It’s been five years since iconic New York punk band Jawbreaker reunited—though two of those were inactive pandemic years—so that now the band’s second run has nearly matched the length of time they spent releasing records together in the early 90s. Their current tour, originally planned for 2020, is a belated 25th-anniversary celebration of their […]
Tag: Jawbreaker
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Seth Engel makes melancholy sound sweet with his power-pop project, Options
Chicago punk multi-instrumentalist Seth Engel can deliver a sweet, melancholy riff so gracefully that you’d think he lives inside the guitar chords from Jawbreaker’s Dear You. Engel, who records solo material under the name Options, is a busy young man about town. He drums with mathy progressive trio Pyramid Scheme as well as heavy indie-rockers […]
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Let’s talk Riot Fest
The Reader crew start some conversations about Chicago’s loudest punk-rock institution: its lineup, its location, its role in the community, and more.
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Hopping the Riot Fest nostalgia train
Reunions and full-album sets are Riot Fest’s specialty—so what does it have to offer this year, besides Bikini Kill?
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It’s hard to stay quit on the gig poster of the week
This week’s featured gig poster was designed by Josh Davis of Dead Meat Design.
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The classic Smoking Popes lineup releases its first full-length in nearly two decades
The classic Smoking Popes lineup releases its first full-length in nearly two decades, not-quite-retired Chicago rapper E.C. Illa reissues two old Kanye collabs, and more.
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Not even 2018 can stop Riot Fest
It’s been a bad year for punks—and for everyone else who hates authoritarianism. But Riot Fest has persevered to bring us Run the Jewels, Blondie, Gary Numan, and 85 more acts.
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Can Riot Fest turn nostalgia into a renewable resource?
Maybe Riot Fest can book amazing reunions forever—but only by building current bands into tomorrow’s back-from-the-dead headliners.
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Strawberry Jacuzzi’s Shannon Candy on bratty punks who love drag and snacks
Current musical obsessions of Strawberry Jacuzzi’s Shannon Candy, Rahim Salaam of the What About Chicago?! podcast, and Reader staff writer Leor Galil
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Jawbreaker seemed to enjoy their Riot Fest reunion as much as their fans
The new Jawbreaker documentary Don’t Break Down hardly makes the band look healthy, but at Riot Fest they played like they’d been reborn.
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Riot Fest is Chicago’s monster again
After years of expanding into other cities, Riot Fest is once more a strictly hometown affair—and the Reader weighs in on its bill, its brand, and more.
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The reunited Jawbreaker follow a documentary on the band into Chicago
Don’t Break Down: A Film About Jawbreaker unpacks the group’s legend, even for people who don’t know it has one.
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Riot Fest’s pop-up restaurant Riot Feast has taken over the Saved by the Max space
The team behind the Saved by the Bell-themed spot is back with a pop-up restaurant with a Riot Fest theme.
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Riot Fest announces the rest of its 2017 lineup: At the Drive-In, Cap’n Jazz, Best Coast, and more
Joining the likes of Jawbreaker, Nine Inch Nails, and Queens of the Stone Age at this year’s Riot Fest are At the Drive-In, Cap’n Jazz, Best Coast, and many more.
Posted inBlogs
Riot Fest pulls off another coup: Jawbreaker’s first public performance since 1996
Jawbreaker’s improbable reunion is this year’s big Riot Fest news, but the bill also includes Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, New Order, Paramore, M.I.A., Vic Mensa, and Ministry.