The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events originally planned to celebrate the Year of Chicago Music in 2020. Then the pandemic diminished those festivities to the point that the city declared 2021 the Year of Chicago Music too. The ongoing surge of the Delta variant means the U.S. won’t be rid of the pandemic […]
Tag: Riot Fest
Posted inMusic
A real underground party on the gig poster of the week
This week’s featured gig poster was created by Justin Gray, an illustrator and designer from New Jersey.
Posted inMusic
Music workers’ jobs disappeared, but their bills didn’t
With federal aid to venues only now arriving, how are tour managers, stagehands, bookers, and their colleagues in the concert business making ends meet?
Posted inCity Life
Halloween events, loud music, and mascot run-ins
Upcoming events and recommendations from our listings coordinator
Posted inMusic
Riot Fest throws two drive-in Halloween parties on the gig poster of the week
This week’s featured gig poster was created for Riot Fest by graphic designer Monique Doron and art director Dan Wade.
Posted inMusic
Chicago postpunks Ganser drop a chilly, thrilling new EP
New releases from chilly, thrilling postpunks Ganser, instrumental guitar-and-drums duo Sun Speak, and “queer twee pop” band Joey Nebulous
Posted inMusic
[PHOTOS]: The fans and bands of Riot Fest 2019
If Slayer play and no one is around to hear them, do they make a sound? Photographer Ryan Segedi hauled his equipment all over Douglas Park and the Riot Fest press tent, documenting the symbiosis of the bands that reign (sometimes in blood) and the fans that come to see them (sometimes 18 times). SlayerCredit: […]
Posted inMusic
Alt-country band Lucero are still undoubtedly rock ’n’ roll
The Riot Fest crowd may not have been howlin’ at the moon, but the Memphis band still created a rip-roaring good time.
Posted inMusic
The B-52s gave Chicago one last gift at Riot Fest
Even if the B-52s really are retiring from the road, they’ve left a permanent mark on the city through their influence on house music.
Posted inMusic
Bloc Party almost slept through Silent Alarm at Riot Fest
Bloc Party seemed oddly immune to the edgy, propulsive energy of Silent Alarm at Riot Fest—but their fans didn’t seem to care.
Posted inMusic
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.
Posted inMusic
Once Riot Fest has you, how does it treat you?
The Riot Fest grounds themselves provide a pretty different experience than, say, Lollapalooza or Pitchfork.
Posted inMusic
Why to get to Riot Fest early
If your lunch runs late, you’ll miss some of Riot Fest’s most exciting acts—including Mongolian metal warriors the Hu, garage monsters Drakulas, and folk-pop wild card Caroline Rose.
Posted inMusic
Unsolicited advice for Riot Fest’s bookers
Riot Fest has its traditions, and it’s hard to hate Andrew W.K. or Gwar—but here are some bands we’d like to see.
Posted inMusic
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?