Riot Fest 2018 - September 14-16 - Douglas Park, Chicago Tour • Page 10

Hoping for Fugazi, Neutral Milk Hotel, Bright Eyes, Fireworks, The Wonder Years, Menzingers, All Time Low (10 year )

 

I'm wracking my brain for any reunions that would be big enough to fit that top slot. But other than My Chemical Romance? I can't think of anything that's even remotely feasible that would wind up as high as Jawbreaker, the Misfits, or the Replacements. That whole thing feels pretty tapped out at this point. And I'm not even going to bother hoping for Fugazi or Operation Ivy because not gonna happen.

I would have said Husker Du, but with Grant's passing that doesn't feel likely...

I'm putting my money on the Gaslight Anthem doing The '59 Sound, though for sure!

I could see Eminem being a headliner too. Or the Killers. Those two bands are headlining Boston Calling, and I'd say that festival is on the smaller tip compared to Riot Fest... So they could pull it off. But I don't know that they'd do that. They tend to steer clear of the usual headliners that other fests grab. Though, those headliners are generally more out of their wheelhouse than those two acts are.

I'm going to be paying attention to the Montebello Rockfest line-up. There's usually some crossover there as far as reunions/rare harder rock acts go.

 

I go back and forth on the whole Green Day thing every year... I keep thinking we need to wait for them to have a "dip" in popularity or something, but given the acts that they've had? Venue-wise, Green Day is about on par with some past headliners (Blink-182, Nine Inch Nails, No Doubt) but bigger than most others despite being on a similar venue level.

They just don't play a lot of festivals. And I wonder if that's because they demand a lot more money. They're a bit more "mainstream" than a band like NIN (that is, everybody knows who they are).

I don't know. Never say never. But I feel like Riot Fest would only be able to book them if they aren't doing anything else that year... And I'm guessing 2018 is an off year so...

 

I’d put money on Gaslight as well, but I’m not buying my ticket til it’s announced.

 

Talking heads, husker du, fugazi, smashing pumpkins, dead Kennedy's, rem, and yes my chemical romance.

This feels like green day an/or my chem kind of year. Has to.

 

I still think SP is way more likely for Lolla over RF it they do play a Chi festival, given their long history with Lolla from the touring days

 

The date for FOB’s Wrigley show is a bummer. I was really hoping it would line up with RF, but there’s no way I can stay long enough for both. I really hope this is finally the year for Green Day and The Killers would be fun, but other than that I’m drawing a blank for the realistic lineup.

 

I'm still pretty firmly in the "never gonna fucking happen" camp as far as the Fugazi and Dead Kennedys thing goes...

Husker Du was one I was sure would happen eventually until Grant passed away last year. Now? I'm not so sure. Then again, it might be one of those things where the other two guys say "Fuck it, one of us has already passed... Let's get out there and play these songs in his honor." It might spur them into doing it. Who knows?

Smashing Pumpkins, R.E.M., and My Chemical Romance are all possible. I actually forgot about R.E.M. And it's been five years since MCR ended things... They broke-up mostly because they needed a break. I'd say the buzz train has been halted pretty well, and Gerard got that solo stuff out of his system.

Straight-up? Green Day, My Chemical Romance, and R.E.M. would look perfect on a Riot Fest poster as top three. In that order.

 

Lol well duh that would be perfect... sounds expensive as hell though

 

Gaslight definitely seems more likely at Riot but they could end up at Lolla which would be a bummer

ATL doing SWIR would be awesome and seems possible

I think we'll see Alkaline Trio, ETID, Saves The Day and Less Than Jake this year too

 

I mean, last year they had a Green Day-sized headliner (Nine Inch Nails) with a fairly expensive reunion (Jawbreaker) and a big-sized rock act (QOTSA) with a solid stack of 2-3 line acts who are theater/hockey arena headliners in their own right...

You would probably more than make-up for it with that line-up if you cheaped out a smidge on the second and third line acts.

 

Random observation: Do we think Lorde might be a Riot Fest act? I've noticed that tour with Run the Jewels is playing somewhere outside of Chicago... I could see both her and Run the Jewels (and Mitski!) playing.

Also: I'm assuming the Distillers will be there.

 

I think RTJ will be the big hip hop act, not sure who will be the "legendary" hip hop act though

Lorde would be awesome

 

They seem to have avoided going that route for the most part.... while they get a national.. modest mouse... death cab.. flaming lips

They haven't done anything too poppy yet with lorde

 

I'd lose my mind if Lorde played, but the Allstate absolutely counts as a Chicago date on any tour. It's like 30 minutes out of the city. But March and September are a long way away so it's possible she comes back. That'd be an awesome and interesting booking. And yes please to Mitski!

I still think Green Day is a little bigger than Nine Inch Nails just because they have a lot more recognizable mainstream hits. I'm not sure NIN could pull off playing Wrigley in 2018, but I could be way off.

 

I refuse to entertain this possibility. I can't get my hopes up and then crushed again.

 

Good point. I guess I was thinking of her more along the lines of having Fitz and the Tantrums two years ago or whatever. I would guess she'd be more of a direct support main stage act... But that might rule her out, anyway. Just a thought.

 

Good point about the Wrigley thing, haha. I guess I was just thinking about the "average" venue that they play. You're right. NIN couldn't play Wrigley. At least, I don't think they could... But I also don't think Green Day is big enough to play that venue in that city again for at least a few years.

 

If they're going to do it anywhere it'd be here!

 

Yea I'd agree about that. They definitely couldn't do it every year or anything. I don't think it's impossible they book Green Day, I just think the other 2 headliners would be a little smaller if they did, which isn't anything unusual for Riot Fest. They've had Modest Mouse, Morrissey, The Flaming Lips all headline. This fest really is the hardest to predict since they don't follow trends at all: not even their own trends.

 

That is true and it'd be easier to do as a one-off show. I'm skeptical, but I'll hold on to some hope!

 

With Green Day having played Wrigley last year, I doubt they come back and headline a festival with a smaller capacity.

 

If Run the Jewels doesn't headline Pitchfork this year, I think they're a lock for Riot.

 

Riot fest draws more daily then wrigley holds for concerts and they didn’t even sell out wrigley I went and there was a shit ton of open seats

 

I definitely hope this is the year for Green Day and/or MCR, but I'm not crossing my fingers for the latter.

The Killers would be cool, but Lollapalooza last year (I know they were added late, but still) and the fact that they've already played Chicago this year makes me think they're pretty unlikely.

As far as older reunions, I really don't think REM will ever play again, but that would be a spectacular booking for Riot Fest. I would be hopeful for Talking Heads if David Byrne wasn't doing a solo tour this summer. Some form of Husker Du makes sense, but I don't know their music or fanbase well enough to guess if they'd be at the top of the bill or not.

I imagine it's getting harder and harder every year to top the previous year's headliners with something that most people haven't seen before or can't see anywhere else.