A Mind-Blowing Lineup of Punk and Indie in Chicago’s Humboldt Park
Fat Mike of NOFX
They say punk is dead. Stale. Watered Down. Redundant. Old hat. Chicago’s Riot Fest proved the naysayers wrong. Ogle these Riot Fest snapshots and the brief commentary underneath each pic. F*** yeah!
Fishbone
The one band of the weekend that defies genres – combining a smattering of punk, funk and ska.
Iggy And The Stooges
At a shocking age 65, the shirtless and ripped proto-punker Iggy Pop is a master performer – frolicking and rollicking all over the place and proving that age ain’t nothing but a number.
Elvis Costello And The Imposters
Riot Fest wasnt all about punk. Elvis Costello delivered a tight set of hits like “Pump It Up,” “Radio Radio” and more. There was also a sprinkling of indie rock including The Jesus And Mary Chain, Built To Spill and Awolnation.
NOFX
Veteran punkers NOFX delivered a frenzied set of electrifying anthems derived from their extensive catalog of hits. Their raw power inspired an endless punk-rock singalong and a massive circle pit.
Slapstick
Chicago ska-punks Slapstick reunited for their first show in 15 years. This is a band that reached legendary status in the Windy City in the late ’90s. Skanking and moshing galore.
Less Than Jake
The guy wearing the horse mask was in the crowd and Less Than Jake invited him up to dance on stage.
The Descendents
The Descendents have been around since 1978, one of the original punk bands. Old-school and awesome.
The Promise Ring
Rare appearance from the Milwaukee-based band that spearheaded the emo movement in the late ’90s.
Andrew WK
Mind-boggling that Andrew WK’s notable party-punk debut came out 10 years ago. Sounded just as fresh as 2002.
GWAR
The cheese-metal band drenched the crowd in fake blood.
Cool Mohawk
Riot Fest also featured a carnival as a backdrop, complete with rides, burlesque dancers, fire breathers and a wandering marching band.
Fire Dancer
Burlesque Performer
Marching Band
It isn’t.
I’ve always considered Andrew W.K. a poser, so I don’t think he belongs amongst such an esteemed group of musicians, but I do enjoy the rest of these artists and these pics brings me much nostalgia for when I was growing up in the ’90s.
Goodbye already!? They had such a short but yet aesmowe time as a band they were one of my first favorite bands. I’m sorry to hear that they’ve already quit. :/
Andrew W.K. is kind of a one-trick pony, but his schtick is pretty cool. Definitely not something I would listen to on a regular basis, but live at a festival it was super fun.