Riot Fest kicked off its 20th anniversary with blazing sun to match the fiery riffs on its five stages. Much of Friday’s lineup was a celebration of the absurd in tribute to “Weird Al” Yankovic’s headlining set on a stage named for him. Mac Sabbath honored Ozzy Osbourne with their fast food parody, complete with spraying the crowd with ketchup and mustard bottles and bonging a beer through a giant straw. Puddles Pity Party kept the parody party going in full pierrot whiteface clown makeup before Weird Al himself closed out the stage in a mania of costumes, accordion, and pure joy.
Elsewhere on the grounds, Rico Nasty turned up the crowd from a mid-afternoon slump with her blend of rap-rock, while Rilo Kiley transported fans to the “Dreamworld” of aughts indie rock. Stiff Little Fingers and the Pogues incited mosh pits with classic UK punk. Blink-182’s headlining set was full of sing-alongs, juvenile banter, and pyrotechnics. The trio was joined by Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio for “Bored to Death,” as a tribute to his years filling in for Tom DeLonge before bringing The Descendents guitarist Stephen Egerton onstage to cover “Hope.” According to Hoppus, it was “a total bucket list moment” for the band, and it was for the crowd too.
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,’ and she has contributed to several travel guidebooks. 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.
