Writing by Kyle Land of Chicago Crowdsurfer.
A mood of joyous anticipation hung over Douglas Park on a windy Friday afternoon as Day One of Riot Fest’s 15th anniversary hit the ground running with a killer set from Pkew Pkew Pkew, who blew the doors off the gates and let in a flood of good vibes that permeated the rest of the weekend.
Last year’s Riot Fest was an aberration in many factors leading to low attendance, so it was a relief to once again see the crowd levels surge on opening day. Riot Fest 2019‘s early afternoon attendance was the largest in years as crowds swelled comparatively. With acts like Anti-Flag and Caroline Rose garnering some of the biggest early attendances this writer has ever seen in eight years of Riot Fest, and as the bars started to run out of beer selections in the evening (the Riot Fest Sucks, Goose Island collab disappeared after day one), it became clear that the first day was everything the organizers hoped: a resurgence of the Riot Fest brand and a smashing success.
With so many acts to choose from in the ten short hours, each day is always a Choose Your Own Adventure come to life; in that so many returning and quality bands shared the 15th anniversary bill, some hard choices had to be made. That’s the nature of festing, in order to enjoy oneself you can’t fight it, you just have to roll with it and let go to will of the fest. We caught eleven acts on day one, in a whirlwind of back-and-forth coverage that left us breathless on the Pink Line journey home.
Pkew Pkew Pkew
A sing-along is just what was needed to get the day started off right, and with these Canadian gents, that’s just what you get. Featuring plenty off their excellent spring release Optimal Lifestyles and classics like “Mid 20’s Skateborder” off 2017 record + One, they got the crowd whipped into an early frenzy that produced the fest’s first circle pit. Pkew Pkew Pkew’s three part vocal attack and relentless punk rock chug was the perfect start to the Riot adventure.
No Parents
When keeping a tight schedule, even a few moments lost can throw off the agenda, and while No Parents were nearly ten minutes late, the few tunes we were able to stick around for was enough to bring us out to a club show of theirs anytime, anywhere. New single “Middleground” is catchy as hell and their onstage enthusiasm is just as contagious.
Thin Lips
The Philly pop punk of Thin Lips was given a live boost with the expansion of their trio into a quintet. With an extra guitarist and keyboardist, their stripped down sound was fleshed out into full punk explosion. Rolling through quite a few tracks off last year’s Chosen Family, including “South America” and “Smoking’s For Quitters,” Chrissy Tashjian and company had the crowd in their hands with catchy hooks and chant-along choruses.
Caroline Rose
A highlight of day one was the infectious performance of Caroline Rose, who burst on the scene with last year’s addictive indie pop masterpiece, LONER. Her onstage theatrics, including a kazoo solo (on the largest kazoo ever) to start out a short-lived cover of John Waite’s “Missing You,” and her constant awareness of where the jumbotron cameras were, set her apart from the punk acts; and the few tunes she shared off her upcoming record had a distinct 80’s Talking Heads vibe, leaving the entire crowd grinning ear to ear. Rose is sure to be on the rise and will be hitting the mainstream in the coming years.
Hot Snakes
Playing on the nostalgia that Riot Fest has made a staple for many years, San Diego hard rockers Hot Snakes was a no-brainer booking. The 2000s alt-rock project of childhood friends John Reis (Drive Like Jehu, Rocket from the Crypt) and Rick Froberg (Drive Like Jehu, the Obits) has a distinct chugging feel reminiscent of Jesus Lizard or Archers Of Loaf. After taking a decade long break, Hot Snakes reformed last year for the impressive Jericho Sirens, and haven’t seemed to miss a beat (if this balls-to-the-walls set was any indication). With their post-rock beat mixed with a power pop aesthetic, they pleased the healthy sized Roots Stage crowd into a frothing frenzy.
The Get Up Kids
2019 has seen a resurgence for the 90s emo stalwarts The Get Up Kids who helped pave the way for the genres second wave. Problems, their first record since 2011, hit the airwaves in May. Another sing-along packed set saw the legends from Kansas shuffle through their whole career with crowd pleasers “I’m a Loner Dottie, a Rebel” and classic “Shorty,” which they were proud to admit playing at their first show in Chicago at Fireside Bowl.
Cock Sparrer
Has there been an English Oi! band that has stood the test of time as well as Cock Sparrer? After forty four years of Cockney anthems, they are still going strong; and this fist in the air, boots kicked high, sing your face off set of classics was pure joy to witness. Oi! Oi! Oi!
Violent Femmes
Milwaukee indie folk rock legends Violent Femmes have been cranking out hits since ‘83 with little mainstream success (“Blister in the Sun” being their lone radio hit), but with a set full of classics like “Kiss Off,” “Gone Daddy Gone” and closer “Add It Up” any longtime or casual fan should have been completely satisfied. They continue to crank out great material and this summer’s Hotel Last Resort still has that unmistakable Femmes vibe with tunes like set opener “I’m Nothing.”
Pennywise
Skate punk masters Pennywise have been producing their crunchy protest tunes since ‘88, and last year’s heavy hitter Never Gonna Die was their first studio record in over a decade. But, they didn’t play many tunes off it. With so many definitive hits to pick from like “Society,” “Fuck Authority,” and the always cathartic “Bro Hymn” (whose sing-along chorus could be heard across the park), it’s no wonder there wasn’t much room for the new material.
Descendents
The titular Riot Fest act, Cali geek rockers Descendents have lasted through four hiatuses and forty-two years to still stand on the mountain of punk. After twelve years out of a studio Milo, Bill, Karl, and Stephen returned with 2016’s Hypercaffium Spazzinate, and seem to have been on tour ever since. Their 11th Riot Fest performance was filled with plenty of new ones, but punctuated with so many sing-along classics such as opener “Suburban Home,” “I’m The One” and “Clean Sheets.”
But the burning question is: What’s in Milo’s water bottle he keeps strapped to himself?
Jawbreaker
While not nearly as magical as Jawbreaker’s reunion in ‘17, the hour headlining set seemed a bit short-winded and Blake’s vocals were a tad high in the mix, it was still the perfect cap to a fantastic day one. While most of the youngins were witnessing Blink, us old timers were chanting along to “Jet Black,” “Save Your Generation,” and “Boxcar.” While they have said they’ve been working on new material, none could be found here as they packed the set with every classic in their catalog.
Friday regrettably missed acts:
Matt Kerekes, Hot Mulligan, Lucero, Rancid
Friday unforgettable moments:
Witnessing Get Up Kids guitarist Jim Suptic lose his shit to Jawbreaker’s “Accident Prone” on the side of the stage, we were all right there with you Jim.
Pennywise singer Jim Lindberg calling on Riot Fest to get Minor Threat back together. You heard it Riot Mike, get Ian Mackaye on the line! Make it a double headliner with Minor Threat and Fugazi while you’re at it!
Friday advice:
Concerts are social events, but if you want to have a conversation with your friends but you have to yell over the music, it may be a cue to move farther back. Just saying…
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