|
WINDY CITY TIMES
|
|
|
MUSICAL ROUNDUP 'Mud' about Riot Fest
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Vern Hester 2014-09-16
|
|
This article shared 293 times since Tue Sep 16, 2014
|
|
On Sept. 12, the 10th anniversary of Riot Fest kicked off with a big, sloppy, muddy kiss. The festival, which ran Sept. 12-14, has evolved into one of Chicago's must-see musical and social attractions, and rivals the gigantic Lollapalooza for performers, an audience-friendly vibe and organizational efficiency. What started a decade ago as a collection of punk/hard rock shows strewn across the city for one weekend has evolved into a full-scale extravaganza that now has become the traditional end-of-summer event in this town.
After two years in Humboldt Park, Riot Fest got even bigger this year ( call it a growth spurt ) and, on that first day, the teething pains were undeniable. By moving to the larger north section of the park, the huge crowd had to navigate a confusing and alien landscape ( which now included a lagoon, hidden stages and twisted paths that seemed to lead to nowhere ), along with chilly sprinkles that later in the evening turned into a pelting torrentand turning the landscape into mud, mud and more mud.
Unlike Lolla, Pitchfork or North Coast, Riot Fest has always been about the music rather than a brand name. This year, the line-up was so packed that it was way too much to take in, see, and digest in a full three-day weekend.
There was something for rock fans of every shape, flavor, gender and style, and once in the confines of the festival it was impossible not to see something or someone who "scratched your cat." There were hearty helpings of nerd-art rock-punk ( Primus, The Flaming Lips ), large-scale mainstream darlings ( Weezer, The National, The Cure ), living legends ( Cheap Trick, Social Distortion, Billy Bragg, Patti Smith ), new "buzz" bands ( The Orwells, Tokyo Police Club, Vamos!, Netherfriends ), traditional hard rockers ( Dropkick Murphy, Naked Raygun, Gogol Bordello ), blatant weirdness ( GWAR, Macauley Culkin's Pizza Underground ) and even a touch of "punk light" ( Tegan and Sara ). And, yes, there were the carnival attractions, zombies that chased you, and fire dancers and breathers who popped up in unexpected places.
With no reports of arrests or outbreaks of violence and concluding with two days of cool breezes, sunshine and non-stop music, even the meteorological murkiness of Sept. 12 seemed like a pleasant memory. |
|
|
|
This article shared 293 times since Tue Sep 16, 2014
|
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE |
---|
|
| | THEATER 'Mamma Mia!' returns to Chicago with 'Daddyhunt' star Jim Newman 2024-04-24 - "Who's your daddy?" That's the key plot question driving the global hit Mamma Mia! The global smash jukebox musical famously features the song hits of Swedish pop group ABBA, and it returns for a three-week run ...
|
| | Local queer opera composer premiering her first show, a coming-of-age tale with LGBTQ+ themes 2024-04-23 - A Lake View woman is debuting her first opera as a composer, a coming-of-age story with LGBTQ+ themes. Gillian Rae Perry, a fellow with the Chicago Opera Theater's Vanguard program for emerging artists, composed The Weight ...
|
| | Cher, Dionne among Rock & Roll HoF honorees; Mariah snubbed 2024-04-22 - On April 21, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation announced its 2024 inductees, per an ABC press release. In the performer category, the inductees are Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter ...
|
| | The importance of becoming Ernest: Out actor Christopher Sieber dishes about the Death Becomes Her musical 2024-04-20 - Out and proud actor Christopher Sieber is part of the team bringing Death Becomes Her to life as a stage musical in the Windy City this spring. Sieber plays Ernest Menville, who was originally portrayed by ...
|
| | SHOWBIZ Celine Dion, 'The People's Joker,' Billy Porter, Patti LuPone, 'Strange Way' 2024-04-19 - I Am: Celine Dion will stream on Prime Video starting June 25, according to a press release. The film is described as follows: "Directed by Academy Award nominee Irene Taylor, I Am: Celine Dion gives us ...
|
| | Kokandy Productions now accepting submissions for Chicago Musical Theater Fest returning Aug. 8-11 2024-04-18 --From a press release - CHICAGO (April 18, 2024) — Kokandy Productions is pleased to open submissions for the 2024 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival, returning this summer following a four-year hiatus. Kokandy is thrilled to ...
|
| | SHOWBIZ Jerrod Carmichael, '9-1-1' actor, Kayne the Lovechild, STARZ shows, Cynthia Erivo 2024-04-12 - Gay comedian/filmmaker Jerrod Carmichael criticized Dave Chappelle, opening up about the pair's ongoing feud and calling out Chappelle's opinions on the LGBTQ+ community, PinkNews noted, citing an Esquire article. Carmichael ...
|
| | Judith Butler focuses on perceptions of gender at Chicago Humanities Festival talk 2024-04-10 - In an hour-long program filled with dry humornot to mention lots of audience laughterphilosopher, scholar and activist Judith Butler (they/them) spoke in depth on their new book at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., on ...
|
| | Andersonville Chamber announces Andersonville Midsommarfest entertainment lineup 2024-04-09 --From a press release - CHICAGO (April 8, 2024) — The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is pleased to announce the full entertainment line-up for Andersonville Midsommarfest, one of Chicago's oldest and most beloved summer ...
|
| | SHOWBIZ Outfest, Chita Rivera, figure skaters, letter, playwright dies 2024-04-05 - For more than four decades, Outfest has been telling LGBTQ+ stories through the thousands of films screened during its annual Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival—but that event may have a different look this year because ...
|
| | SHOWBIZ Dionne Warwick, OUTshine, Ariana DeBose, 'Showgirls,' 'Harlem' 2024-03-29 Video below - Iconic singer Dionne Warwick was honored for her decades-long advocacy work for people living with HIV/AIDS at a star-studded amfAR fundraising gala in Palm Beach, per the Palm Beach Daily News. Warwick received the "Award of ...
|
| | 'Rumors' performers create alternative drag playground 2024-03-24 - At first glance, Dorian's Through The Record Shop (1939 W. North Ave.) looks like a brightly-lit shop with a handful of records on the wall, but there's a secret world behind those unassuming shelves. Visitors are ...
|
| | SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman 2024-03-21 - Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...
|
| | THEATER Chicago's City Lit has anxiety on tap with 'Two Hours in a Bar' 2024-03-21 - Two Hours in a Bar Waiting for Tina Meyer by Kristine Thatcher with material by Larry Shue Text Me by Kingsley Day (Book, Music and Lyrics). At: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.. Tickets: ...
|
| | Lollapalooza announces lineup; SZA, Skrillex among headliners 2024-03-19 - Lollapalooza has released its line-up for the event that's taking place Aug. 1-4 at Grant Park. Headliners include SZA, Blink-182, Skrillex, The Killers, Hozier, Melanie Martinez and Stray Kids, among others. Some of the other acts ...
| |
|
|
|
|
| New Title IX rules protects LGBTQ+ students...to a point | | NATIONAL Ohio law blocked, Trevor Project, Rev. Troy Perry, ICE suit, Elon Musk | | SHOWBIZ Celine Dion, 'The People's Joker,' Billy Porter, Patti LuPone, 'Strange Way' | | LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project set to hold its second annual exhibition | | WORLD Nigeria arrest, Chilean murderer, trans ban, Olivier Awards, marriage items | |
|
|
|
|