Riot Fest returned to Douglass Park on Friday after nearly decamping to the suburbs. Despite announcing the return to Douglass Park just a month ago, fans got the message and showed up in droves. Music fans filled the park on a hot and sunny first day of the festival. The crowed especially swelled for the evening sets of the Offspring and hometown headliners Fall Out Boy.
Drug Church
“Art doesn’t need to be relevant to another human being as long as it’s relevant to you,” Drug Church frontman Patrick Kindlon told the crowd after receiving a piece of art from a fan. Fans braved the blaring sun to scream along with the Albany post-hardcore band.
Hot Mulligan
Michigan pop-punk outfit Hot Mulligan kicked things off with How Do You Know It’s Not Armadillo Shells?” from their 2018 album Pilot.
New Found Glory
It was a nonstop sing-along for Florida pop-punks New Found Glory. They kicked off their set with “Understatement” and then launched into “All Downhill From Here” and “Hit or Miss.” Frontman Jordan Pundik donned a red wig for a cover of “Part of Your World” and a blonde wig for NFG’s rendition of “Let it Go” before closing with a bouncy rendition of “My Friends Over You.”
Cypress Hill
Sen Dog and B-Real brought the party to the Rise Stage on Friday afternoon, rapping in front of an inflatable blunt-wielding skull. The California hip-hop veterans kicked it old school with “I Wanna Get High” and “Insane in the Brain” as smoke wafted from the crowd.
Sum 41
“We’re going to play some old songs, and then some older songs, and then some really old songs,” joked Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley. Fans rocked to “Motivation,” “In Too Deep,” and “Fat Lip” throughout the set while flames and smoke lit up the stage. The band released their eighth and final album Heaven :x: Hell earlier this year.
Public Enemy
More than 30 years after they founded on Long Island, Public Enemy’s message is more relevant than ever. Chuck D and Flavor Flav, wearing a t-shirt that said, “Support Women’s Sports,” kicked off their set with “Show ‘Em Whatcha Got” and “Miuzi Weighs a Ton.” “Trust no fucking body,” said Chuck D. “Trust yourself and trust God.”
The Offspring
The Offspring ripped through their 1994 album Smash, marking its 30th anniversary. The California punk rockers played “Self Esteem” out of order, saving it for last. After leaving the stage, they returned with a crowd-pleasing encore of “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid,” “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy),” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright.”
Fall Out Boy
The hometown crowd showed up big for Fall Out Boy, and the band delivered a high-powered set. They played selections from their albums chronologically satisfying long-time fans immediately with “Chicago Is So Two Years Ago, ” and Where Is Your Boy” from 2003’s Take This to Your Grave. “I got a little emotional just now,” admitted singer Patrick Stump after kicking off the set with “Chicago is so Two Years Ago.” Tim McIlrath of Rise Against made a surprise appearance joining the band on “Sugar, We’re Going Down.” As the album production got bigger advancing into the band’s catalog, so did the stagecraft, including a flying pegasus and plenty of flames and fireworks. Fall Out Boy closed out the set with “Saturday” as fans left anticipating what the next day of the festival would bring.
Jessica Mlinaric founded Urban Explorer in 2010 to inspire curious travelers by highlighting history, culture, and hidden gems in Chicago and beyond. She is the author of ‘Secret Chicago’ and ‘Chicago Scavenger.’ Jessica has visited 20+ countries and 30+ U.S. states. She has more than 16 years of experience as a marketing strategist and works as a freelance writer and photographer.
