll find they were more punk that you thought.  Should have gotten in the Rock Hall of Fame this year.  Will one day so consider them a future Hall of Famer. 

K. Flay

Hip Hop maybe.  Alternative maybe.  Super fun and very good. She’s from the Chicago area which could be great news for us.  Sure to be a fave of KJ, but probably all of us.  She just released an EP of Offspring, Green Day, and Limp Bizkit covers.  Don’t know if she’ll do any but it may be the closest we get to The Offspring.