It was another hot and sunny day at Riot Fest Saturday with temps hitting 90 degrees. While many attendees gathered in shady patches on the Douglass Park lawn, it didn’t stop music fans from bringing the energy to the festival stages. Beck headlined the main stage while NOFX returned for night two of three of their farewell residency, and local favorites Taking Back Sunday closed out the Radical Stage.
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The Hives
If anyone was lagging in the oppressive sun on Saturday afternoon, the Hives jolted them back to life. The Swedish five piece strode onstage in matching black suits adorned with white lightning bolts. Pelle Almqvist ran back and forth across the stage and jumped onto amps to start the set with “Bogus Operandi” and “Main Offender.” He told the crowd, “We’re making noise in Illinois and there’s plenty of bands here that we don’t hate.”
Health
For an industrial band best suited to late nights in dark clubs, Health always seems to play Riot Fest during the brightest times of day. Despite a brief technical difficulty, the LA band brought the goth vibes to Douglass Park with synth-heavy songs like “God Botherer” and “Men Today.”
Sincere Engineer
Sincere Engineer is a favorite in the Chicago punk scene, and Deanna Belos commanded the Rise stage on Saturday afternoon for a pop-punk sing-along. A highlight came during Corn Dog Sonnet No. 7″ when the crowd became a sea of corn dogs as fans thrust theirs into the air.
Manchester Orchestra
Manchester Orchestra brought their Atlanta brand of indie rock to Douglass Park. While they were sporting dark t-shirts, Andy Hull and the band brought a sunny, energetic set to the festival including songs like “Top Notch” and “Choose You.”
Spoon
Austin indie rockers Spoon delivered a smooth set that got the crowd joining in the chorus. Britt Daniels led fans through favorites like “I Turn My Camera On” and “I Summon You” before closing with “Rent I Pay.”
Beach Bunny
While many Riot Fest artists leaned into their goth side, Lili Trifilio kept it cute during Beach Bunny’s set. Her bubbly, pop-punk melodies are a vehicle for introspective lyrics like, “Dissect my insecurities\I’m a defect, surgical project,” on “Prom Queen.” The Chicago band delivered sunny songs like “Sports” and “Vertigo” in front of a pink heart backdrop, while wearing black outfits, of course.
L.S. Dunes
After making their debut at Riot Fest in 2022, supergroup L.S. Dunes hasn’t let up any energy. Frontman Anthony Green of Circa Survive, Saosin and The Sound of Animals Fighting greeted the crowd with a wave and a smile before launching into “2022.” He proceeded to pounce across the stage, jumping on amps and throwing the mic stand into the air and catching it. Guitarist Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance, drummer Tucker Rule of Thursday, guitarist Travis Stever of Coheed and Cambria, and bassist Tim Payne kept up the energy as the band closed with “Fatal Deluxe,” their first time playing it live.
Waxahatchee
Waxahatchee transported attendees to Alabama with an amber-colored backdrop of a creek with trees dripping in moss. After opening with “3 Sisters,” Kathryn Crutchfield removed her baseball hat with “KC” stitched on the front and threw it into the crowd. She concluded the gorgeous set with “Fire.”
NOFX
NOFX bid farewell to Chicago all weekend, headlining the NOFX stage on all three nights of Riot Fest. After 40 years in the game, the LA punks are retiring this year. Sporting a blue mohawk and black leather kilt, frontman Fat Mike kicked off with “60%” while rhythm guitarist Eric Melvin jumped up and down, whipping his long blue dreadlocks. Resembling the hardcore clubs NOFX started in, guests watched from the perimeter of the stage holding red solo cups while the band traced their three-decade history onstage.
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is a Riot Fest favorite. The New York band never fails to deliver a high-energy set full of anthems. Frontman Adam Lazzara wasn’t hitting all the right notes on Saturday night (perhaps his birthday on Sunday had something to do with it). Yet his usual showmanship won out with him catching the mic and vamping onstage. The closing combo of “Cute Without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team)” and “MakeDamnSure” never fail to get fans screaming along and end the night on a high note.
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.
