Riot Fest 2013 recap: Day two

By Gene Wagendorf III

Chelsea NoPants| Photo Credit: Gene Wagendorf III

Day Two of Riot Fest was loaded with sets by legends: UK ska icons The Selecter, LA punks X and hip-hop pioneers Public Enemy. Not your thing? Well, aren't you a picky bastard. Luckily the promoters had you covered, inviting the circus sideshow troupe Hellzapoppin to set up shop and freak out festival goers. A mix of gravity-defying stunt work, sword swallowing and straight luncay (glass eating, human dartboards and a man snorting popcorn kernels and shooting them out of his eyes), Hellzapoppin had the crowd buzzing cringing all weekend. After all the glass had been washed down with Windex (for real), there were plenty more great bands to catch...

Dinosaur Jr.

J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr

...Plenty more great bands, some of whom dropped really disappointing sets. I've seen Dinosaur Jr four or five times before- everywhere from Subterranean to Lollapalooza- and this was easily the most uninspired of those performances. Part of it was the muddied sound, which crippled J Mascis' voice and took the edge off his guitar, and part of it was the band's seemingly disinterested demeanor. Most of the set suffered from a fuzzy directionlessness, including hit single "Out There," a song that normally sways with desperate energy. Saturday it came off as bland and whiny, despite a couple laser-hot guitar licks. The group finally woke up when covering Deep Wound, a hardcore punk band that Mascis and guitarist Lou Barlow played in before forming Dinosaur. The song was all buzzsaw and raw energy, and in an ideal world would've been the first in a series of Deep Wound tunes. Their closing cover of "Just Like Heaven" had them ending on a high-note; its gurgling bass got people moving as they sang along. Even there though, the lead guitars felt buried in the mix, leaving me wanting more just as much as wanting something else all together.

Blondie

Deborah Harry | Photo via redbull.com

I once drunkenly uttered the words "Blondie did more for fashion than they ever did for rock." I know, I know, I'm a fucking moron, and Debbie Harry had a whole hour at Riot Fest to rub it in. The singer's voice sounded perfect romping through "One Way or Another," steeped in her trademark combination of playfulness, seductiveness and edge. "Hanging on the Telephone," a Nerves cover off 1978's Parallel Lines, found Harry's vocals dripping with sass against her band's magnetic bop. Blondie even found a way to jazz up what I've always considered one of their most boring songs, tacking on a snippet of "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" onto the end of "Rapture." The strutting crunch they attacked the Beastie Boys song with came off very Joan Jett, which is to say it kicked complete ass. Aside from that little surprise the group threw down pretty straightforward renditions of their songs; tightly polished but never mechanical.

Blondie ended their performance with a couple more massive hits; the disco carousel of "Heart of Glass" and high octane fist-pumper "Call Me." The former found Harry accenting the glee by nailing every ooh-ooh and ah-ah. Saving her best vocal performance for last, the singer snaked between a cooing sing-song and boisterous salvo. Pushed by charging guitars and serpentine keys, Harry sounded as invigorated onstage as on any Blondie record. The crowd was left in a euphoric tizzy, and I was left with my foot crammed way down my throat.

Riot Fest 2013 recap: Day one

By Gene Wagendorf III 

Riot Fest| Photo Credit: Gene Wagendorf III

Riot Fest returned to Humboldt Park for its second year as a big, outdoor music festival last weekend, offering willing Chicagoans a chance to celebrate punk and its various subgenres. The promoters again did an admirable job of mixing in non-punk bands again, this year inviting acts like The Pixies, Saul Williams, Public Enemy, Violent Femmes and DeVotchka to jam between the carnival rides and funnel cake. 2013 also saw the festival stretch to a third day, as opposed to last year's Friday kickoff show at the (shudder) Congress Theater. Here are some highlights, followed by a Day One Sensory Recap. Enjoy!

Saul Williams

Saul Williams | Photo Credit: David Shuey

Acclaimed New York slam poet-turned-rapper Saul Williams kicked the festival off on Friday in the strangest of ways: by not playing music. Williams approached the microphone armed only with a book, and promptly launched into a psychedelic lyric poem that served as both a dark critique of mainstream society and a passionate, inspiring call-to-arms. His ability to turn words on their side and pull new meaning from seemingly every day language has long been a strength, especially when those words are aimed squarely and challenging his audiences acceptance of subjects like tradition and history. The line let you children name themselves served as Williams' crescendo; a wave of epiphany sizzling through the crowd.

After a pause and raucous burst of applause, Saul launched back into verse. The realization that there would be no music, no slam infused-punk or glam rap, divided the crowd. While some wandered off in search of a band on another stage, as many seemed to cram closer, digesting every syllable offered in ravenous fashion. Williams switched between reading from his books and spitting from memory, while moving between his trademark slam frenzy and even more impressive moments of rapping against a suggested beat. That last feat might have been the most astounding musical performance of the weekend, as Saul managed to roll and flutter his words against deliberate silences, seducing his audience into bobbing and grooving to the anti-percussion. The subjects touched on during the performance were typically Saul- race, class, politics, freedom- and were all explored with mystical intensity. Ending on one of his most famous pieces, "Sha-Clack-Clack," Williams showed his mastery of rhythm, onomatopoeia and pizzazz. The poem was a dramatic conclusion to a set that, while far from punk sonically, was as close to that movement's ideological roots as anything all weekend.

Smoking Popes

The Smoking Popes| Photo Credit: Gene Wagendorf III

Chicago scene veterans Smoking Popes played one of Riot Fest's most personally nostalgic sets for me; the band popped up on just about every mix tape I made every high school girlfriend. Their set of uplifting pop punk was a perfect balance of newer material and classic tunes, delivered flawlessy by a band that's become synonymous with consistency. Singer Josh Caterer's voice carried its usual mix of sincerity and desperation, while his band sounded tight and energized. Smoking Popes rarely disappoint live, and while it'd be impossible to suggest they stole the show, few Riot Fest moments felt as plainly pleasant as watching the band surge through songs like "I Know You Love Me" and "Need You Around."

Riot Fest 2012 recap: Part two

By Gene Wagendorf III

Ferris Wheel | Photo Credit: Gene Wagendorf III

The 2012 incarnation of Riot Fest saved its best for last with an absolutely loaded Sunday lineup. Before I get into who I saw and what I thought, I want to take a moment to say this: do it again. As I mentioned in part one of my recap, I came away from Riot Fest blown away by the execution of the festival. The grounds were clean, the weather excellent, Humboldt Park as beautiful as ever and the sound, for the most part, spot on. Does Chicago have a lot of outdoor music in the summer? Sure. But I welcome the Riot Fest addition with open arms, assuming there are no plans to add an electronic music stage.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton Heat | Photo Credit: Tara Griffin

While The Reverend and crew have been kicking around for decades (almost three of them, actually), the trio showed no signs of bland maturity or geriatric complacency. Kicking their set off with "Psychobilly Freakout," from 1990's Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em, gave the band the chance to quickly acquaint the unacquainted. The Reverend's big, sizzling guitar shreds skittered across heavy bass and Scott Churilla's slam dance percussion, promptly knocking the hangovers out of the afternoon crowd. The rest of the set was a cohesive blend of slick lounge pop and more rollicking jams. "Drinkin' and Smokin' Cigarettes" offered the crowd a moment of cool respite (as well as an unofficial theme song for the weekend); its elastic jangle met with the click of a hundred Zippos. While I still believe Reverend Horton Heat are best enjoyed in a dark club at a later hour, the group did well out of their comfort zone. The band rode out on "Big Red Rocket of Love," giving festival goers one last helping Jimbo Wallace's punchy bass to boogie on.

Riot Fest 2012 recap: Part one

By Gene Wagendorf III

Andrew W.K. | Photo Credit: Eric Kolkey

Riot Fest got a new look this year, abandoning its week-long series of shows across the city format for that of a more traditional music festival. Things got going Friday night at The Congress Theater with a show headlined by Neon Trees and The Offspring, but the festival proper played out across two days in the absolutely gorgeous Humboldt Park. Carnival rides and games were sprinkled between four stages, with music going non-stop from about noon to ten. While the festival maintained its usual focus on punk and varying subgenres, the promoters did toss in (mostly seamlessly) enough non-punk acts to keep the show from feeling stale. My two big casualties-of-scheduling on Saturday were Nobunny and GWAR, not because something tantalizing was playing opposite them, but because I have a crappy corporate day job that I couldn't escape from in time. #ReviewFail, I know. I arrived at Humboldt Park with enough time to down a few beers before Andrew W.K., and in that short time on the ground I heard nothing but buzz about GWAR. Half the crowd seemed to be covered in fake blood from their set, and most of those people were still red on Sunday. If you want to know how that set went, odds are there are still some crimson-coated lunatics wandering around Chicago. Ask them.

Andrew W.K.

Partying. Period. This is what Mr. W.K. is all about. He sings about it. He lives it. I've heard his music at parties. I've been to Andrew W.K.-themed parties. My reaction has always been, "OK, I get it. Let's move on." That said, I couldn't help myself. I had to see it.

The set blasted off with the cocaine thrash of "It's Time to Party," from 2001's I Get Wet. The track's mindless, pachyderm chug was a microcosm of the the next 45 minutes; kind of fun, kind of stupid and totally baffling. This is what adrenaline sounds like, no doubt, but I'm not sure simply creating the sound of wanting to drink beer 'til you vomit is a worthy endeavor. It's been done, and frankly, it's been done better. What would it sound like if I smashed "Pour Some Sugar On Me" into "Too Drunk To Fuck" is a weird pitch for a song, let alone a career. That Andrew W.K. has been cashing in on that auditory nihilism for 10+ is astonishing. That he managed to sound pretty good doing it is a miracle.

Eight ball vocals boomed from the speakers, distorted guitars slammed into eardrums and the mosh pit churned. My inner Rob Gordon chastised me the whole time I bobbed along, but I simply couldn't help myself. Beneath the layers of sloppy guitar and Neanderthal-meets-Dionysus lyrics, the songs were catchy. When the singer dedicated "She Is Beautiful" to all the ladies in the crowd, my stomach turned. It's pure objectification. My tapping feet didn't seem to care. When he produced a pizza-shaped guitar and zipped out semi-indulgent, ultimately uninteresting solo, I laughed at the absurdity. Or maybe, more accurately, along with it. I simply can't tell if there was any irony in what I saw during W.K.'s set, and that proved to be it's ultimate downfall. As a performance piece, the spectacle was totally fulfilling and perfectly hilarious. Problem is, it all looked sincere. I think this guy actually believes that partying is THE answer. That his music "fuken rulez" and that he's never going to age. In looking for a comparable immortal, I turned to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Quoth Wikipedia, "The fictional Everlasting Gobstopper is a candy that not only can never be finished, but never even gets smaller." That is to say it'll be around long after its rotted the teeth right out of your mouth. The sweetest candy coating can only disguise the truth for so long. In another lifetime, Andrew W.K. might've stuck to the keys and made a truly thrilling record. He could've been the second coming of The Killer. The treat I wound up enjoying at Riot Fest amounted to little more than a guilty pleasure, and I'm not sure I'll be looking for seconds.

Show review: Smoking Popes, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, Super Happy Fun Club at Double Door, 10/8

By Gene Wagendorf III 

The Smoking Popes do Riot Fest

Saturday at Double Door was an at times weird, but mostly spectacular night.

The free Riot Fest event featured three local bands, and first up were pop-punkers Super Happy Fun Club. I don't have too much to say about these boys beyond "they showed up." Apparently they were a late addition to the bill and I've got to give them credit for being... available? Most of the set was made up of predictable three-to-four minute slush. Maybe it was an off night, but SHFC seemed more concerned with arguing with hecklers and plugging their record than playing music that was at all moving or interesting. The highlight of the set had to be during a lull of extended instrument-tuning, when an audience member yelled, "Play a song!" The group's guitarist responded by saying, "We'll come over there and play a song... in your fucking... ear!" Really? OK. The rest of the set was riddled with obnoxious numbers like "My Life's A Mess (Yeah Yeah Yeah)" which began, of course, with a cheese-ball guitar crunch and the line yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah / yeah yeah yeah yeah. You know how when you type a word or speak it aloud enough times it loses all meaning? Yeah. What struck me as truly odd was when the band was finally greeted with a smattering of applause after a song, singer Stubhy Pandav reacted as if the reception was long overdue.

Elia and M. Ralph on stage

On the other hand, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir earned every cheer, and then some. Walking the line between sincere troubadours and goofball shtick, singer/guitarist Elia had the audience wrapped around his finger through much of the set. Think Kevin Smith humor and wit with a hell of a voice and an ear for catchy, jangly pop. Songs like "One Night Stand" had the crowd dancing while smirking at the cheeky lyrics. Elia's sincere delivery made the song about as sweet and endearing as a tune about fucking a stranger can be. Later, after asking who in the club would like a song dedicated to them, the singer pulled a cute twenty-something up on-stage to dance with him as his band broke into a rattling ballad. Charming, until he belted out the song's opening line, "I hope that you catch syphilis and die alone." Guitarist Mary Ralph did an admirable job of holding the down the musical fort during Ethan Adelsman's occasional dissonant violin shredding, a welcome and unexpected addition to the mostly ultra-accessible set. The Smoking Popes Josh Caterer joined SYGC for the last song, another peppy one that found the band having just as much fun as everyone else.

Show review: Danzig Legacy at Congress Theater, 10/7

By Andrew Hertzberg

In perfect honesty, I shouldn’t be writing this review. Calling it a review even seems inaccurate. I’ve never listened to much Misfits or other Danzig projects, not from any real dislike--just one of those artists that’s inexplicably managed to fly under my radar. And for whatever reason, I make it a habit of seeing musical legends, familiar or not, probably just for bragging rights. At the least, I was hopeful for a better night at the Congress than the last time I was there. 

Oh, but I could tell right away that the $35 and up tour shirts weren’t gonna bode well. Not to mention the ubiquity of people already wearing Misfits or Danzig merch (there’s a lot of people out there that need tosee PCU). For whatever reason I was cynical off the bat. Something about the atmosphere was rubbing me wrong. And it didn’t help to look up at the dome of the majestic theater to see that Riot Fest (of which this show was a part of) was brought to me by Red Bull. Thanks, guys. So Danzig and his backing band finally take the stage in their all black attire. And they play some tracks that I find out later are performed officially under Danzig (followed by a set of Samhain, followed by a Misfits set, thus: Danzig Legacy). Well, remember my unfamiliarity with the material. So instead of being able to differentiate between songs, I heard a lot of cheesy guitar solos, unimaginative drums and unintelligible vocals coming from a dude that at the least could psych the crowd up. 

Tonight: Social Distortion, The Tossers at Congress Theater

By Gene Wagendorf III 

Social Distortion headlines a big Riot Fest show at The Congress

Riot Fest finds itself in full swing on tonight, bringing in veteran punk rockers Social Distortion in for a show that should provide all the fist-pumping you can handle. Touring in support of their 7th album, the 2011 release Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, Mike Ness and company have all but perfected their sound- often anthemic numbers that feature driving guitars and sincere delivery- and are no strangers to headlining big Chicago fests (their slick performance at Lollapalooza 2010 had me drunkenly nodding along and wishing I knew the lyrics). Reverend Peyton's Big Damn band and local Celtic-punks The Tossers, one of the city's finest bands to get hammered to, open the show. Doors at 6:30. Check out Social Distortion's performance of "Bad Luck" from Lollapalooza below.

Weekend show picks

Japandroids (Photo by Leigh Righton)

The major live music happening around town this weekend is punk rock extravaganza Riot Fest, which runs through Sunday at various clubs around town and features bands such as Screeching Weasel, Naked Raygun, Alkaline Trio and The Dead Milkmen. For more information on that, check out loudlooppress.com's excellent preview.

If you're not in the Riot spirit, here are some other solid show options this weekend:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9

- Big Bang TV at Hideout - Per the band's online bio, "Frantic, post-punk guitars stumble in and out of pools of atari synth and turntable chirps. Male/female vocals lazily dance around each other until they’re swept up by a driving break beat and booming bass." Also with Serengeti & Polyphonic and Kid Static. 10 p.m., $8, 21 and over. More info and tickets.

- Inchworm at Darkroom - Taking cues from the likes of Neil Young and the Stones, Chicago's inchworm deliver a fresh, memorable take on a classic rock formula. Also with Deanna Devore and Where Astronauts Go to Hide. 9 p.m., $8 advance, $10 at door, 21 and over. More info and tickets.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10

- Van Ghost at Empty Bottle - Chicago-based Americana rock. Check out our recent Q&A with front man Michael Berg here. Also with Nathan Xander and 500 Miles to Memphis. 9:30 p.m., $5 advance, $8 at door. More info and tickets.

- Japandroids at Schubas - A Canadian garage rock duo that released their debut LP, Post-Nothing, this year. To learn more, check out this new interview with the duo from Jim DeRogatis of the Sun-Times. Also with Little Girls. Japandroids are also playing Schubas on Friday, but that show is already sold out. 3 p.m., $12, all ages. More info and tickets.

- Lonely, Dear at Bottom Lounge - Otherwise known as Emil Svanängen, Lonely, Dear is a Swedish indie pop mult-instrumentalist. Also with Asobi Seksu and Anna Ternheim. 8 p.m., $15, 18 and over. More info and tickets.

- Girl in a Coma at Reggie's - A punk-influenced rock trio made up of sisters Nina and Phanie Diaz as well as Jenn Alva who are signed to Joan Jett's Blackheart Records. Also with Evil Beaver and Black Gold. 5 p.m., $10, all ages. More info and tickets.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11

- The Horrors at Double Door - A British shoegaze/garage rock act that released their sophomore album, Primary Colors, in May. Also with Crocodiles. Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m., $15, 21 and over. More info and tickets.

Riot Fest West postponed, but Chicago still on tap

This year, punk music festival Riot Fest was to branch out from its original Chicago location with "Riot Fest West" - an added November installment in LA - but health issues with founder Riot Mike will push the West Coast edition to 2010. Fortunately for local punk fans, though, Chicago's fest will take place October 7 to 11 as planned.

Here's what Riot Mike had to say in a statement e-mailed this morning:

Firstly, I want to apologize to the people who were excited for Riot Fest to come to Los Angeles – it was always a dream of mine that one day Riot Fest would be able to take place in another part of the U.S. But, sometimes those types of dreams need to be put on hold.

A few weeks ago, I found out that my health was failing, and I was advised by doctors to take a few months off for treatment. It was somber news to say the least, but my immediate reaction was how this would inherently affect Riot Fest. After speaking with family and close friends about the situation and mulling it over for a few days, I decided that if I couldn’t give it my all because of health related issues, then, I should postpone Riot Fest West until I’m cleared by doctors, which should hopefully be in Spring 2010.

With all of that said, there is no way in hell I would let Riot Fest Chicago not happen. For people who are attending the Chicago fest – don’t fret, it is all systems go.

The lineup for the Chicago fest is below. For more info and tickets, click here.

Riot Fest Chicago lineup:

Screeching Weasel, NOFX, Cock Sparrer, Butthole Surfers, Dead Milkmen, Murder City Devils, Naked Raygun, 88 Fingers Louie, Rights of the Accused, Riverboat Gamblers, Pegboy, No Empathy, Apocalypse Hoboken, Youth Brigade, Teenage Bottlerocket, 7 Seconds, Cobra Skulls, Lower Class Brats, Teen Idols, Off With Their Heads, Wax, Strike Anywhere, The Arrivals, The Aggrolites, Shot Baker, The Bomb, Das Kapital, Flatfoot 56, Fear City, The Frankl Project, The House That Gloria Vanderbilt, Beer Nuts, Crime In Stereo, Polar Bear Club, Ruiner, Anxiety High, She Likes Todd, The Pinstripes and many more to be announced soon.