Riot Fest 2017 Festival • Page 70

This is my favorite pic of the weekend

 

I wanted to mention that some of my favorite sets were Wu Tang Clan, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Pennywise, and Prophets of Rage. The Menzingers was obviously great too, being one of my favorite current bands. Flats did their thing and HWM was super on point. Was bummed to miss Paramore, Gwar, and The Mad Caddies, but that's how it goes. Worst set that I saw had to be TBS. That was pretty painful for the portion I saw. Wasn't there on Friday so I can't really speak to that day.

 

I pity the fools who saw TBS over QOTSA

 

Yeah, they were awesome from the little bit I caught.

 

Gates too right?

 

We did a half-and-half set for TBS and QOTSA. Wasn't too hard since their stages were pretty close to each other. At The Drive-In, The Menzingers, Nine Inch Nails, Jawbreaker, Bayside and The Lawrence Arms were my favorite sets of the weekend. I also really liked Minus the Bear. Never listened to them before, but they had a pretty chill crowd and their guitarist was really fun to watch. Did a lot of cool tapping stuff on every song. Only caught some of The Flatliners because I really needed to sit down and get water after The Menzingers.

 

I knew I forgot one off OTIP.

 

Paramore was the highlight of the weekend, followed by QOTSA, Menzingers, Vic Mensa, and Fidlar, plus Pkewx3 at the pizza party.

Menzingers was a wild time. I think I inhaled more dust during that set than is healthy though. I couldn't talk after. I also blew my nose at one point and literal mud came out.

Say Anything was good but something seemed kind of off behind the scenes. I didn't get the impression Max planned to do I Want To Know Your Plans, but maybe I'm way off.

Paramore was unbelievable. I can't believe I finally got to see AL songs live. Jawbreaker was cool to see too. They sounded great. I just wish I was a bigger fan. I went to the Taking Back Sunday after show and I was pretty much dead. I ended up sitting in the back for most of it.

Overall, it was an awesome weekend. I barely feel alive, but it was worth it. It was great to see those of you I did, and those I didn't, hopefully next year (or for Chicago folk, at shows throughout the year).

Only 361 days to go!

 

Wee Breakdown of my Festival Time

Saturday

-Smith Street: What a gratifying set. I thought Will sounded great even though he was battling through the flu I believe. MSOYTYAOM was the first album I put on post-RF today. The early crowd seemed to really dig it as well.

-Knucklepuck: Crazy I'd never seen them before as their from my area. Honestly, this was the perfect opportunity to lay down in the shade by the Rise stage and relax. I thought the performance was fine overall, I really just have never been huge on the band but it was cool to see them get such a big draw.

-FIDLAR: Really fun set. Would have been cool to be down in the pit for it. Need to check out their back catalogue.

-Larry Arms: Was a good time. Really the only thing I know by them is Oh, Calcutta, which was perfect.

-ATDI: was quite impressed, even though I was just watching casually aside from One Armed Scissor and the first 20 minutes

-QOTSA: objectively, maybe one of the top 5 or 10 performances I've seen by any band. Everything was so tight, professional, etc. Loved hearing the new songs especially. Was a cool cinematic experience as well with the main stage being juxtaposed by the almost black and white colored video screen.

Saturday Night

-Pkew x3: wish i knew the band more, they put on a really fun set. Also this was probably the most deafening club show i've ever been to.

-Flats: was a long time coming to see them and it was a blast. Kinda surprised they only played three songs off Cavalcade.

Sunday

-Culture Abuse: dug this a hell of a lot, they put on a great set.

-Orwells: lead singer fun between him inching his pantsline down every song, tearing off the Chicago flag from the pole and shouting "fuck Chicago, i'm from Elmhurst, i don't even like living in the city" and then climbing on top of the tent roof adjacent to the stage and disappearing for the last 10 minutes of the set. Great performance though.

-Menz: what else can be possibly said

-Flats: was happy they had a relatively big crowd on the small stage. Absolutely criminal though that they still only had 30 minutes. Sew My Mouth Shut as the opener was the only different song from the pizza party.

-TV on the Radio: Last minute decision to see them but i dug it.

-MIA: as I mentioned before, I think slightly regret not seeing Paramore but this was just something I had to do. Was definitely a nice change of pace music-wise for the weekend, plus the visual effects. Still had fun.

First time in Douglas Park for me at RF and this was a way better experience than 2014 at Humboldt. Easy to get nearly everywhere, food options were good (at least for me), and never had to wait terribly long for the restrooms. Lining the buses up along Ogden was a lifesaver after the fest.

Things I didn't like: $9 drinks (were $7 when I went last), only one area for refilling water

 

i know you all love the menz and they're great but it saddens me that everyone saw them over the two must see sets of cap'n jazz and built to spill

 

biggest/smallest crowds of the weekend?w

 

The Menz could repeatedly play Battle Hymm of the Republic on kazoos for an hour and I'd still go see them lol. I think everyone has those bands where you'll make irrational decisions to see them no matter the cost.

 

The menz will be headlining RF in ten years

 

I actually thought the Water station worked much much better this year. The line was rarely that bad, and moved pretty quick. Definitely better than any year I really remember.

And there was a ton of bathrooms. I don't think I ever had to wait really.

Sound bleed was definitely there but didn't ruin anything for me. Overall I think this was logistically one of their best run fests.

 

I waited probably 20 minutes during peak time at like 4pm on Saturday. Made the smart decision to buy a 1.5 liter water bottle before Sunday so i only had to do one massive refill.

 

Now that I've finally had time to relax here is my little recap

Thurs - Orwells show was a lot of fun, glad I did that. Free beer was just a fucking treat for the first day in Chicago haha

Fri - Definitely the worst day. I had a very partial amount of fun but mostly just stood around and hung out with friends most of the day. The aftershow on the otherhand was really great. Bayside was top notch and NFG was great as always.

Sat - My favorite day for sure. Smith Street and Lawrence Arms were both fucking great. And I got to see a lot of cool shit. Only bands I thought sounded bad were Knuckle Puck and TBS but I was standing far back for both. Also kind of regret seeing Streetlight over Wu Tang. Probably my least favorite Streetlight set I've seen but they were still good.

The pizza party was awesome. Pkew + Flats were great and it was cool meeting @cubsml34 & @mattfreaksmeout! I was very drunk by the end of the night lol

Sun - Also a pretty great day. Culture Abuse was really great, Say Anything put on a really good set when I initially thought it would just be ok. Menzingers were the best set of the weekend for me just because of how much I love them probably. Paramore was solid but I'm more excited to see them at their headliner. From what I caught of Jawbreaker they sounded great and the crowd (even though it wasn't very large compared to the other headliners) seemed to be having a great time.

Capping the weekend off with that Menzingers acoustic aftershow was perfect.

Can't wait for next year! Hopefully I don't go to 4 aftershows though. I'm exhausted

 

Really? I never had that long of a wait but maybe I just got lucky. I think maybe 15 minutes top once, although there was a time or 2 where I just gave in and bought water cus it was easier. That's actually my one bigger complaint. I wish there was a water station on both ends of the park.

 

After Menzingers were done I caught the last 20 minutes of Built to Spill and they sounded great. I ended up buying Keep It Like a Secret on Saturday too, pumped to dig deeper into it.

From everyone I talked to that saw Cap'n Jazz said they were incredible. Dan Ozzi raved about their set on Twitter.

 

Yeah it definitely wasn't ideal, line was pretty long on Sunday too. I'd agree, at least another water station is needed.

 

10 Favorite Sets from this Weekend:

1. The Menzingers
2. Paramore
3. Peaches
4. Mayday Parade
5. The Smith Street Band
6. Wu-Tang Clan
7. At the Drive In
8. GWAR
9. Death from Above
10. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

 

I honestly don't know how it happened, but I was apparently way more drunk than I thought at that pizza party, because I don't really remember getting back to my friends that night. I blame the malort.

I only did like 2 and a half after shows (the half is because I saw Jay Som Thursday but it wasn't related to RF at all and it was done pretty early) and it wiped me. I think 1 or 2 is my limit.

 

Fuck it, I'll just do a stream of conscious review of everyone I saw.

To preface this, I saw Matchbox 20 and Counting Crows the night before. For anyone interested, Counting Crows were pretty good, but Matchbox 20 was unbelievably great. If you get the chance to see them on this upcoming tour, even if you're just a casual fan, DO IT.

Okay, here we go.

Seaway - Good way to start the day. I literally got their 10 seconds before they started. They sounded great and they were super into it - felt like a really good Warped Tour set.

Four Year Strong - Honestly kind of disappointing. I hadn't seen Four Year Strong in a while, but they seemed super out of it, and the energy just wasn't there. Also, they only played 45 minutes of an hour set.

The Hotelier - Christian sounded great, but yeah, you could tell the heat was getting to the band and the crowd. They had a pretty sizable crowed for a band that size though. Honestly, they're just a band I'd rather see in a club (which I'm doing in November!)

State Champs - Got to see the last 20 minutes after Hotelier wrapped up. They sounded solid, but I spent a majority of the set reconnecting with some of my friends. It was nice to hear "Critical," which they hadn't played in forever. Pumped to hear their new music next year.

Death from Above - Awesome set. They sounded great, and their banter was really funny. Really glad I FINALLY got to hear "Romantic Rights" live - I've loved that song ever since I heard it on Human Giant in 2007.

The Dirty Heads - I decided to skip The Story So Far to get some food and just relax, and they were playing where I was eating. They sounded pretty good for what they were, but the best part was whenever they stopped playing, Ministry's sound bled over into their set and the contrast was hilarious.

Mayday Parade - It was so nice to get to hear A Lesson in Romantics again, especially in a festival setting. All the guys were super into it, and the crowd reaction was fantastic. I'll always love this band.

Nine Inch Nails - I watched a couple songs between ADTR's set and it was really cool. They're not really a band that appeals to me, but Trent is definitely a musician and person I have nothing but admiration for, especially his film scores.

A Day to Remember - Kind of underwhelming at first, but there's definitely a showmanship to what the band does that demands a certain amount of respect - they definitely have their live set down to a tee. The last three songs definitely picked up steam, and it was pretty fun to have a giggle with @JaytotheGee while they were playing during the more bro-ey moments.

After that, Justin, our friend Carleton, and Justin's girlfriend Paige all piled into a Lyft and went to Concord Music Hall for the first aftershow. Radar State opened, and they sounded solid - looking forward to watching them with Say Anything in December. Bayside sounded really on-point, though they had to cut their set short for some reason - still, tons of fun. And New Found Glory was really good too, though it took them FOREVER to start. I took off about 12 songs into their 20 song set.

The Smith Street Band - This was my first set of the day on Saturday, and probably my favorite band I discovered all weekend. I had no idea they had such a following over here (or that they were from Australia) but they had a really polished set and great banter with the crowd. Definitely keeping them on my radar.

Peaches - I was going to split this with Knuckle Puck, but honestly, I've seen KP, like, 7 times and I don't really LOVE them, so I decided to just go see Peaches. Best decision I made all weekend - her set was so bananas, exciting, and fun to watch. I had such a great time, and it was so fun to hear "Fuck the Pain Away."

Bayside - Honestly, I probably would have just rested during this set if it wasn't for the fact they were playing The Walking Wounded. Another case of a 4 PM set with awful heat where all I wanted to do was sit down, but the band held it together alright. Though TWW is my favorite Bayside record, I honestly forgot how slow the second half is - some songs sounded awesome, like Landing Feet First and Head on a Plate, but others like Thankfully and Popular Science I was kind of bored. Still, I had a pretty good time.

New Found Glory - I didn't do ANYTHING between 5:30 and 7:00, so after eating, shopping, and resting, I watched Gogol Bordello do a few songs (not really my thing, but they had a lot of energy). NFG was solid enough, though I liked the aftershow setlist a little more, just because it had some songs in it I hadn't really heard before. Still got to hear all the stuff I love at least twice though (Hit or Miss, All Downhill from Here, etc.)

At the Drive In - Had a TON of fun getting to watch them, and still can't believe I was able to. To me, ATDI is one of those bands that I always thought would be just out of reach for me to see, and it was so cool to get to. Lots of energy, good crowd reception, and getting to jam to One Armed Scissor was a highlight of the weekend for me. Really hope I can see them again in a club soon.

Wu-Tang Clan - After ATDI finished, I ran over to catch what was left, which thankfully, wasn't a huge issue, because they ended up going past 9:30 (their set was scheduled from 8-9). So cool to see that kind of a set at a festival like this, and the crowd really dug it. Only problem I had was it was a little chaotic with six guys singing the same lyrics, sometimes all at once. But, regardless that only added to the urgency of it.

Taking Back Sunday - Decided to just run over and watch a couple of songs while I was still there. Probably the biggest disappointment of the weekend. The sound was pretty awful from where I was standing and I pretty much took off after two songs. Only adds to the fact that TBS is super hit or miss. Hopefully the aftershow was a little bit better.

Decided to pass on the pizza party - my feet really hurt and I just wanted to relax for a bit. Glad it went well though!

Beach Slang - SO excited I made it in time for this, because it was another great early day set, similar to how The Smith Street Band was the day before. James' banter was awesome, and the '90s medley they did was really fun. Really love this band, and hope I can see them more in the future.

Real Friends - I won't lie and say I haven't noticed Real Friends slipping in their live shows lately, but man, they were so on yesterday - partially because they haven't been really touring a lot lately. Probably the liveliest crowd I saw all weekend - people lost their ever-loving shit, and the band sounded really on-point.

Say Anything - Only stuck around for a couple of songs, but they were pretty good for the most part. However, Max does this thing that irritates the shit out of me, where he sings off beat of the actual song, making it really hard to sing along during their set. Anthony Raneri did it a lot too. Kind of doesn't make me want to do the album shows in December, but I'll probably change my mind because I really enjoy those records.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - HUGE crowd for them, and for good reasons. So much fun, and tons of people singing along, especially to Impression that I Get. Their set was super fun, and I'm glad I caught them because they don't really come to the midwest super often from what I've seen.

The Menzingers - Best set of the damn weekend, and all I've listened to since it happened. I can't stop thinking about how great they sounded, how into it the crowd was, and how perfectly curated everything was. I really stand by my belief that Menz is the best live band in punk music, without question. After this, and the aftershow, they're probably one of my top 10 favorite bands of all-time now.

Pennywise - Honestly, I had a pretty big gap again with some bands I kind of wanted to see. I did watch about 20 minutes of Built to Spill, but by that point, they were mostly just jamming. I was split between wanting to watch TV on the Radio or just get there early for Dinosaur Jr, so I skipped TV and just went to the Main Stage to wait. Pennywise played before them, and they were fine. Funny, but just kind of grated after a while - but I'm not really an old punk head, so some of it was just lost on me.

Dinosaur Jr. - Speaking of lost on me, wow, I was hoping for so much more out of this set, but I was sooooo bored. It honestly didn't help that they were playing a record I had zero interest in seeing, and everything I wanted to hear out of them would be played after it, but God, I left so quickly after like 3-4 songs. Would love to see them again just to hear Feel the Pain and be done with it.

GWAR - Had some time to kill before Paramore, so I decided to go ahead and watch some of GWAR, who had a HUGE crowd on Heather Owen. The set started about 20 minutes late, which was really irritating, but once it got going, it was a ton of fun. Only bummer was they used a lot of the same bits from their Warped Tour set earlier this summer, so there weren't many surprises. Hoping they switch it up for their headliner in the fall.

Paramore - God, this was such a religious experience. Every song sounded amazing, and they reception was awesome. Crowd was a little annoying (literally 5-6 people in the 20 minutes between me getting there and the set starting openly complained about my height right to my face, as if I had any way of controlling it), but there were a lot of people that I had good conversation with and danced with, etc. The After Laughter stuff was awesome, and the dude they picked to do Misery Business did a great job. Great set, second only to Menzingers.

Jawbreaker - Decided to skip Andrew WK in the hopes of seeing him in October, or after he puts out his new record next year, and watch Jawbreaker, seeing how rare the opportunity would be. They sounded great, and were super funny/dickish between songs, which was fun. I definitely plan on digging into some of their records more at work this week. If anyone has recommendations, hit me up! Gonna plan on starting with Dear You and then continue down the line.

After about 5-6 Jawbreaker songs, I met my friends, and we went back to the apartment we were staying at to drop off our stuff, then went to Hopcat to get dinner. I actually had my first beer there in almost two years that night, which was a big deal for me. While we were eating, I saw on Twitter about the aftershow, and my friends and I finished our food and drinks super quickly, I told Justin, Michael, and other friends, and took a Lyft over to the bar they were playing at. I'm so glad we did because this was one of the best things about this weekend.

This was an incredible weekend, and I absolutely plan on coming back next year. I'm so happy to be surrounded by so many great friends, bands, and a sense of community in this punk scene. I'm so thankful to have another home.

 

I was orignally so excited to see them. After realizing they weren't doing RODT, I was bummed. After listening to a lot of their stuff post-RODT again, I got SUPER excited for their set. I've always been a big FYS fan and I haven't seen them in years. But the more they played, the more bored I got. They all seemed out of it, like something was missing almost? It was really strange. Starting to think that maybe I'm just over this band for multiple reasons. Easily my biggest (and maybe only?) disappointment all weekend.

 

they literally have not been the same since they kicked Josh. just sucked a lot of energy out of both their recorded and live stuff. like I think EOTW is the best album ever to come out of that genre and I still have enjoyed them live but something is undoubtedly missing and we all know what it is. no one wants more radio rock

 

I saw them on the RODT tour and yeah I wasn't feeling it either. That album sounds so cheesy ten years later and that tour really exposed that. I was so bored the last time I saw them as well, I think it's just because the music sounds so outdate.