This week we’re getting ready for a spooky time at the drive-in courtesy of Riot Fest! Two fine folks who work for Riot Fest, graphic designer Monique Doron and art director Dan Wade, created a poster to advertise the Riot Fest Halloween Special: two nights that combine live concerts and movie screenings at Bridgeview’s Chicago Drive-In at SeatGeek Stadium.
Friday-night concertgoers will be treated to a set by New Found Glory (who’ve excitedly made new merch for the occasion, including car air fresheners), followed by a screening of the 1988 comedy Beetlejuice (if you somehow haven’t seen this beloved goth-nerd favorite, be warned that former Reader critic Jonathan Rosenbaum, while not contrarian enough to pan it, did call it “an appealing mess”). And on Saturday you can catch a hometown show by southwest suburban band Knuckle Puck, joined by openers Hot Mulligan. Their performances will be followed by a screening of 1973 horror classic The Exorcist (which Rosenbaum’s somewhat dismissive capsule review perceptively describes as “unnerving”). Both nights will include a costume contest for partiers who want to show off their ghoul sides while staying sensibly socially distant between cars.
The Reader is still accepting suggestions for posters to feature each week—and given the precariousness of in-person concerts these days, fantasy gig posters remain fair game. E-mail scollojulin@chicagoreader.com with your contact information and submission. Even though a few music venues are back in business in a limited way, staffers who’ve lost work and tips in recent months or who can’t yet return to their jobs still need your support—here’s our list of fundraisers. And don’t forget record stores! The Reader published a list of local stores that will let you shop remotely.
ARTISTS: Monique Doron and Dan Wade
GIG: The Riot Fest Halloween Special featuring New Found Glory, Knuckle Puck, and Hot Mulligan, Fri 10/30, 6:30 PM, and Sat 10/31, 5:30 PM, at the Chicago Drive-In at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview
ARTIST INFO: Monique Doron and Dan Wade
NPO TO KNOW: The Riot Fest Foundation