DS Bonus Coverage: More Highlights & Happenings at Chicago’s Riot Fest 2024

As summer fades and the smell of fall fills the air, music fans from across the globe brace themselves for one of the most exciting and eccentric music festivals of the year: Riot Fest.  The iconic festival boasts some of the best punk and alternative artists, including the classics we grew up on and new […]

As summer fades and the smell of fall fills the air, music fans from across the globe brace themselves for one of the most exciting and eccentric music festivals of the year: Riot Fest.  The iconic festival boasts some of the best punk and alternative artists, including the classics we grew up on and new bands for fans to discover. Join us as Dying Scene revisits Riot Fest 2024; the bands, the fans, and the all new RiotLand! 


Day One

Despite the sweltering heat, fans turned up for day one to get the party started. Headliners included Sum 41, Fall Out Boy, The Offspring, New Found Glory, Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, The Marley Brothers and NOFX. With so many amazing bands it is hard to figure out where to go first but we headed to the NOFX Stage to see Get Dead.  


The San Francisco punk band formed in 2007 and joined forces with Fat Mike and his label, Fat Wreck Chords


We wound up at the Radical Stage afterwards for several bands; the layout at this year’s Riot Fest looked a little bit different from years past, now complete with all large stages and two sets of stages side by side. Super convenient! Thanks to that I was able to catch some of Jhariah’s set before Canadian post-punk band Home Front


Home Front’s performance was explosive, complete with an impressive amount of jump kicks, especially for this Chicago heat. They debuted their first studio album Games of Power on March 3rd, 2023. It is best described as a beautiful blend of post-punk synthwave and oi!  


Bay Area punks Spiritual Cramp followed Home Front on the stage with an equal amount of chaotic attitude and on-stage antics. The gritty yet delightfully polished swagger of frontman Michael Bingham easily won over the crowd. Spiritual Cramp also released their self-titled debut studio album in 2023 via Blue Grape Music


Post-hardcore band Drug Church took the stage next with overwhelming support from their fans who crowd surfed and sang along to every song. Their newest album PRUDE is set to be released on October 4th, 2024 via Pure Noise Records. You will also still have a chance to catch Drug Church on “The Prude Tour” this fall that features support from Modern Color, Soul Blind, and Pony. 



Day Two

The second day of Riot Fest was just as hot as the first! We started at the Radical Stage for Heart Attack Man, the Ohio-based pop punk band. In 2023, the band released their third full length album Freak of Nature.


Over at the AAA Stage I was fortunate enough to catch the end of Sir Chloe’s set, an indie rock band from Vermont. Another fan raced to the railings at the end hoping to get a drumstick as she was a drummer herself. We both managed to get drummer Palmer Foote’s attention who promptly threw us both a stick! The Hives then promptly started at the neighboring Cabaret Metro Stage. 

Finally, Health started, a band so many people have told me I just HAVE to see. The LA experimental-industrial rock band certainly is a vibe. Think cyberpunk meets nihilism meets sexy meets dark transcendentalism…yeah, hard to describe, but you can certainly groove to it at your next goth dark wave club night. 


After checking out the highly anticipated St. Vincent and L.S. Dunes (who are no strangers to Riot Fest, check out our previous coverage here), nostalgia brought me to the infamous Taking Back Sunday so I could sing along to all the emo songs that got me through high school. Adam Lazzara still has all the moves with microphone tricks galore.  


Day Three

In complete opposition to the previous days, the third and final day of Riot Fest was rainy and cloudy. It certainly set the mood for the bands of the day which tended to be more metal and hardcore, including the reunion of Slayer. 

GEL was everything you would expect from a hardcore band with a knockout performance. With the rain comes mud, and with mud of course there will be circle pits in it (and some mud wrestling). Their newest EP Persona was released on August 16th, 2024. 


A unique mash-up came to Riot Fest that could not be missed: Laura Jane Grace with ska greats Catbite performing a set of Operation Ivy.


Other noteworthy acts of the day included the metal greats: Mastodon, GWAR, Lamb of God and horror shock rock king Rob Zombie who always put on the best theatrical performance. 



RiotLand

New to Riot Fest this year is RiotLand, filled with old favorites like the Logan Arcade, wedding chapel and skate ramp but also the return of the Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow Revue. RiotLand was great to walk around while waiting for your next favorite band to play or just for some good old-fashioned people-watching. You can pop inside the store replica of the convenience store in the movie “Clerks” for some quick essentials, stop at the Riot Fest Historical Society made in collaboration with the Punk Rock Museum (those familiar with the Fireside Bowl will recognize the exterior!), and even watch some NWA wrestling.



Most importantly the RiotLand experience would not be complete if you did not take a picture with the giant butter sculpture of John Stamos…because why the hell not?  


Riot Fest 2024 may be over but there is still an abundance of Riot Fest Presents shows coming up in the Chicago and Milwaukee area. However, it is never too early to start your Riot Fest 2025 predictions and dream line ups! 

Keep an eye on Dying Scene for more in-depth coverage of all three days of the festival! 

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DS Show Review & Galleries: Riot Fest 2024 Day 3 featuring Laura Jane Grace & Catbite perform Operation Ivy; The Vandals; and Pennywise. Chicago (09.22.2024)

Rain had been predicted for several days in the week before the start of Riot Fest 2024. The first two days of the festival were sweltering but dry. Sunday morning, however, was greeted by heavy clouds and a torrential downpour. This meant gates had a delayed opening, and some of Douglass Park was taped off. […]

Rain had been predicted for several days in the week before the start of Riot Fest 2024. The first two days of the festival were sweltering but dry. Sunday morning, however, was greeted by heavy clouds and a torrential downpour. This meant gates had a delayed opening, and some of Douglass Park was taped off. As a result, we at Dying Scene had a lighter day. But sets from Laura Jane Grace & Catbite performing Operation Ivy, The Vandals; and Pennywise more than made up for the muddy grounds and having to carry a bunch of plastic bags in case camera gear needed covering. Read all about it and check out the galleries linked from Instagram below.


Laura Jane Grace & Catbite performing a full set of Operation Ivy tunes? Umm, hell yeah. I know I’m not alone in that thinking after seeing the Riot Fest 2024 lineup. The fabulous Philadelphia ska outfit Catbite joined the dynamic Laura Jane Grace as the rain began to ease up, and the result was jaw-dropping. “What’s up Riot Fest?” asked Laura Jane Grace. Grace followed it up with this pledge:

We’re going to do as many of these songs as we can.”

Rolling from one tune to another they did get to perform quite a few. Highlights of the exuberant set included not only the classic “Take Warning,” but also “Bombshell,” “Unity,“ and “Missionary.”  It ended with the defiant “Officer.”

Together, Laura Jane Grace & Catbite might not be on their “way to save the world.” However, they brought a lot of unity to the festival grounds, renamed four years ago in honor of legendary abolitionists Frederick And Anna Murray Douglass. There is something pretty poetic and pretty punk rock in that. Check out more pics!


Orange County, CA icons, The Vandals attacked the stage in a most impish manner. For those uninitiated, most band members decked out in more subdued tones. Not guitarist Warren Fitzgerald, in his vivid yellows and oranges. Wearing bright colors is part of his modus operandi.

Per usual, the ever-limber Fitzgerald was a photographer magnet. Twisting himself into poses that seemed painful to even look at, he provoked a fist bump and this exchange with lead singer Dave Quakenbush:

DQ: “That was rad Warren dude, you still got it.”

WF: “I got hurt…almost hurt so many times.

DQ: “And then you pulled it off, you looked cool.”

“WF: I’m not hurt yet.”

DQ: “You looked really good doing it too.”

WF: Thank you.”

Quakenbush, Fitzgerald, bass player Joe Escalante, and drummer Josh Freese played a rollicking set which included “Café 405,” ”Cowboy,” “It’s A Fact,” “N.I.M.B.Y.,” and “Anarchy Burger (Hold The Government.)”

As hoodie weather sets in, with the holiday season in the not-too-distant future, I look forward to blasting some “Oi To The World” on the regular. Lots more pics here.


Pennywise, my final set of the weekend, was an interesting experience. It seems appropriate that it was the penultimate band at the NOFX World Stage before NOFX played Riot Fest for the final time. For at least most of the photography allotted time, there were only two shooters in the photo pit. Perhaps due to Rob Zombie having a competing set, The other photographer informed me he was shooting for himself. With four cameras on his person, he jokingly acknowledged reminding people of the Dennis Hopper character in Apocolypse Now. A much nattier version, though. I also wondered which of the two of us, Pennywise singer Jim Lindberg would borrow a camera to take a photo of the crowd. It’s something I have seen him do in the past, but this afternoon, it was all about the music.

While the photo pit might have been a bit barren, the crowd was not. Whether the RF attendees were there for NOFX or Pennywise, or most likely both, did not matter. The Hermosa Beach, CA legends delivered a fusillade of songs starting with the recalcitrant “Fight Till You Die.”

Lindberg then looked to the sky, observing that “The clouds have parted for Pennywise, thank you very much Jesus.”

Pennywise also performed robustious versions of “Date with Destiny, and “Fuck Authority.” Fletcher Dragge prefaced that latter tune with a speech he described as the same one he’s been giving “for the last fucking 20 years.” But this has a special timeliness to it as he spoke to the crowd,

“Election year motherfuckers, who you voting for?”

Dragge was apparently pleased with the crowd’s response, continuing with, “A lot of boos, that’s good, that means you hate everybody right? That’s a good place.”

After adding that “they’re all motherfuckers, both sides are fucked,” and assuring everyone that “We’re all in this together,” the band launched into a ferocious version of the aforementioned “Fuck Authority.” It was a powerful battle cry and a much-welcome one to many of those on the lawn and surrounding the band on stage.

Pennywise also had a bit of fun covering just under a minute of NOFX’s “Bob.” The band ended with “Bro Hymn,” joined up front by all the friends, family, and fans watching the sides and rear areas of the stage. It was an exceptionally festive moment.

I know I’m amped up for the next chance to shoot this band. You wanna borrow my camera, Jim? Check out a bunch more pics of the PW set here!


You can again peruse Days 1 and Day 2 if the mood hits.

Once again, covering Riot Fest was abundantly fun, though extremely exhausting. And by the end of the festival I cannot wait to tear off the wristbands that tickled my skin all weekend long (I save them as mementos). When everything is complete I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. DONE!

Is it next year yet?

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DS Show Review & Galleries: Riot Fest 2024 Day 2 featuring The Hives, The Dead Milkmen, Sincere Engineer, Descendents; and D.O.A. Chicago (09.21.2024)

Riot Fest Day 1 was hot, and Riot Fest Day 2 was even hotter. A virtual scorcher, weather-wise and musically, DS hit the photo-pits for The Hives, The Dead Milkmen, Sincere Engineer, Descendents, and D.O.A. as they tore up the stages in Chicago’s Douglass Park. You can see additional day 2 band galleries on Instagram […]

Riot Fest Day 1 was hot, and Riot Fest Day 2 was even hotter. A virtual scorcher, weather-wise and musically, DS hit the photo-pits for The Hives, The Dead Milkmen, Sincere Engineer, Descendents, and D.O.A. as they tore up the stages in Chicago’s Douglass Park. You can see additional day 2 band galleries on Instagram via hyperlinks in the corresponding paragraphs below.


One of the most eagerly anticipated sets on the second day of this year’s Riot Fest was from The Hives. The matching and sharp-dressed Swedish punks exceeded all expectations with a ferocious performance from the first note played. With various band members sporadically taking their places on the giant speakers in front of the stage and with the lead singer “Howling” Pelle Almqvist moving to sing at the barricades and above the fans, the photo pit got a bit chaotic. It was so chaotic (please note, though not out of control) that we shooters were instructed to exit just seconds into the third song. One fellow photographer joked after that if you could not get a good photo within the first minute of that set, you shouldn’t be shooting Riot Fest. Indeed, The Hives set was the epitome of the performances upon which we concert photographers thrive.

Included in the raucous set were the songs “Bogus Operandi, “”Rigor Mortis Radio,” “Walk Idiot Walk,” and “Hate To Say I Told You So.” “Countdown to the Shutdown” was the last song played by The Hives but it wasn’t the last song heard. While lots of bands have walk-on music, The Hives also has a walk-off songs. In this case, Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better,” which, f.y.i., is the theme song to the 1977 James Bond film, “The Spy Who Loved Me.” Band members bowed and waved as the iconic American singer-songwriter’s voice wafted gently from the speakers. More than a few witnessing The Hives’ Riot Fest performance might argue that nobody did it better, at least not on this day.


The Dead Milkmen took the stage a few minutes ahead of time, catching us shooters and those letting us into the photo pit a bit off guard. It was all good, though, as we were given a bit more time to make up for it. The Philly outfit brought its legendary tongue firmly in cheek. The exuberant set included some of the band’s best songs, including “Serrated Edge,” “Punk Rock Girl,” “Bitchin’ Camaro,” and “Big Lizard.”

The Dead Milkmen also performed “Grandpa’s Not a Racist (He Just Voted for One),” off the band’s 2023 album Quaker City Quiet Pills. The lyrics to the song and the fact it was released just last year, make it hard not to think of a certain segment of the voting population in this election year, and of a certain 2024 Presidential Candidate.

They’re coming for his Jesus
They re coming for his gun
They’re coming for his Jesus
There coming for his gun
They’re coming for his Jesus
They’re coming for his gun
Grandpa’s not a racist – he just voted for one

Grandpa’s screaming something about white genocide
as he crawls under the bed looking for someplace to hide
He talks a lot of bullshit when he’s hittin’ the rum
But we know Grandpa’s not a racist – he just voted for one.

Last night we found Grandpa wandering the streets
Whistling Dixie and wearing a white sheet
Letting everybody know He won’t be replaced by the Jews 
and we said
“Oh, Grandpa, who could ever replace you”

Do you know a racist Grandpa?
You see one every day
He wonders why the N-word is something he’s not allowed to say
and while he’s the worst person under the sun
We all know Grandpa’s not a racist – he just voted for one.”

The Dead Milkmen set was the one I knew I would not miss at this year’s Riot Fest. I enjoyed interviewing Joe Jack Talcum and covering and documenting the band’s delightful set at House of Vans several years back. I hope to document as many more The Dead Milkmen shows as possible because I’m kind of a punk rock girl who has had the pleasure of riding in my friends’ Bitching Camaro on numerous occasions.


Sincere Engineer is most often described as a stage moniker for singer/rhythm guitar player Deanna Belos in her sole work. But it has also been described as a band, including by Belos herself on occasion. Whatever its most accurate characterization, if there indeed is one, Sincere Engineer has been a Dying Scene favorite pretty much since its debut album, Rhombithian.

Of course, one of the big reasons is Belos’ smartly charming and self-deprecating songwriting. She is unafraid to wear her often aching and/or longing heart on the short sleeves of her black Carhartt t-shirts nor is she wary of letting you know this is the case. The first song the band played “Anemia” perfectly illustrates this

I’m a walking open wound
Don’t make any sudden moves
I’m a walking open wound
It’s a pleasure to meet you

Aware of this, it is unsurprising the group’s walk-on music is the classic instrumental version of the Johnny Mandel theme from M*A*S*H*, also known by its official song name “Suicide Is Painless.”

However, the joy she and her bandmates, Kyle Geib on lead guitar, Nick Arvanitis on bass, and drummer/back-up vocals Adam Beck display whilst expressing sometimes heavy emotions is infectious.

Also included in the roaring set “Dragged Across The Finish Line,” “Corn Dog Sonnet No. 7,” “Old Coat Pocket,” and “Overbite,” among others.

Sincere Engineer is currently on the road in the western part of the United States, supporting New Found Glory’s Catalyst 20 Years Later Tour. To say this is a dream come true for Belos’ might be a bit of an understatement. Speaking to her from said road, Belos’ described to me what it has been like.

“It’s such a blast being out on tour with New Found Glory! They’re so nice, and the shows have been incredible! They were my first favorite band, so it’s been awesome to get to know them and see them every night!


Riot Fest’s regular rotations include numerous members of the “Punk Rock Docs Club” including Bad Religion’s Dr. Greg Griffin, PhD; Dr. Daryl Wilson, MD of The Bollweevils; Dr. Dexter Holland, PhD of The Offspring, and of course, The Descendents‘ Dr. Milo Auckerman, PhD. The latter two were on stage in Douglass Park this year. Dying Scene was able to hit one of those sets.

After taking the stage Guitarist Stephen Egerton gestured to its side area to give a shoutout to skateboarding legend Steve Caballero, whose own band, Urethane, also played Riot Fest 2024. The Descendents launched into its performance. The frenetic and extensive set included “The Only One,” “Silly Girl,” “Clean Sheets,” “Look Good On Paper,” “I’m The One,” and “Suburban Home.”

If the Descendents were offered an annual residency at Riot Fest, few would likely complain.


D.O.A. is still alive and killing it. The only member of the band from start to present, singer Joey “Joey Shithead” Keithley, told the audience that the band has been around for 47 years and added, “I’m in the middle of my third life sentence but don’t worry I can do the fucking stretch. I’m ok, I can do it.”

The band made a strong case for never retiring with its powerful set. Two of the highlights were blistering performances of “Smash The State,” and “The Enemy.”

D.O.A. was recently on the bill for NOFX’s final show. They have a couple of Pacific Northwest shows scheduled in November 2024, providing direct support for Duff McKagen. Check them out if you can!


As noted above, all of the DS Riot Fest galleries can also be viewed on the Dying Scene Instagram account.

Stay tuned for Day 3 coverage coming soon! Cheers!

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DS Show Review & Gallery: Riot Fest 2024 Day 1 featuring NOFX, New Found Glory, Face To Face, The Warning, Circle Jerks, Winona Fighter, ALL, The Exploited and The Lawrence Arms

Day 1 of Riot Fest 2024 kicked off on a hot Friday morning. Festival organizers announced a few months back that the annual weekend Chicago event would be moved to the nearby suburbs. That caused a bit of a kerfluffle, with some applauding the move, and some vehemently opposed to it, often depending on where […]

Day 1 of Riot Fest 2024 kicked off on a hot Friday morning. Festival organizers announced a few months back that the annual weekend Chicago event would be moved to the nearby suburbs. That caused a bit of a kerfluffle, with some applauding the move, and some vehemently opposed to it, often depending on where those reacting lived. But in the end, the festival once again took place at Chicago’s Douglass Park.

While change-ups and new offerings are an annual occurrence, this year, there were more than in past years. This included the renaming of some stages, as well as the change of location for at least one. The carnival rides were still on-site, as were the wrestling ring, skate ramp, and Wedding Chapel. That last feature was, this year, in an enclosed Church like structure (offering softer, better lighting for photographers) in a new area called Riot Land. In Riot Land, attendees were treated to, among other things, a version of Logan Arcade, a Riot Fest history museum built into an homage to the iconic Fireside Bowl and a convenience store. There was also the Strip-o-Rama and Helzapoppin’. Though this may seem a lot, I am sure I have missed a thing or two during my time on the event grounds. Aslas, hooting from the photo pits again this year kept me away from partaking in many of the aforementioned sites. Perhaps next year, when my fellow Dying Scene Team Chicago member Mary Sunde is in the photo pits again and I am documenting the “Characters of Riot Fest.

Some of the highlights of day one were sets NOFX, New Found Glory, Face To Face, The Warning, Circle Jerks, Winona Fighter, ALL, The Exploited and The Lawrence Arms

.Riot Fest also served as the Chicago send-off for NOFX, now on its Farewell Tour. The band headlined all three nights of the festival. I was there for its Night 1 set, which took place on the stage named in its honor, NOFX World Stage. The band came onto the stage doing the Time Warp from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Mike “Fat Mike” Burkett spent a few minutes joking with the massive crowd on the grounds and a significant number of fellow musicians flanking the band just off the performance area of the stage. Finally, the band kicked off a generously long set, which included “Backstage Passport,” “Don’t Call Me White,” “Franco Un-American,” “Idiots Are Taking Over,” “Timmy the Turtle,” “Linoleum,” and  “Six Pack Girls.” It was a raucous set, demonstrating that NOFX is still able to bring the energy.

Of course, Burkett kept the jokes going throughout the set, telling Chicago “you’re the biggest city in Illinois.” Poking fun at the crowd members he told them they looked old and that fellow headliners Fall Out Boy were probably telling the crowd they looked young, throwing sly shade to FOB’s lead singer. That was followed by provocative references to Israel and God (Burkett has been described as a Jewish Atheist) prompting Eric Melvin to interject with, “That reminds me of the next song we should be starting right now.” Burkett assured his bandmates that “…I can’t get canceled again, it’s only six more shows,” adding that “whatever I say on my fucking golf course I can’t get in trouble for,” to which Melvin replied, “Look, in like ten years you’re going to care, I swear.”

All par for the course for a NOFX set and one the fans relished. It was also obviously emotional for more than a few of its most ardent fans, many of whom were seeing their beloved group for the final time. If providing closure to its fans was in order, NOFX served it up marvelously and gave them a particularly lasting memory among years of lasting memories.


As is always the case, there are conflicting sets, and choices need to be made. Shooting The Warning was one of the best decisions of the weekend. It’s a propulsive sister-punk act out of Monterrey, Mexico. You might say that the family that plays together stays together (and slays its performance together as well). Blasting through the set, The Warning introduced itself to the Riot Fest crowd in an explosive way, and the crowd loved it. Spotted just beyond the barricade, a fan was swelling with pride as he waved a large Mexican flag during a set which included “S!ck,” “Qué Más Quieres,” “Six Feet Deep,” “Hell You Call A Dream,” and “Automatic Sun.”. The only warning I can give about this band is you may regret missing your chance to catch this band.


New Found Glory made Riot Fest a stop on its “Catalyst 20 Years Later Tour.” The Riot Fest performance was listed as a non-Catalyst setlist. Of course, the band still roared through some of the album’s tracks including “Downhill From Here,” “Truth Of My Youth,” and “Failure’s Not Flattering.” NFG also treated the crowd to “Something I Call Personality,” and “Head On Collision,” from Sticks and Stones. There was a celebratory feeling both on stage and in the crowd. Two decades later, NFG continues to go places, downhill not being one of them. New Found Glory resumes its tour, with special guest Sincere Engineer, on October 11, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.


One of the first bands to kick off Riot Fest weekend delivered a wallop. Winona Fighter, out of Nashville, TN, whipped through a high energy and fun set which included “Hamms In A Glass,” “I Think You Should Leave,” “I’m In the Market To Please None,” and “You Look Like A Drunk Phoebe Bridgers.”

Post-RF, the band is scheduled to play Aftershock in Sacramento, CA on October 11, 2024, and Ceremony Festival in Nashville, TN on December 14, 2024.


Three members of The Descendents, ALL sans Milo Aukerman (yeah, I had to), pulled double duty during Riot Fest 2024 weekend: Stephen Egerton, Karl Alvarez, and Bill Stevenson, with Chad Price on lead vocals. Riot Fest veterans, The Circle Jerks, The Exploited, and The Lawrence Arms, were back and very welcome, delivering terrific performances.

Great music and strong performances on the first day of Riot Fest made roasting under the sun a bit more bearable than it might otherwise have been.

Be on the lookout for my Day 2 and Day 3 coverage as well as the take from my fellow Dying Scene Team Chicago member Mary Sunde. You can also head to our IG thread to see more shots from Day One!

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DESTROY BOYS FEATURED PHOTO BY MATTY VOGEL

DS News: Destroy Boys just announced new album “Funeral Soundtrack #4” coming soon

After cryptically wiping their Instagram while teasing for something coming soon, Destroy Boys just announced that they’ll follow 2021’s Open Mouth, Open Heart with their fourth album, Funeral Soundtrack #4, on August 9th via Hopeless Records (pre-order here!) Violet Mayugba explains the title of the new album, “Looking back, our first three albums marked the deaths of things. They […]

After cryptically wiping their Instagram while teasing for something coming soon, Destroy Boys just announced that they’ll follow 2021’s Open Mouth, Open Heart with their fourth album, Funeral Soundtrack #4, on August 9th via Hopeless Records (pre-order here!)


Violet Mayugba explains the title of the new album, “Looking back, our first three albums marked the deaths of things. They were soundtracks to our funerals, whether they were for our ages or our mental states. We’ve gone through a lot of changes as a band and as people. The first one was our high school album. On the second record, we went to college and were saying goodbye to our childhood. On the third one, we’d just gone through COVID and, speaking for myself, I lost my entire sense of self and gained a new one.”


Destroy Boys have teamed with producer Carlos de la Garza (Paramore, The Linda Lindas) for their upcoming album and includes a collaboration with the bands Mannequin Pussy and Scowl on the song “You Hear Yes.”


Three songs have been released previously, including “Plucked,” “Beg For The Torture,” and “Shadow (I’m Breaking Down)” — and today they’ve released a fourth, “Boyfeel.”


Check out the new song, track list, and upcoming Destroy Boys shows below!



Track list for Funeral Soundtrack #4:

Bad Guy
Plucked
Beg for the Torture
Praying
Amor divino
Shadow (I’m Breaking Down)
Shedding Skin
Should’ve Been Me
You Don’t Know
You Hear Yes (feat. Mannequin Pussy and Scowl)
Boyfeel


Current 2024 tour dates:

July 27: Milwaukee, WI @ Harley Davidson Homecoming Festival
July 28: Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
July 29: Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s
July 31: Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi
Aug 1: St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag
Aug 2: Chicago, IL @ Subterranean (Lollapalooza After Show)
Aug 3: Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
Aug 14: Paredes De Coura, Portugal @ Paredes De Coura
Aug 15: Charleville-mezieres, France @ Cabaret Vert
Aug 19: Esch-sur-alzette, Luxembourg @ Rockhal
Aug 20: Utrecht, Netherlands @ Tivoli Vredenburg
Aug 22: Saint-Cloud, France @ Rock En Seine
Aug 23: Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
Aug 24: Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
Aug 25: Reading, UK @ Reading Festival


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DS Staff Picks: Mary’s Top 20 of 2023

Peace out, 2023. Whether or not this was your year, we got some pretty sweet punk releases out of it. Here’s a list of some of my favorite singles/songs from albums that dropped this year. Bonus: There’s also my top 20 favorite concert photos I shot in 2023 for Dying Scene (I have way more […]

Peace out, 2023. Whether or not this was your year, we got some pretty sweet punk releases out of it. Here’s a list of some of my favorite singles/songs from albums that dropped this year. Bonus: There’s also my top 20 favorite concert photos I shot in 2023 for Dying Scene (I have way more that I love, so it was hard to narrow it down)! Cheers!


Move BHC – “Double Death

Nora Marks – “Sit Pretty

GEL – “Honed Blade

Scowl – “Psychic Dance Routine

Gully Boys – “Optimist

Death Lens – “Vacant

Pierce The Veil – “Pass The Nirvana

Teen Mortgage – “Sick Day

Enola Gay – “Leeches

Jigsaw Youth – “Deeper

Jigsaw Youth – “Sit On It

Destroy Boys – “Beg For The Torture

Destroy Boys – “Shadow (I’m Breaking Down)

Bad Nerves – “USA

Screaming Females – “Brass Bell

The Dead Milkmen – “Grandpa’s Not a Racist (He Just Voted for One)

Stress Positions – “Harsh Reality

The Damned – “The Invisible Man

Mannequin Pussy – “I Got Heaven

Big Laugh – “No Embrace



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DS Photo Gallery: Sweetie & Heet Deth! Two local Chicago bands you should be listening to right now (Liar’s Club 11/4/23)

Dynamic power punk bands Heet Deth and Sweetie played together at one of Chicago’s iconic dive bar music venues on November 4th. Locals know Liar’s Club is the best place to go for a punk show and to see what eclectic boots Chicago Reader’s voted best music venue bartender Gary Kessler is sporting for the […]

Dynamic power punk bands Heet Deth and Sweetie played together at one of Chicago’s iconic dive bar music venues on November 4th. Locals know Liar’s Club is the best place to go for a punk show and to see what eclectic boots Chicago Reader’s voted best music venue bartender Gary Kessler is sporting for the night.


Heet Deth is a noisy-fierce post punk duo that is not new to Dying Scene. Their Bandcamp description says it best, “perpetually throwing a heavy apocalyptic party. Blasting bombastic rock n’ roll to quake you to your soul.”


Some of my favorite bands are two-piece duos that are forces not to be reckoned with.

P.S. Do you wanna have a party!?


Self-proclaimed lipstick punk band Sweetie has been voted a top five Chicago punk band in the Chicago Reader and holds a residency for the Rocky Horror Picture Show in Dekalb, IL.


Frontwoman Birdy Vee also recently created the Chicago punk music festival Hands Off Our Fest (H.O.O.F). Featuring over a half a dozen bands and live performers, H.O.O.F. is a music fest celebrating the women, femmes, and thems of the Chicago punk scene.


Sweetie currently has shows all over the Chicagoland area, but if you want to go to a SUPER special show you need to check out The 9th Annual War on Xmas show where they will be opening for The Lawrence Arms at the legendary Chicago venue Metro!


Check out the full Liar’s Club gallery below!


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DS Festival Gallery: Final Day of an Epic Riot Fest with THE CURE! Also Featuring AFI, Gorilla Biscuits, The Bronx & More! (Day Three, 9/17/23)

The third and final day of Riot Fest had a bit more rain and clouds but that seemed totally fitting for the main headliner of the day, The Cure, and Dying Scene has photos for you in case you missed it. We are also showcasing some other amazing bands, including AFI, Earth Crisis, The Bronx, […]

The third and final day of Riot Fest had a bit more rain and clouds but that seemed totally fitting for the main headliner of the day, The Cure, and Dying Scene has photos for you in case you missed it. We are also showcasing some other amazing bands, including AFI, Earth Crisis, The Bronx, Gorilla Biscuits and Fleshwater!


Fleshwater is an alternative post-hardcore band from Georgetown, Massachusetts. Anthony DiDio and Matt Wood are also members of hardcore group Vein.fm.


Straight-edge hardcore band Earth Crisis brought a blazing and intense performance.


The Bronx! If you are lucky enough to embark on Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise in November you’ll see them there!


Finishing off his three-peat performance weekend, Walter Schreifels and the Gorilla Biscuits had no shortage of energy!


I first saw AFI at Riot Fest 2013; ten years later they still put on one of the best shows. If you haven’t seen them live yet you are really missing out.


The Cure closed out the night with a mesmerizing concert to an emotional crowd of fans that waited for this moment all day.


Check out the full gallery below and revisit day one and day two!


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DS Introductions: Characters of Riot Fest 2023

One of my favorite quotes in photojournalism is from the legendary William Albert Allard. He famously said, “I think the best pictures are often on the edges of any situation, I don’t find photographing the situation nearly as interesting as photographing the edges.“ It has long been a sort of mission statement for me in my career as […]

One of my favorite quotes in photojournalism is from the legendary William Albert Allard. He famously said,

I think the best pictures are often on the edges of any situation, I don’t find photographing the situation nearly as interesting as photographing the edges.

It has long been a sort of mission statement for me in my career as a photographer. One I try to apply every time I have my camera with me. This year, I decided to forgo the photo pits and let my fellow DS Team Chicago member Mary handle those duties. First time since we started documenting Riot Fest I was not in the photo pit. I missed being in the photo scrum but being able to cover all the other wild, cool, fun and compelling parts of the festival was well worth it. A few of the following Characters of Riot Fest I knew already and am friends with some. But I also met so many more fantastic people. A few I’d like to introduce to you dear DS readers.


The Son also Rises

As Riot Fest’s main focus is music, let’s start with one of the great bands. Sludgeworth had the Rebel Stage with a time slot in competition with Foo Fighters. Yet, the Chicago band first founded in 1989, held its own. The band is comprised of singer Dan Schafer aka Dan Vapid, in the front, Brian McQuaid aka Brian Vermin, on drums in the back, and their bandmates, Adam White and Dave McClean on guitars, and Mike Hootenstrat on bass, long-time Sludgeworth fans were ecstatic. McQuaid, who was in Screeching Weasel prior to Sludgeworth, told me,

We played RF with Bad Brains back when it was at the Congress, but this time was just bigger and more exciting. It was an amazing experience to be part of such a massive production. +-This time was more special because the first time was a one off, and this time we’re gonna keep going.


The band returned this year earlier, taking the stage at Cobra Lounge and garnering newer fans and introducing a new part-time member, Brian McQuaid’s 13 year old son Max McQuaid. The younger McQuaid has been playing for 5 years but at Cobra, he made his live performance debut. It was fun to document that performance and see the warm welcome the young musician was given. Not just because his dad is in the band but because the kid has a legit talent with the sticks. Did not have to be a drummer to understand that when the Max smashed his way through “Anytime.”


“Max has played both Cobra and Riot Fest. He worked really hard and played like a pro both times, I can’t express how proud I am. He’s gonna go places I never have with his work ethic and indoctrination into this music scene.”


Riot Fest is the Pits

Another person making his Riot Fest debut its Kamran Khan. Rather than on the stage though, Khan was stationed near the stage, He worked as a member of the team regulating the photo pits. Among, the duties, making sure photographers in the pit had the proper credentials and providing instructions to the shooters as to the general protocols, as well as the individual mandates of the various bands. The team ensures that we photographers get the best images we can, at the same time making sure everyone stays safe. Khan was pretty confident he could handle the job.

I’d never worked a press pit before but I’ve been a bartender, a teacher, a bouncer, a real estate agent, a minister, a waiter at a Russian bath house, an editor/publisher, a ditch digger, a secretary, a babysitter, a writer, and I even lasted one day as a line cook. So, I figured he thought I’d have the skill set covered.

And his impressions?

Well, besides the fact I got to see some of the most badass musicians around performing at the top of their game from just several meters away, the best thing about it was meeting all the heroically hardworking and talented people that keep the Fest going that also happen not to be wearing artist wristbands. There’s so many moving parts to get this many acts going on in front of this many people smoothly, and so many people trying to do their best to make sure everybody’s safe and having a good time, and you gotta do that gig amongst the constant shifting demands and constraints of all the different emerging variables, pivoting and adapting on the fly. Working a fest is kinda like being Harrison Bergeron, (from that Kurt Vonnegut Jr story) trying to dance in a metal suit, and pulling it off.

But so many cool hardworking folks pull it off and it was great to have a killer weekend with them all. I also got a kick outa watching all the press do their work, the elegant yet clumsy dance of the “Where’s a damn angle where I can get a transcendent shot before I have to run across a city park dodging drunk grey bearded punk rockers between rain soaked lakes without twisting my ankle or breaking the strap on my camera (which can be fixed with a zip tie if it happens I learned) in order to hopefully get a shot that may or may not get cut depending on what somebody in an office 2000 miles away thinks. And getting to sit in the press tent and jaw with you about old pictures. That was a blast.

Describing his experience with vivid and poetic details is not surprising for a person whose Instagram handle is “Punks With Books”. And Khan’s last statement about pictures was actual a reference to 1970’s cinema. Khan, with headband and his style of facial hair, appears to be straight out of central casting for a Sidney Lumet or Alan J. Pakula directed film. It was a blast to be able to discuss, in general, cinema’s greatest decade, and specifically, Al Pacino. I need to go watch Dog Day Afternoon now. “Attica! Attica!”


Shoot to Thrill


One person who did not make his Riot Fest debut this year is photographer Mike “MXV” Vinikour. While a good portion of photographers, including myself for DS, have covered multiple Riot Fest, only Vinikour has wielded his camera and his vision at Riot Fest every year. The Downers Grove, IL-based photographer and Associate Game Developer at Stern Pinball runs his own site called The Punk Vault.

Vinikour described to me how he got started shooting Riot Fest, how it has changed over the years, and what it has meant to him.

Back in 2005 I saw a flier for this two day punk festival at the Congress Theater called Riot Fest. I saw the lineup of bands and it was full of all these great old punk rock bands I grew up with, some of them still mostly intact and some of them a fraction of what they were with different/new singers. I had only been shooting shows for about a year or so at that point and was still pretty green. I didn’t know who the promoter was at the time, but I had connections through a couple of bands that were on the bill. One of the days I think I got my passes from the Dead Kennedys’ publicist, and the other day I either got in through The Effigies or Channel 3.

It was a really fun two days and there were so many great bands both old and new, though it was the old punk bands of my youth that got me to go to it.

After the fest I had posted my show review and photos on my site. I was the only photographer at that first Riot Fest. A few months later, Riot Mike [Michael “Riot Mike” Petryshyn, founder and owner of Riot Fest] came up to me at a show and thanked me for the nice review of his show and giving him some exposure and he liked my photos. He told me of his plans for the second Riot Fest and that got me really excited. He invited me to come shoot it again and that started a long relationship I’ve had with Riot Fest. I haven’t missed shooting a single one and Mike, Luba [Vasilik], Heather [West of Western Publicity], and everyone in the organization have been wonderful to me over the years. I can’t say enough good things about all of them.

I liked it when they were just in the Congress Theater because I loved shooting at that venue, and it had a lot of space. When they added that second stage in the lobby though it made navigating in and out of there more difficult. That club had great lighting and the barricade had enough room in there to drive a car inside of it. The rest of the place was falling apart though.

When they moved it to the different clubs, it really made it difficult to try and shoot multiple shows, and many times I had to make a difficult choice of what ones to do because as good as modern technology is, I was never able to clone myself to be in two places at once. Driving between the venues was difficult too, having to find parking, going through traffic if you had only a short window of time to get from one club to another, and some venues were harder to shoot in than others due to their size, lack of barricade, etc.

I was pretty happy when they moved past the multi-club thing (which was always an exhausting week) and moved it to the big outdoor festival. I was blown away at that first one at Humboldt Park with how massive it was and what a huge undertaking it was on Riot Fest’s part to do something that big, but it turned out awesome and to this day it’s the only outdoor festival I like or want to participate in. They adapted well over the years of being a huge fest to make the layout more user friendly and I think the last few years have been even better than ever with how they’ve managed it all.

It was kind of a neat parallel with how Riot Fest grew over the years and how I grew and honed my craft at photography. We both started close to the same time and have both gotten way better over the years. I definitely own a part of my growth as a concert photographer to Riot Fest.

I started taking photos around 2004 for my website The Punk Vault. I had been writing about music since 1985 when I started a fanzine called Spontaneous Combustion. That ran until 1997, then a few years later I did a web version of that which then morphed into The Punk Vault site that I’ve been doing the last 20 years.


RE: the way shooting bands has changed at the fest over the years: Well in the old Congress Days I was allowed to shoot the full sets of every band and had all access passes, so I had the full run of the place. I was pretty spoiled, and Mike made me feel really special and appreciated. When they became a big outdoor fest, I understood the logistics of that wouldn’t work anymore. I was just happy that when the fest became huge, they. never forgot me and told me that I’ll always be welcome to come shoot the fest as long as I want. It went from me being the only one there, to being in a pretty small group of photographers sharing the pit, to now being one of probably 100 that shoot the fest every year. It can be challenging at times being in there with so many people all vying for the same three spots to shoot though those giant speaker stacks that are blocking most of our view, but I’ve been so many awesome photographers over the years at the fest that it feels like a family. There’s a core group of us that have been shooting the outdoor fest for so many years now that it really has become the most fun weekend of shooting bands of the year and the one I look forward to the most. It’s like a brotherhood of photographers and we all laugh and have a great time.

Sometimes being crammed in there with so many people can be hard on me because I have anxiety and that can trigger me, but it’s always been manageable and in a way it’s good for me to challenge myself. Also, there’s been times where instead of 3 songs, we only get 1 due to them splitting us in groups, or certain bands may have restrictions that only let us do one song. That has made me a more efficient photographer so when those situations happen I can roll with it a lot easier than ever now.

I almost never just watch a band unless I’m shooting them. The enjoyment of shows for me is shooting photos, I won’t go to shows unless I’m shooting them. I’ve made exceptions at the fest for bands I really love that may not allow any photography, (The Misfits for example) but typically if a band won’t let me shoot them, I won’t stick around to watch them, and I’ll go shoot someone else.


Having a Senior Moment


AnnaBelle “Bee” Pant, is a 12th grader at what her mother Monica described to me as a “progressive-ish” high school in a small, conservative Michigan town. AnnaBelle wanted something a little different from the typical senior portraits she had seen with classes coming before hers,

I’m 17, and I live in southwest Michigan, which is basically just a bunch of cornfields. I wanted to get my senior pictures somewhere a little more “me.”


AnnaBelle and her parents – Ben & Monica Pant – and her 11th grader brother Trey, made it a family affair.

This is our third year at Riot Fest, and I’ve always loved going with my family seeing concerts. I know it’ll be some of my best memories with my parents.”

As for the family’s favorite sets? AnnaBelle spoke on behalf of the quartet,

For sure Bowling For Soup!! and The Used were awesome, we were camping at the barrier for both.”

Oh and the Pants also brought along a friend named Ryan, whom the Pant family befriended at the festival in 2021. Well, sort of. The actual Ryan was unable to attend this year so family carried “Flat Ryan,” inspired by the Flat Stanley travels the word idea. This is just one of the many long-lasting friendships formed at Riot Fest every year.


Maker of the Mosh


Nik Simmons describes himself this way,

Stay at home dad and drumming for Exegesis until Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press needs me.

But Simmons is also a man with an annual mission to organize the best Riot Fest mosh pits, or at least the most unique.

Over the years, it has become a Riot Fest tradition to have a gimmick pit. As soon as I read that Corey Feldman was playing, I knew he was the perfect act. 

Feldman became famous as a child actor, including in the classic 80’s films, Stand By Me, The Goonies, and The Lost Boys. During the past few decades he has concentrated on music but has never really been acclaimed for his musical talents.


Still, Feldman elicited both enthusiasm and snickers from a good number of fest attendees. Simmons told me,

His name stood out from the lineup so much that I had to see him perform. I’m sure many went for the irony. However, even those who went in with that attitude were soon won over by Corey Feldman’s performance.

Simmons, who cited The Lost Boys as his favorite Feldman film, didn’t get to meet the star but does believe the actor was aware of the pit,

I think he did. It was posted on one of his social media accounts.

More importantly, the crowd seemed to enjoy it as Simmons described the result, 

Excellent. A bunch of people had a great time.

This was not Simmons’ first such experience as he informed me,

Yes, there was a wall of death for The Village People, corn dog pit for Sincere Engineer, and a pit for Devo. I’ve made a sign for each of those mosh pits too.

Looking forward to witnessing what Nik Simmons comes up with at Riot Fest 2024. 


Board with Riot Fest


Cooper Greenslade, 13, caught air and grabbed attention as he flew high above the Riot Pop! skate ramp set up against the Riot Fest Devil. Greenslade shared with me, via instagram, his first Riot Fest experience.

Yes, this was my first time at RF, and as far as the experience it totally exceeded my expectations honestly. I didn’t really know how kool it was gonna be till I walked through the gates and saw all the people and heard the insane music I was immediately stoked about being there. I have not skated any other music fests but I definitely intend on going to more in my life.

I have been skating 5 1/2 years not pro (yet) but hopefully one day. I am sponsored by Character Skateboards, GROM USA, Static Hardware, Fargo. I would say my overall experience with RF is the bands were amazing and the stages were close enough to get to see a lot of bands quickly, and the people watching was amazing.

I always get super stoked riding with older dudes cause they have a lot of experience and all of them are super kool and they are always giving me tips and advice to get better, the Chicago skate scene is very positive and motivated. I’m super excited to have so many good influences around me.

Yes, I would love to make this a full time career, but for now I’m having a ton of fun and meeting a lot of amazing skaters all over the US. I’m just gonna keep hustling and see where it takes me.


Punk Rock Nuptials


The wedding party wore t-shirts emblazoned with Cards Against Humanity style references to past (“Throwing Meat at Morrissey“) and present (Dave P., a Dave Grohl doppelgänger, wore a shirt with the Foo Fighters singers’ name on it) Riot Fests and the group’s all too often reaction whilst watching Chicago Bears games (“Shit Got Fucked”). The Bride and Groom wore t-shirts where the traditional “til death due us part” was wrapped around corpse hands, and Old Skool Vans with their initials and the wedding date printed on the heel. The corsage was made out of Riot Fest lineup cards, and there was a swarm of (fake) adorable bumblebees. For Angela Vetrovec-Schiller & Aaron Schiller, there was no doubt the chapel they would head to would be the Riot Fest Chapel.

Riot Fest means so much to me. Music is a huge part of my life. I’ve been going to Riot Fest since the start. It’s basically a holiday weekend for me and my friends. Moving away from Chicago was a hard decision for me. Riot Fest has now turned into a yearly reunion. The random run ins are one of my favorite parts. I met my husband at a show, fell in love with him at a fest, he proposed to me at another fest, so getting married at Riot Fest was the perfect way to do in front of all of our best friends. I love being at Riot Fest, I love the people of Riot Fest, I love our scene. 


Punks Care


Punk Rock Saves Lives and Riot Fest have combined to save lives for years. PRSL founder Rob “Rover” Rushing explained why Riot Fest is so meaningful to him, his wife and board member Tina Rushing, and all involved in the beloved nonprofit.

“PRSL was formed in November 2019. As a continuation of the work that we did with the Love, Hope, Strength, Foundation. It Is my dream and my wife’s and quite a few others’ dream to use the positivity of the punk scene to make incremental differences in our lives every day.”

As LHS or as PRSL, I believe Since 2013, possibly before, and that includes all of the Denver ones as well, we were invited by Sean (McKeough), the co-owner of Riot Fest as a kind of a personal mission because he had beat cancer before his untimely death from a brain aneurysm. We’ve swabbed close to 400 every single year we’ve been at Riot Fest, if not more. Considering 1 in 100 matches to save a life, and 1 in 1000 of those make it to the donation, Riot Fest is way above normal averages for saving lives. Something about Riot Fest is just special because people not only come to have an absolute blast but seem to care. 

Seems like that is the community and it’s even with, you know, years where it’s more punk rock, or it’s more rock or it’s more rap, it doesn’t change. The community of Riot Fest is pretty amazing. 

One of my favorite moments of Riot Fest ever, and it’s kind of sad to say it this way, but the year Sean passed away. They went forth, obviously. Very, very sad. But also, they had his Gator, his golf cart type thing. And they brought it, and they displayed it as a memorial for him. And they came and got me at my booth. When I got there to set up, they drove by and took me to the Gator and had me put a sticker on the Gator because they knew how much our charity meant to him.  

That just proves that the people of Riot Fest, it’s not only a business and obviously it’s that, but it’s also a community and they believe in it and seeing, you know seeing Mike’s article this year, where he came out as on the spectrum, it was a very inspirational and awesome article. So that’s just some of the cool things about Riot Fest. That makes it special to me and I will always, always be there as long as we exist.

“Going into it, I obviously thought it was more rock-centric than it had been in the past. But it ended up being just so widespread that I didn’t even realize that. It was so cool. And you know, having The Dresden Dolls on the main stage…luckily Amanda gave us an amazing shout out for the charity. And because of her, we probably signed up an extra 90 to 95 people within the next 15 minutes at our little pop-up booth, as well as people going into the booth.

“Mr. Bungle doing thrash, which was incredible too. Learning about a whole bunch of new bands and just the community and the people embracing what we do. It just warms my heart, you know? It’s incredible. So, Punkers do give a fuck. That’s one of our slogans, punks give a fuck. And it’s true, right? Riot Fest is proof.


Please check out more sights from Riot Fest 2023! Thanks and Cheers!


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DS Festival Gallery: Riot Fest with the Viagra Boys, Rival Schools, PUP and More! (Day Two, 9/16/23)

Day 2 of Riot Fest had a slew of big names (including Queens of the Stone Age, Death Grips and…Insane Clown Posse!?) and up-and-coming artists. We are featuring the Viagra Boys, PUP, Steve Ignorant Band/Crass, Rival Schools, Warpaint and Enola Gay for today! Irish post-punk noise rock band Enola Gay made their US-debut in Chicago […]

Day 2 of Riot Fest had a slew of big names (including Queens of the Stone Age, Death Grips and…Insane Clown Posse!?) and up-and-coming artists. We are featuring the Viagra Boys, PUP, Steve Ignorant Band/Crass, Rival Schools, Warpaint and Enola Gay for today!


Irish post-punk noise rock band Enola Gay made their US-debut in Chicago for Riot Fest, and performed a late night after show with the Viagra Boys. They will be back touring in the UK and EU in November.


Walter Schreifels strikes again! Post-hardcore group Rival Schools did a full-album performance of their 2001 debut, United by Fate.


LA-based indie-psych-rock band Warpaint played a dreamy set to mellow the mood before jumping back into the mosh pits.


Steve Ignorant co-founded the legendary anarcho-punk band Crass in 1977 from Epping, Essex, England. In 2019 Steve started the Steve Ignorant Band with Carol Hodge (vocals & keys), Jay Bagnall (drums), Peter Rawlinson (bass) and Pete Wilson (guitar). They played a complete set of Crass songs, psyching up both old fans and new.


PUP (abbreviation for Pathetic Use of Potential) is a Canadian punk band formed in Toronto, Ontario, originally under the name Topanga. They have quite the following and energetic fans!


A little rainy set for the Viagra Boys did not stop them from giving everyone the eccentrically weird and fun performance we’ve come to expect from the Swedish punk rock band. Dying Scene covered their show in Chicago earlier this year when they played at the brand-new venue, The Salt Shed, and it is still one of my favorite shows I have seen so far this year. They played all the fan favorites (“Sports,” of course) and had no shortage of crowd surfers (see the surfing Pikachu in the gallery below).


Check out the full gallery below! Did you miss day one? Take a look here!


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