Riot Fest 2024 at Douglass Park in Chicago, IL has come and gone. After questions about venue, a return from retirement, a three night farewell, and lots of weather jam-packed into a three-day weekend, the attendees of Riot Fest and Riot Land will have much to remember after a triumphant festival.
Day One Coverage | September 20th, 2024
Fall Out Boy
The headliner of Day One was the band representing Chicago’s faithful. The barricade was filled with people wearing face paint and impossibly long eyelashes for the group. In a concussive-blast filled performance, Fall Out Boy went through the band’s discography dating over 20 years to give the city and the FOB diehards what they wanted. The show had the biggest songs and a surprise performance from Tim McIlrath from Rise Against. Fall Out Boy performing at Douglass Park felt like the victory lap for Riot Fest as the festival ended exactly how the wanted.
Sum 41
The farewell tour for Sum 41 included a stop in Chicago. The band performed at a small club in the city along with this festival performance to make sure everyone in Chicago got to experience Sum 41 live one last time. The Tour Of the Setting Sum included instructions on how to give the Sum 41 salute with one finger on the left and four fingers on the right, both hands held high. Even in the brutal heat, Derrick Whibley said he was still going to ask everyone to move. The crowd did not hold back even if everyone was baking in the heat in the afternoon.
Suicidal Tendencies
One of the most heartwarming moments of Day One (for me at least) was seeing how happy Jay Weinberg was blasting drums with Suicidal Tendencies. It was the hits from several decades with a reinvigorated lineup. The energy from Mike Muir is still something to behold as his charisma and crowd direction are still top notch performance-wise. It’s been years since I’ve seen Suicidal Tendencies live and I’m glad I got to see this version as the live show still has so much life.
Hot Mulligan
This was my first experience with Hot Mulligan. I clearly have been missing out because everyone at main stage knew every song and were singing along. This was a fun group performance with Nathan “Tades” Sanville trying his best (and succeeding) to rile up the crowd. This felt like a good introduction to a group who knew how to work a big crowd on an emo and pop-punk filled day. Hot Mulligan fit in well with Day One’s lineup.
Drug Church
I have been listening to Drug Church for the past few years but this was my first time seeing them live. It was when the crowd at barricade starting trying to jump so high that people almost fell into the pit that I realized I was not the only one moved by Drug Church’s music. This band has a bigger reach than I previous thought and I’m happy about that. The more bands that play on side-stages to big crowds who come just for said bands, the better.
The Aces
Straight out of Utah comes The Aces. I lived in Provo for almost five years so I understand the plight of living in a jam-packed city that still shuts everything down at 10PM. This was the mellow session with great instrument work that helped mellow people out mid-day. I need to give this band a deeper dive into their backlog because there was a lot of good material being played with a refreshing sound that isn’t brash or synthetic.
The Warning
I was aware of the hype around The Warning due to the big TV spots as well as the solid album that came out earlier this year. I’m happy that seeing them live reinforced my belief that The Warning are destined to be a big thing. Monterrey’s sisters are a good representation of rock as well as women lead music that stands on their own in the genre. We want “More” of The Waring. I hope some of you got that reference because I think it’s clever.
Polaris
Polaris was one of the bands to make sure the main stages got something heavy. Coming from Australia, this was one of the bands that fans came for to specifically make a circle pit. The sound was loud and groove-filled without pushing people away. Polaris was a good fit for their time of the day and helped add variety to the main stage styles. The performance included several songs from the band’s latest album Fatalism which just came out this month.
Winona Fighter
Seeing the comradery onstage within Winona Fighter made me happy to see this group. Starting the show with checking into each other’s shoulders, Winona Ryder performed a solid set including their latest song “I Swear To God I’m (FINE)” that just released two days ago. The message from Coco saying that there is no room for men attacking women is also a good message to share. Scroll below for their Dad Joke and to hear what they have coming up.
Action Adventure
Opening up one of the main stages was TikTok sensation Action Adventure. Any band who has t-shirts covering Tony Hawk’s Underground and Talladega Nights will always be OK in my book. Based out of Chicago, the hometown pop-punk group makes it a point that every one should be represented. The group will be touring with Tiny Moving Parts to close out 2024.
People R Ugly
The first band I saw at Riot Fest 2024 was the charmingly named People R Ugly. If there ever was a more subgenre defining name for a young group, than I’m not sure what it would be. My favorite part was hearing the back and forth sass between band members.
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Day Two Coverage | September 21th, 2024
After an eventful and successful Day Two, the blazing sun basked over Douglass Park with Riot Land thriving and the butter statue of John Stamos doing it’s best not to melt. In terms of “festival feeling”, Day Two felt the most multi-genre and varied in terms of music and events. From Beck to NWA Wrestling, Day Two had something for everyone. In true Riot Fest fashion, the Riot covers all walks of life.
Taking Back Sunday
My Day Two ended with Taking Back Sunday performing over 20 years of music for the emo faithful. The performance was interesting to say the least as it was a silhouette style showing with the band members blacked out from the lighting for most of the set (the photos below are the best I could get while in the photo pit). The microphone swinging was demonstrated and the fans at barricade were singing along, but I admit something seemed off from my viewpoint for TBS.
NOFX
The farewell tour of NOFX is coming to an end. I caught Fat Mike & comapny’s fifth to last performance on Saturday night and in true NOFX fashion, Fat Mike talked about how he was drunk on stage and that he couldn’t smell anything since 1992. While this weekend has many odd fans behaving wildly for the NOFX performances (giant flag and a fan climbing on stage for starters), it was still a celebration on stage for NOFX as many friends and family were present. Huge crowd to send off NOFX this night.
L. S. Dunes
Back-to-back performances for L. S. Dunes at Riot Fest for two years. The difference is that the 2024 performance felt significantly more put together and presentable. Greene sounded strong and the visuals and energy from the stage definitely made for a better presentation while this super-group shared new music and big songs for the crowd. The band is still putting out new music, including “Fatal Deluxe” which came out a day before this Riot Fest performance.
Basement
My first time hearing Basement and it brought back memories from when I first discovered the group. After a technical delay where singer Andrew Fisher mimed to the crowd that he was thankful for everyone’s patience, Basement powered through and completed their set. When you have a good crowd that can wait an extra three minutes, it makes the experience much better for the band.
Sincere Engineer
Many people came to see Deanna of Sincere Engineer scream and sing to Chicago. There was something about her raw performance that captivated many. The amount of corndogs in the crowd was uncountable and I think that proves that her song “Corndog” along with her strong live performance all confirm that corndoggery is a good thing.
Health
This was my second time seeing Health this year (the first being in March on their headline tour). There was an earthquake of bass that permeated the Douglass Park grounds. The music was heavy and digital and incited a trance into the crowd. Health continue to sound great live. You can check out a Dad Joke from Jake and upcoming plans for Health in 2025.
Day Three Coverage | September 20th, 2024
We complained for two days about the heat and dust. As a result, Mother Nature trolled us and gave us several inches of rain and enough mud to fill a canyon. Serves us right for complaining, but hats off to the Riot Fest squad as the entire festival went on with every band performing and the return of the legendary Slayer went as planned. Even Mother Nature wouldn’t try to get in the way of Slayer and Slayer fans.
Slayer
When Slayer retired in 2019, it felt a decent ending to one of the Big Four. A long multi-leg tour with the world covered in tour dates. Now comes Riot Fest 2024 with the exclusive Midwest performance of Slayer and their first performance since their Los Angeles retirement show. After a video package talking about Slayer’s history and showing clips, the opening notes of “South Of Heaven” were heard and the Chicago faithful knew it was time to unleash everything for the band.
This was my third time seeing Slayer live. It might have been the shock and excitement of seeing Slayer perform again after being away for almost five years, but hearing them play and listening to Tom Araya’s speech about karma made me appreciate that Slayer hadn’t aged a day.
Rob Zombie
The final performance of Rob Zombie in 2024 happened at Riot Fest as the dead man praised Chicago for welcoming him and his band to the city. After getting the thumbs up from security, Rob Zombie got the ladies to get on the shoulders of any big person in front of them they could find (his words). Sunday was the heavy day music wise for Riot Fest, and having Rob Zombie perform as the lead in to Slayer’s return was a great choice. Have a loud party before the onslaught happens.
Lamb Of God
It was a long road trip for Lamb Of God to eventually get to Chicago. After co-headlining the Ashes Of Leviathan Tour with Mastodon, Lamb Of God took the main stage to the thoroughly soaked crowd. It was ferocious and this was where the pits started expanding through the crowd. There is something about Richmond’s metal heroes that incites a Riot, and Riot Fest is the perfect place to get all that pent up aggression out in an appropriate place.
Strung Out
My first time seeing Strung Out. I had only heard the name before and was unfamiliar with the music. I’m glad I caught this set as they had a great sound and had the consummate professional attitude on stage. The NOFX World Stage had a good crowd for this group and I feel like I’ve been missing out for not checking out Strung Out sooner.
GWAR
During a downpour on Day Three of Riot Fest 2024, several members of GWAR came by the press area to talk. During this time, one of the GWAR members went to the porta-potty and another GWAR member kept him inside. Friends don’t let friends get out of a porta-potty.
Gel
With a preshow mud wrestling pit in the crowd, it appeared that Gel was right at home performing a hardcore set for the waterlogged and muddy main stage crowd. It only took one song for several pits to open and body surfers to come in while hearing songs from Gel’s latest EP Persona. This was my second time seeing Gel this year (first at Sick New World). Gel has quickly become a go to band for the gym and to hear something aggressive.
Saxsquatch
The best way to open a rock festival is with jazzy rock covers by bigfoot in sunglasses playing saxophone to a slow circle pit. Everything I just said was accurate and holds up to what Saxsquatch offered to Chicago in the opening of Day Three. Listening to the cover of “Careless Whisper” with a groovy beat and saxophone felt fitting as the downfall was about to start at Douglass Park. Saxsquatch brought the rain and we all danced with him while soaked.
Over the course of 2024, many people have been aware of the challenges Riot Fest have been thrown. A forced venue change, a return to Douglass Park, and getting the clearance for everything with limited crunch time would spell disaster for most festivals or organizations. Most organizations are not Riot Fest. The staff and team were able to pull all of this off despite the turbulent events leading to September 20th-22nd. Once again, Riot Fest confirms that this festival can stand on it’s own and succeed despite any circumstances, and wildly succeed while surviving.
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What Went Down At Riot Fest 2024
“Riot Fest 2024 has once again captivated music lovers with its vibrant celebration of alternative music, art, and culture in Douglass Park, Chicago. Held from September 20-22, this year’s festival showcased over 90 acts across five stages, featuring headliners such as Fall Out Boy, Beck, and Slayer. Attendees enjoyed a diverse lineup that included punk, rock, hip-hop, and metal performances, alongside unique attractions like the RiotLand interactive experience and a wedding chapel where nearly 40 couples tied the knot. The festival also embraced local culture with food vendors and art installations, making it a must-visit event for fans of all ages. With its eclectic mix of music and community spirit, Riot Fest 2024 solidified its reputation as one of the premier music festivals in the U.S.” (Perplexity)
