Douglas Park – Chicago, IL – 17 Sep 2021
Day 1
Ten hours of music a day, for three straight days, can really kick your ass. You have to make some key strategic decisions in order to survive and thrive. I recommend getting a lot of sleep (which we didn’t on Thursday night), eating a healthy breakfast (microwave burritos), and limiting your consumption of alcoholic beverages (no comment). I have to admit, on Friday, I wasn’t feeling at the top of my game.
We had hoped to get there in time to catch all of Radkey’s 2:15pm set on the Rise stage, but alas only caught 15 minutes. They still brought the rock. I love these guys and their energy. Their sound definitely resembles a certain headliner slated for next year, and I’m not talking about My Chemical Romance. The oppressive heat on Friday did not pair well with the previous night’s debauchery, so my wife and I sought out some shade near the VIP section. We had a good view of the Roots stage and caught all of Circa Survive’s set. Anthony Green carries on since his days as an Emo poster child, his pixie-from-outer-space voice still pierces through the band’s wall of sound.
After Circa Survive, we decided to grab a bite, hoping that a little food might straighten us out. While over by the vendors we caught a little of Living Colour. Our impaired intellect caused us to question whether the band name was “In Living Colour” or if that was the TV show. They sounded great considering they have to be pushing 50 (the youngest is actually 56 – ed.).
Post early dinner, my brain went into hibernation mode. I caught some of Thrice, but can’t remember any standout tracks. I later heard they played “The Artist in the Ambulance.” We caught a little of The Lawrence Arms, Chicago’s favorite boozy buddies. TLA sounded great. They played “First Eviction Notice,” one of my faves. Brendan joked about playing a new song that’s never been played, then kicked into “Quincentuple Your Money.”
The return of Motion City Soundtrack, who we saw play their last show back at Riot Fest 2016, figured prominently on our list of must-see bands, so we staked out a good spot by the Riot Stage. When MCS split up, I wasn’t so concerned about Justin Courtney Pierre as I was about their keyboardist. In 2017 he stole the show, jumping and gyrating and singing along, I was worried about what would become of him without MCS. My fears dissipated when the first bars of “My Favorite Accident” rung out from the stage. There he was, back where he belonged, behind his keyboard stand, jumping and singing along, as giddy as the audience. Although the weather sites did not forecast any rain for the entire weekend, some ominous clouds began to form in the North. Normally, if there was any hint of rain, I would pack ponchos. BUT THERE WAS NO HINT OF RAIN. It rained.
We got drenched on our way to see Circle Jerks at the Rise stage. It was worth it. Even in pouring rain, CJ played 29 songs! If you know a CJ song, they played it. “Beverly Hills,” “Wasted,” “Wild in the Streets,” “Deny Everything.” These 60-somethings put a lot of youngsters to shame.
I have to admit, I did not have high expectations for the Smashing Pumpkins. I loved them back in the day, I attended their secret show at Metro in 1993 when they performed as “The Turnips.” I’ve probably seen them six or seven times. When Billy walked onto the stage looking like a cross between Nosferatu and a geisha in his flowing robe, I prepared for the worst. The set started slow with “The Colour of love,” but they kicked things up a notch dropping “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” “Today,” “Drown and Quiet” (first live performance since 1994). When you have low expectations, they are easily exceeded, and Smashing Pumpkins played the best set of Riot Fest. Billy’s voice sounded great, the light show was solid, and they perfectly sprinkled the setlist with fan favorites amid the new stuff.
Tune in tomorrow for the Riot Fest – Day 2 review.
