Dying Scene

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!

by Staff Writer Mary_Sunde
Tags: 
A Fire Inside AFI British chicago davey havok

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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!

  • Skating in the Gloaming
  • Viagra Boys Crowd Surfers
  • Garren Skates the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Sludgeworth
  • Max McQuaid with his father Brian McQuaid are Sludgeworth Drummers
  • Mike “MXV” Vinikour
  • Mike “MXV” Vinikour
  • Garren Skates the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • Annabelle Senior Class Photo Portrait?
  • The Pant Family: Monica Pant, AnnaBelle Pant, Trey Pant, and Ben
  • Flat Ryan with the Pant Family
  • Tim and Junebug Atop the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • Skating in the Gloaming
  • Nick Skates the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • Merry Christmas Everything is Terrible
  • Punk Rock Saves Lives Has Many Fucks To Give
  • Rob from Punk Rock Saves Lives
  • Malort Fan
  • Malort Toast
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Late Night Riot Fest with The Interrupters
  • Kamran Khan
  • Photo Booth Fun
  • Flogging Molly Crowd Surfer
  • Aaron and Angela Got Married!
  • Aaron and Angela Got Married!
  • Wedding Bouquet Made of Riot Fest Line-Up Cards
  • Till Death Do Us Part worn but the Bride and Groom
  • Wedding Koozie
  • Wedding Party t-Shirts
  • Dave P is Dave G’s Doppleganger
  • Cooper Skates the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • T-Shirts at Riot Fest
  • Dan Skates the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • Insane Clown Posse Fan at the Corey Feldman set
  • Corey Feldman Moshpit
  • Corey Feldman Moshpit
  • Corey Feldman Moshpit
  • Corey Feldman Moshpit
  • Moshpit Feldog
  • Corey Feldman Moshpit
  • Corey Feldman in the Press Tent
  • Atop the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • Andrea Skates the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • About to Drop In at the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • A Different Approach to the Riot Fest Devil Photo Op
  • On the the Riot Pop!! Ramp
  • Rob “Rover” Rushing from Punk Rock Saves Lives
  • Cooper Skates the Riot Pop!! Ramp
by Staff Writer MerGold
Tags: 
Characters of Riot Fest chicago music festival Music Festivals punk rock photography

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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!

by Staff Writer Mary_Sunde
Tags: 
belfast chicago Crass Enola Gay Gorilla Biscuits

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DS Festival Gallery: Riot Fest Returns to Chicago for a Three-Day Weekend of Punk Rock Featuring Turnstile, Code Orange, Quicksand & More! (Day One, 9/15/23)

Is it already that time of year again!? Riot Fest is back and we have three days worth of photo galleries of some of your favorite bands and some up and coming bands you should put on your radar! Check out some of the bands from the first day of Riot Fest and give them […]

Is it already that time of year again!? Riot Fest is back and we have three days worth of photo galleries of some of your favorite bands and some up and coming bands you should put on your radar! Check out some of the bands from the first day of Riot Fest and give them some love.

FEA is a Chicana all-female band from San Antonio, TX. Produced by Laura Jane Grace, they debuted their self-titled LP in 2016. FEA set the bar early on for the first day of Riot Fest with their raw, fierce, and powerfully feminist punk rock energy.

New York-based garage punk band The Bobby Lees quickly become one of my favorite bands of the year after hearing “Guttermilk” for the first time. In true punk rock fashion their drummer, Macky Bowman, ran laps around the stage in nothing but his tighty whities (and that was just a warmup).

Code Orange is a sludgy, thrashy, metalcore punk rock band that obviously cannot be defined by only one single genre. Their intense set was one not to miss.

The LA ska-rockers The Interrupters are no strangers to Dying Scene! Riot Fest was only the beginning before they embark on their US fall tour with The Dropkick Murphys and Jesse Ahern.

Yard Act is a fun post-punk British band. Their newest single “The Trench Coat Museum” was released in July and co-produced by Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr.

Walter Schreifels had a particularly busy Riot Fest weekend not only performing with Quicksand on day one, but also Rival Schools and Gorilla Biscuits on the following days. For its 30th anniversary, Quicksand played their 1993 album Slip in its entirety.

Turnstile was of the headliners for the first day (along with the Foo Fighters). Check out the rest of the photos from the first day below, and look out for our coverage of day two and three of Riot Fest!

by Staff Writer Mary_Sunde
Tags: 
chicago Code Orange FEA festival Hardcore

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DS Photo Gallery: Destroy Boys, Gully Boys, Jigsaw Youth & More! (Metro, Chicago, IL 7/22/23)

Destroy Boys just finished their tour opening for Blink-182 and Turnstile and quickly embarked on their own headlining tour soon after, including two dates of “DestroyFest” that featured even more killer bands. Chicago was blessed to be one of those cities (the other being NYC) and Dying Scene was there to get all photos you […]

Destroy Boys just finished their tour opening for Blink-182 and Turnstile and quickly embarked on their own headlining tour soon after, including two dates of “DestroyFest” that featured even more killer bands. Chicago was blessed to be one of those cities (the other being NYC) and Dying Scene was there to get all photos you will need to feel immersed into this night of punk rock.

If you have seen any of my previous photo galleries, you will know that my love for Destroy Boys and Jigsaw Youth is no secret, so every fiber of my being needed to be at this show to see them together again. In case you missed, it check out the photos from Destroy Boys at Riot Fest 2022 and Jigsaw Youth with Pinkshift at the Cobra Lounge.

I was also excited to see a few bands that were not previously on my radar (but definitely are now!)

Photo by Bethünni Schreiner

Based in Minneapolis, Bugsy is self-described as “an indie pop quartet with flowery flourishes and emo highlights.” Unfortunately, we missed the first half of their set to get some photos due to…reasons. But we will catch you all next time!

Photo by Bethünni Schreiner

Destructo Disk is a fun DIY punk band out of Winchester, Virginia. They also run their own independent record label Sockhead Records.

“That nitty gritty city shit” perfectly exemplifies Jigsaw Youth in every possible way. If I ever get to experience a rage room I would definitely be blasting their new EP The War Inside Me in the background.

Gully Boys is a grunge power-pop band from Minneapolis. They released their debut album Not So Brave in 2018 and has shared the stage with the likes of The Hold Steady and Third Eye Blind. Their song “Favorite Son” has been on repeat on my playlist. You can listen to their newest single “Optimist” here.

Destroy Boys is having a busy 2023 – touring the UK and Europe, releasing their singles “Beg For the Torture” and “Shadow (I’m Breaking Down)” via Hopeless Records, and the newly announced The Jaws of Life Tour where they will be joining Piece the Veil, L.S. Dunes and Dayseeker.

Check out the full gallery below!

by Staff Writer Mary_Sunde
Tags: 
blink-182 bugsy California chicago cobra lounge

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DS Festival Gallery: Riot Fest Day Three (9/18/22) w/ Less Than Jake, Save Face & Mom Jeans

The final day of Riot Fest 2022. What a journey it has been! Do you ever get that post-concert blues? Because I sure was feeling it after Riot Fest. Check out our photo gallery of Save Face, Mom Jeans. and long-time favorites Less Than Jake. Mom Jeans. is an indie rock/emo band from California. Time […]

The final day of Riot Fest 2022. What a journey it has been! Do you ever get that post-concert blues? Because I sure was feeling it after Riot Fest. Check out our photo gallery of Save Face, Mom Jeans. and long-time favorites Less Than Jake.

Mom Jeans. is an indie rock/emo band from California. Time to get your sad on!

Another first for me was seeing Save Face and I’m so glad I did. The red jumpsuit-wearing post-hardcore/emo band released their debut album Merci with Epitaph Records in July 2018.

If you’re a ska fan then you are well familiar with Less Than Jake. They formed in 1992 and been making waves ever since. Check them out in the full gallery below, along with some neat shots of their toilet paper shooter (yes, you read that correctly)!

Don’t forget to check out Riot Fest day one coverage and day two!

by Staff Writer Mary_Sunde
Tags: 
Berkeley California chicago emo festival

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DS Festival Recap: Riot Fest Day Three (The Academy Is…Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney, Lunachicks and more)

Day 3 of the Riot Fest took place in Chicago’s Douglass Park on September 18, 2022, with some of the most influential all-women or women led bands dominating the stages. Jawbox, the Washington D.C, iconic band founded in 1989, whose original run lasted until 1997, was welcomed back during its midday set. The bright sun […]

Day 3 of the Riot Fest took place in Chicago’s Douglass Park on September 18, 2022, with some of the most influential all-women or women led bands dominating the stages.

Jawbox, the Washington D.C, iconic band founded in 1989, whose original run lasted until 1997, was welcomed back during its midday set. The bright sun beating down on most of the band members’ faces did not cause a step lost as Jawbox gave the crowd a forceful performance. The set included “Mirrorful,” “Motorist,” ”Cooling Card,” “Static,” “Cutoff,” and “Savory.” The band members J. Robbins, Bill Barbot, Kim Coletta, and Zach Barocas also solidly covered “Lowdown” by Wire, and “Cornflake Girl” by Tori Amos. A hot set made the hot sun more bearable for the Sunday attendees.

Concrete Castles hit the Rebel Stage with the Ferris Wheel and other carnival rides in the sightline of many in the crowd. Vocalist Audra Miller, guitarist Matthew Yost, and drummer Sam Gilman held their fans’ attention with an effervescent set which included “Wish I Missed U,” “Half Awake,” “Sting,” “Just a Friend,” “Lucky,”  and “You Won’t See Me Again.” The Erie, PA band started out as the very popular cover band First to Eleven in 2009 before forming Concrete Castles in 2021. Young though the members may be – all three are in their early 20s they all perform with the maturity of confident musical veterans. That’s what they are, combined with a bright and hopefully long future creating terrific music.

Zola Jesus‘ bewitching performance immediately brought to mind Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, not just because of her flowing garments. The Merrill WI performer, known offstage as Nika Roza Danilova, has an ethereal stage presence, and her set including “Lost,” “Soak,” “Exhumed,” “The Fall,” “Sewn,” and “Undertow” made for as intriguing a performance as her stage name.

Lunachicks kicked off their set with some seriously iconic music, Bill Conti’s inspiring Oscar-nominated theme from Rocky “Gonna Fly Now.” This was the perfect walk-on song as the band appeared, as they always do, ready to fight (for issues in which they believe. Not physically. Though I’m guessing they can hold their own in that manner as well). Band members Theo Kogan, Gina Volpe, Sidney “Squid” Silver, and Chip English didn’t wear their hearts on their sleeves, they wore them on their jumpsuits, dresses and shirts. “Not Government Property,” “Roe Rage Riot,” and “Our Bodies, Our Choice,” were among the messages displayed prominently during a year in which The Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe V. Wade. Of course, feminist activism is engrained in the DNA of the band. The NYC band’s 2021 memoir “Fallopian Rhapsody” was met with critical acclaim. Lunachicks exhibited their signature power as they ripped through an extensive set including “Bad Ass Bitch,” “Say What You Mean,” “Jerk of All Trades,” “The Day Squid’s Gerbil Died,” “Luxury Problem,” and “Less Teeth More Tits.” A prodigious set indeed by voices perhaps more relevant than ever. Heroes we deserve? Probably not. Heroes we need? Most definitely.

One of Sleater-Kinney‘s first rehearsal spaces was located on Sleater-Kinney Road in Lacey Washington, nearby to Olympia, where the band was founded. The road from that road has been as long one for the now legendary Sleater-Kinney. Its set at Riot Fest 2022 once again proved why Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein continue to be so compelling, both as a band and as individuals. Among other tunes, the band performed “High in the Grass,” “Jumpers,” “All Hands on the Bad One,” “Bury Our Friends,” “Modern Girl,” and “The Center Won’t Hold.” Sleater-Kinney delivered a dynamic performance, one that makes us hope we won’t have to wait long before catching them again. Maybe at Riot Fest 2023?

Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O.’s signature black bowl hairstyle was partially obscured at the start of the band’s set by the topper of an elaborate bright, multi-colored outfit. The first sight of the outfit elicited wows from the crowd and other observers. Her bandmates, Nick Zinner and Brian Chase, clad in clothing nearly matching the night sky, and positioned further away from the spotlight focused on O. were partially obscured themselves. In any case, the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s stood out as a shining example of what a great band can accomplish during a crowded festival weekend. The band performed “Spitting Off The Edge of the World,” and “Burning,” from its new album “Cool it Down.” The well-received album, its first new one since 2013’s “Mosquito,” was released just under two weeks post-Riot Fest, on September 30, 2022. The set also included “Zero,” “Wolf,” “Soft Shock,” “Cheated Hearts,” and “Under the Earth.” It was a fun set to watch and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are enjoyable to shoot photos of as well.

As Riot Fest was born in Chicago, it was fitting that the band with the latest scheduled set start time, by a mere 15 minutes, was from Chicago as well. Nine Inch Nails might have been presented as the Sunday night headliner but The Academy Is… did a pretty good job of drawing many members of the hometown crowd, as well as visitors too, away from Trent Reznor and his bandmates. The band returned to active status seven years after its farewell tour in 2015 and for those fans, seeing them again or for the first time, could not contain their enthusiasm. Band members William Beckett, Adam T. Siska, Mike Carden Andy “The Butcher” Mrotek rewarded their wait with an energetic set, performing “The Phrase That Pays,” “LAX to O’Hare,” “Bulls In Brooklyn,” “Black Mamba,” “We’ve Got a Big Mess on Our Hands,” “Checkmarks,” and “After the Last Midtown Show.” The Academy Is…also paid tribute to Material Issue, the immensely popular Chicago band active from the mid-80’s to the mid-90’s, by covering the latter band’s song, “Very First Lie.” There was a special surprise for fans. Original band members Michael Del Principe and AJ LaTrace joined the others on stage to perform “Attention”  off their debut album, “Almost Here. “

Riot Fest 2022 was an exhausting and hot weekend full of great tunes and good times. As coverage of this year’s event winds down, we’re finding it difficult to take a full break from the event. After all, there’s Riot Fest 2023 in the works.

More photos from the final day of Riot Fest 2022 below!

  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • The Academy Is…
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Sleater-Kinney
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Lunachicks
  • Keep Abortion Legal t-shirt during Lunachicks set.
  • Zola Jesus
  • Zola Jesus
  • Zola Jesus
  • Zola Jesus
  • Zola Jesus
  • Zola Jesus
  • Zola Jesus
  • Zola Jesus
  • Zola Jesus
  • Zola Jesus
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Concrete Castles
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
  • Jawbox
by Staff Writer MerGold
Tags: 
Concrete Castles Douglass Park Festivals Jawbox Lunachicks

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DS Festival Recap: Riot Fest Day Two – Part Two (9/17/22) w/ Sunny Day Real Estate, The Front Bottoms and War on Women

Continuing with our Riot Fest 2022 coverage with a few bands from day two! In case you missed it, click here to see my day one recap. We’re starting off with the hardcore punk band War on Women. This female-fronted band delves heavily into political and feminist issues. Shawna Potter is the very definition of […]

Continuing with our Riot Fest 2022 coverage with a few bands from day two! In case you missed it, click here to see my day one recap.

We’re starting off with the hardcore punk band War on Women. This female-fronted band delves heavily into political and feminist issues. Shawna Potter is the very definition of fierce; definitely see this band live if you get the chance…and, head’s up they will be touring with fellow hardcore punk band Cancer Bats this fall for an East Coast U.S. tour.

Next are The Front Bottoms, an emo/indie rock band from New Jersey. They released their third installment of their popular Grandma EP series titled Theresa on September 2, 2022.

Long-time emo band Sunny Day Real Estate made a stop at Riot Fest for their fourth reunion tour. Their 1994 debut studio album Diary has been considered one of the defining albums of the Midwest emo genre.

Check out the full gallery below and Part One of day two here!

by Staff Writer Mary_Sunde
Tags: 
baltimore chicago emo Female Fronted feminist

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DS Exclusive: Riot Fest 2022 – Day 2 (Yellowcard, Bad Religion, 7Seconds, Yungblud, Gogol Bordello and more)

Day 2 of Riot Fest 2022 took place on September 17th. The temperatures rose and because it was a Saturday, so did the crowd size. It was a day of both music and expressions of solidarity with one nation under attack. Red Scare Industries’ No Trigger was assigned to the smallest music stage in the […]

Day 2 of Riot Fest 2022 took place on September 17th. The temperatures rose and because it was a Saturday, so did the crowd size. It was a day of both music and expressions of solidarity with one nation under attack.

Red Scare Industries’ No Trigger was assigned to the smallest music stage in the park, the Rebels stage. However, that did not stop the boys from Boston from giving a powerful performance, including the tunes “Antifantasy,” “Holy Punks,” “No Tattoos,” and “Neon National Park.” There is little doubt in my mind, or at least lots of reason to hope, that No Trigger will be promoted to a larger stage at its next Riot Fest appearance. I’m not much of a gambler but I’ll take the bet that they will indeed be back at the festival, and sooner than later.

Fans of Bully were fortunate to not only see one of their favorites treat them to a fantastic set, but they did so from the Radicals Stage. That stage provided the most shade and the coolest setting on an otherwise boiler of a day. Rolling through “Trash,” ”Where to Start, ”Stuck in Your Head, ”Kills to Be Resistant, ”Milkman,” “Hate and Control,” “Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues” Bully gave the crowd what it was looking forward to and needed.

A formidable amount of joy was felt as The Joy Formidable took over the Roots stage. That line might be of questionable quality, however, the performance by the pride and the Formidable Joy of Mold, Flintshare, Wales (ok, I’ll stop now) was quite palpable.  The band, presently based in London, and composed of Rhiannon “Ritzy” Bryan, Rhydian Dafydd Davies, and Matthew James Thomas performed solidly a set that included “The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade,” “Y Bluen Eira,” “Sevier,” “CSTS (Come See the Show),” and “Whirring.”

The Get Up Kids were one of the 2022 Riot Fest bands doing an “album play” set. The album in this case was its classic Four Minute Mile on its 25th Anniversary. Though not dedicated to running legend Roger Bannister, as the title might suggest to near-lifelong runners (such as myself), it does feature track runners on the cover. More importantly, the band’s debut studio album transformed the members of the group into stars of the emo punk sub-genre. For attendees who became fans at the album’s first release and those just discovering its music, it was great to hear the full track listing, including, “Stay Gold Ponyboy,” “Lowercase West Thomas,” “Washington Square Park,” “Michelle With One “L”,” and “I’m a Loner Dottie, a Rebel.”

7Seconds announced their retirement in 2018, citing health issues as the primary reason. For that reason, the band appearing at Riot Fest this year was especially compelling. The band returned to touring earlier this year as support for Circle Jerks, alongside Negative Approach. Sammy Siegler sat in the drum chair in place of Troy Mowat, whose health issues continue to keep him sidelined. Kevin Second’s voice was strong and the setlist featured many entries from the band’s classic 1984 album The Crew. The album was remastered and reissued in deluxe style by Trust Records in 2021. Among them: “Here’s Your Warning,” “Definite Choice,“ Not Just Boys Fun,” “This Is the Angry,” “Here’s Your Warning,” “Definite Choice,” “Not Just Boys Fun. 7Seconds also played “We’re Gonna Fight,” plus covered “99 Red Balloons” by Nena.

For those who might not know, Alexisonfire is from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada and named after an American porn actress. There was some controversy surrounding that latter fact but let’s move now to its Riot Fest appearance. It was a crowd pleaser, featuring in the setlist “Accidents,” Boiled Frogs,” “Sweet Dreams of Otherness,” “Pulmonary Archery,” and “Drunks, Lovers, Sinners.” For a hot late summer day, near that stage was a pretty cool place to hang.

Yungblud is an excitable boy (a nod to Warren Zevon there) and an exciting performer. Dressed in black dress pant style shorts held up by a single suspender over a long sleeve black and white striped shirt added up to him looking a bit like a post-modern day Pinocchio sans the pointy cap. Yungblud’s infectious charm was obvious, as he bounced across the stage almost nonstop through “The Funeral,” “superdeadfriends,” “parents,” “Tissues,” “I Love You, Will You Marry Me,” among others. His set ended with a show of support for the Ukrainian activists at the festival as the English rising star brought a group of them onstage. The Ukrainian flag being held high by said activists demonstrated again the solidarity for the war-torn nation on display at Riot Fest 2022.

Bad Religion is yet another of what I call FORFs — Friend of Riot Fest. As in, the band is a regular part of the festival’s lineups over the years. This should continue ad infinitum. They are a brilliant group every bit deserving of the word legend which has long been attached to them and the innumerable tattoo tributes across the globe. One crowd member expressed their love with the BR symbol shaved into and painted onto his skull. Meeting Greg Graffin for the first time, in the media tent, he exuded humility and kindness. Graffin: “Hi I’m Greg.” Me, in an attempt to be professional and not fan girl the PhD Punk icon from one my top 5 bands: “Thanks, I gotta go shoot 7Seconds now.” Yes, I’m a dork. But I’d hazard a guess Graffin was ok with that awkward bailing out. Back to their performance though. When the music kicked in Graffin, Jay Bentley, Brian Baker, Mike Dimkich, and Jamie Miller got straight to the point with “Recipe for Hate.” That was followed by “New Dark Ages” and “Fuck You.” With so many classics over the decades of its existence, the band couldn’t possibly hit all of them. However, it did a pretty good damn job of getting in a lot of them. Among those they drove through were “Dept. of False Hope, “We’re Only Gonna Die,” “Suffer,” and “21st Century (Digital Boy),” They concluded the set with “Fuck Armageddon… This Is Hell,” “Sorrow,” and my personal favorite, “American Jesus.” Whew and Wow. That about sums up Bad Religion in general and its Riot Fest performance in particular.

Gogol Bordello returned to Riot Fest as a replacement for Bauhaus which had to cancel its American tour due to lead singer Peter Murphy entering rehab. The Gypsy Punks released their latest album, Solidaritine, just one day before its set at Douglass Park. It appeared clear a priority for the band was to continue increasing and solidifying support for Ukraine and its efforts to fight back against Russian Vladimir Putin, his government, and the Russian military (Putin, of course, directed the military invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022). Earlier in the day, Eugene Hutz, the Boyarka native singer of Gogol Bordello, participated in a moving tribute to his homeland in a performance alongside a Ukrainian dance troupe. The full band known for its rousing performances did not disappoint as they ran through “Immigrant Punk,” “Wanderlust King,” ”My Companjera,” “Immigraniada (We Comin’ Rougher),” “Think Locally, Fuck Globally,” and “Mishto!”

Yellowcard was one of the three Saturday Night headliners. The band performed in full, its fourth album, also its major label debut, 2003’s Ocean Avenue. “Way Away,” released as the album’s first single, and credited as Yellowcard’s injection into the realm of mainstream popularity, started off the set. Title tune “Ocean Avenue,” was followed by ”Empty Apartment,” and “Life of a Salesman.” The rest of the album including “Miles Apart,”  “Twentythree,” “View From Heaven,” “One Year, Six Months,” “Back Home” took diehard Yellowcard fans on a nostalgia trip. But what a trip!

See more Riot Fest 2022 day 2 photos below!

  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Yellowcard
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Gogol Bordello
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Yungblud
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • Bad Religion
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • The Get Up Kids
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • No Trigger
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • The Joy Formidable
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Alexisonfire
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Bully
  • Baby Punk Rocker
  • A fan’s tribute to Bad Religion
  • Bloody Panda Man
by Staff Writer MerGold
Tags: 
7Seconds Bully chicago no trigger Punk

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

DS Festival Recap: Riot Fest Day One – Part Two (9/16/22) w/ L.S. Dunes’ Live Debut, Destroy Boys & More!

Did you miss Riot Fest this year? Or want to relive those last days of summer seeing your favorite bands? Good news! Fellow Dying Scene contributor Meredith Goldberg and I have all the photos you’ll need of the three-day music festival held in Chicago from September 16-18th, 2022. We are recapping some of the bands […]

Did you miss Riot Fest this year? Or want to relive those last days of summer seeing your favorite bands? Good news! Fellow Dying Scene contributor Meredith Goldberg and I have all the photos you’ll need of the three-day music festival held in Chicago from September 16-18th, 2022.

We are recapping some of the bands from day one here with the live premiere of supergroup L.S. Dunes, one of my personal favorites Destroy Boys, along with Foxy Shazam, Bob Vylan, Boston Manor and Pale Waves.

The day kicked off with UK pop punk/synth pop band Pale Waves who released their third studio album Unwanted about a month prior. They were the first of several bands that travelled to the fest from the UK. Pretty cool!

Boston Manor is next coming from (you guessed it) the UK (Blackpool, England to be exact). This pop punk/post-hardcore band was featured on Punk Goes Pop Vol. 7 in 2017 for their rendition of Twenty One Pilots’ “Heathens”.

One of the beautiful things about music festivals is discovering new bands you may have never otherwise heard of. The two-piece English band Bob Vylan is exactly that; I never knew I needed them in my life until I saw them at Riot Fest. This gritty-abrasive rap punk duo blew me away with their energy and unapologetic outcries against government oppression and xenophobia. The pair is vocalist Bobby Vylan and drummer Bobbie Vylan, together becoming Bob Vylan!

Glam rock stars Foxy Shazam dominated the fest with their dazzling performance (and attire) and quickly became a crowd favorite. There was so much happening on stage, one minute you see keyboardist Schuyler White jumping into the crowd WITH his keyboard, and the next there’s guitarist Devon Williams balancing his guitar in the air with his mouth. Absolute insanity.

Next up is a band I’ve been digging for the last year. I first saw Destroy Boys in December 2021 at the Cobra Lounge in Chicago and was excited to see they were on the line up for Riot Fest this year. Definitely listen to “Locker Room Bully” and “Crybaby” when you get the chance.

Finally, we have L.S. Dunes! They are the post-hardcore supergroup fronted by Circa Survive and Saosin vocalist Anthony Green, with My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero, Coheed and Cambria guitarist Travis Stever, and Thursday bassist Tim Payne and drummer Tucker Rule. They made their live debut at Riot Fest with heavy riffs and aggressive energy, certainly living up to the hype we were all hoping for. Be sure to check out their album Past Lives when it drops on November 11, 2022.

Check out the rest of the photos below and stay tuned for day two!

by Staff Writer Mary_Sunde
Tags: 
Bob Vylan Bobbie Vylan Boston Manor chicago destroy boys

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *