While thousands stormed the west end of Chicago for Paul Westerberg and Black Francis, RIOT FEST CHICAGO’s closing day belonged to the underdog. CHUCK RAGAN, HOSTAGE CALM, and THE WONDER YEARS bailed out punk’s tendency to start late with homegrown emotion, AGAINST ME! and BAYSIDE wrecked fans with old cuts, and even BAD BOOKS, TOUCHE AMORE, and AFI surprised with razor sharp sets. Raindrops obviously interjected throughout the day but it was surreal to float with crowds from BEST COAST to SAVES THE DAY to BRAND NEW, and watch all three take it up a notch with damaging sing-alongs and tight-knit performances.
While hearing material off of Tim was a contender, Brand New’s set was a flooring highlight of the weekend. It held similarities to their 2009 fall tour in support of Daisy and solely because their intro of “Vices”, “Sink”, “Gasoline” bled some serious aggression that carried on as they dissected Deja Entendu, welcomed Kevin Devine and Andy Hull, and closed with an effective combo (“Degausser”, “You Won’t Know”). The display may have hinted at a transition for the four-piece but it undoubtedly revealed Riot Fest’s secret weapon. Stacked up against other outdoor gatherings, it certainly has its nuances but it’s impossible to shake off the surprises that leave you feeling ecstatic and “punk”.
THE WONDER YEARS at ROCK STAGE
BAYSIDE at RISE STAGE
AGAINST ME! at ROOTS STAGE
BEST COAST at RISE STAGE
SAVES THE DAY at ROCK STAGE
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS at REBEL STAGE
BRAND NEW at ROOTS STAGE
TOUCHE AMORE at REBEL STAGE
PIERCE THE VEIL at ROCK STAGE
AFI at RIOT STAGE
I love see these! I wanted to go to Riot Fest so badly this year! The lineup looked incredible! Thank you for sharing these.