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!