Chicago’s Most Eclectic Independent Music Publication

Latest News

  • Legendary Mask Maker, Zagone Studios, Approaches Fifty-Years Of Innovation Right Here In Chicago
  • LOLLAPALOOZA ANNOUNCES LINEUP BY DAY & 1-DAY TICKETS AND 2-DAY BUNDLES ON SALE THIS WEDNESDAY
  • PIXIES ANNOUNCE LEG THREE OF THEIR 2023 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WITH STOP HERE IN CHICAGO
  • Photo Gallery: Curse Mackey @ Concord Music Hall
  • Photo Gallery: The Bellwether Syndicate @ Concord Music Hall
  • Photo Gallery: Clan of Zymox @ Concord Music Hall
  • Home
  • Music News
    • Breaking News
    • Features
    • This Just In
    • Interviews
    • Reviews
    • ITLM OTRS
    • Local Loop
    • Musical Theatre
    • ChiBluesBro’s Jukebox Reviews
  • Media
    • Photos
    • Videos
    • Streaming Live
  • Events
  • Festivals
  • Promotions
  • About
  • Contact
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Youtube

Riot Fest 2018: Day 2 Review

Sep 17, 2018 James Currie Features, Music News, Reviews 0


Riot Fest 2018: Day 2 Review

By Christopher David

In recent years, has there been a more representative day of what Riot Fest can offer than Saturday? Probably not. Showcasing everything from rock n’ roll’s most legendary figure outside of Elvis, to yet another legendary Elvis, a pioneer in electronica, and all the atmosphere and cool of New York, Riot Festers got chance after chance to see some of the best live music out there.

Chicago’s own Beach Bunny started the day with their special blend of alt-pop, and if you weren’t able to catch them on the Riot stage, you’d better find them somewhere else in the city before they start to blow up, which seems inevitable given singer Lili Trifilio’s penchant for sweet, surfy melodies and just the right amount of guitar jangle. (Check out their Prom Queen EP on their Bandcamp site.)

Over on the Rise Stage, the leaves were burned from the trees by the sheer volume and fury of Mannequin Pussy, a Philadephia foursome, who fit right in with Riot Fest’s history of bringing new and classic punk together on the same stage. Vocalist Marisa Dabice alternates between tender whispers and shrieking fury, a force of nature onstage that we’ll surely (hopefully?) be seeing more in future Riots. Mannequin Pussy are the perfect blend of punk, ‘90s riot-grrl aggression, and pummeling live performance, and you’d better keep your eye on them – they have the natural chemistry of a band ready to do some damage, and they ramped the crowd up earlier than is usual.

A sunny afternoon in a wide-open field might normally have seemed like an out-of-place environment for an industrial-pop legend like the one and only Gary Numan, but down in the park (hehe), a crowd that spanned one of the day’s broadest demographics stood in awe of a set that leaned heavily on the electronic pioneer’s most recent record, Savage (Songs From a Broken World). Taking the stage in beige robes that called to mind the stark, desert-like imagery of the new record, Numan’s presence is huge, and thirty-two albums into his career (yes, you read that right), he shows no signs of slowing down. Delving into his back catalog for only a few choice nuggets (the ubiquitous “Cars” and “Metal”), Numan’s bravery as an artist who looks forward was in full-force, with one of the most powerful sets of the entire fest. (Check out our forthcoming interview with Numan for a look at what the future holds as well as some very special shows.)

After a suddenly announced cancer scare earlier this year, whether or not Elvis Costello would even appear at Riot Fest was in the air – but appear he did, and thank goodness, because we need him. Whether they know it or not, every indie rocker out there owes his or her livelihood to Elvis Costello’s unique brand of pop, rock, reggae, jazz, and every genre in between. Tearing through “Pump It Up,” “Miracle Man,” “Radio, Radio,” and deep cut “I Don’t Want to Go to Chelsea” all in the first half hour of his set, Costello was in great spirits and the Imposters were on point across the board; in particular, keyboardist Steve Nieve is always a pleasure to watch. When things slowed down a bit for “I Want You” and the midtempo “Clubland,” you got a greater sense of the breadth of Costello’s songwriting brushstrokes; for the most part, it was a rock set, and if anything, the collective desire for more after a timely rendering of “What’s So Funny Bout Peace, Love, and Understanding” was palpable.

Interpol’s new album Marauder is a tightly wound affair playing on the band’s strongest elements, and their shadowy, strobe-lit set as night fell on Day 2 was an atmospheric companion to their recorded work. A band whose presence is felt perhaps more strongly on record (live, there’s a peculiar dryness that belies the eerie quality of Paul Banks’ recorded vocals) the New Yorkers opened with “Not Even Jail,” one of the strongest tracks on 2004’s Antics, and dabbled in the new album with single “The Rover” and record-opener “If You Really Love Nothing.” Guitarist Daniel Kessler is the band’s live heart, moving about the stage with an effortless kind of cool, and a blue-lit rendition of the melancholy “NYC” toward the end of the set moved into anthem territory before closer “Roland” from the band’s 2002 debut wound things back up.

“The Killer.” Say those words to anyone familiar with classic rock n’ roll, and only one name can come to mind: the one and only Jerry Lee Lewis. Still touring at 82 years old, this was one for the books even by Riot Fest standards. Flanked by bassist Ray Gann and guitarist Kenny Lovelace, and backed by the awe-inspiring chops of drummer extraordinaire Kenny Aronoff, Lewis took the stage in a sequined jacket, untucked his shirt, and took his place at the piano with a shout of ‘oh,yeah!’ to pound out “Down the Line,” “Mexicali Rose,” “Before the Night is Over,” and set closer “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” among others (and yes, there was a brief circle pit for “Down the Line”). It’s easy to dismiss artists of a certain age as simply wanting to capitalize on nostalgia, as though somehow their contribution to popular music means less as a result—but as anyone in the massive crowd to see Lewis could contest, at this point in his career, he has nothing to prove but the love for taking his place at the piano and continuing to deliver the roots of rock n’ roll to fans young and old, and there’s a beauty in that going far beyond nostalgia. The crowd felt it, and it was a moment of rare musical magic that transcended anything to do with genre, demographic, popularity, any of it – in a very real way, Jerry Lee Lewis is ultimately the only reason any of us were there in the first place, and when he raised his fist with a grin at the end of “Great Balls of Fire,” it wasn’t lost on anyone.

By the end of the night, it was going to take something truly special – a combination of spectacle and musical prowess – to reach a point of Riot Fest nirvana…and holy hell, did Beck deliver that in spades. Having taken his Colors promotional tour on the road opening for U2 last year, what may have seemed like a strange pairing actually made all the sense in the world now that he’s on the headlining stint, as the stage was a visual assault of optical illusions, seemingly animated floors and walls, and every other bizarre imagining under the Chicago moon as he delivered a hit-laden set in the best headlining spot of the weekend, bar none. Beck has evolved from a lovable stoner with an acoustic guitar to a world-class band leader more on par with Prince than anyone else – from the fuzzy grooves of opener “Devil’s Haircut” to the party-stomp of “Mixed Bizness” and the plaintive emotion of “Lost Cause,” Beck was all things to all people, strutting and dashing over a stage that looked like a spaceship’s deck in some psychedelic universe. In one of the weekend’s few surprise performances, Gary Numan returned to the stage for a performance of “Cars” that was right at home with some of Beck’s more keyboard-driven freakouts like “Wow” and “E-Pro, and as Day 2 came to a close with Odelay hit “Where It’s At,” it was a fitting end if ever there was one, as the only place to be was right-freaking-there in the middle of Douglas Park for one of the most memorable days in Riot Fest history.

Share this:

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Email

Related


  • tweet
Riot Fest 2018: Day 3 Review Riot Fest 2018: Day 1 Review

James Currie

Related Articles
  • Legendary Mask Maker, Zagone Studios, Approaches Fifty-Years Of Innovation Right Here In Chicago
    Legendary Mask Maker, Zagone Studios,...

    Oct 25, 2021 0

  • LOLLAPALOOZA ANNOUNCES LINEUP BY DAY & 1-DAY TICKETS AND 2-DAY BUNDLES ON SALE THIS WEDNESDAY
    LOLLAPALOOZA ANNOUNCES LINEUP BY DAY...

    Mar 28, 2023 0

  • PIXIES ANNOUNCE LEG THREE OF THEIR 2023 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WITH STOP HERE IN CHICAGO
    PIXIES ANNOUNCE LEG THREE OF THEIR 2023...

    Mar 28, 2023 0

  • Photo Gallery: Curse Mackey @ Concord Music Hall
    Photo Gallery: Curse Mackey @ Concord...

    Mar 28, 2023 0

  • Photo Gallery: The Bellwether Syndicate @ Concord Music Hall
    Photo Gallery: The Bellwether Syndicate...

    Mar 27, 2023 0

More in this category
  • LOLLAPALOOZA ANNOUNCES LINEUP BY DAY & 1-DAY TICKETS AND 2-DAY BUNDLES ON SALE THIS WEDNESDAY
    LOLLAPALOOZA ANNOUNCES LINEUP BY DAY...

    Mar 28, 2023 0

  • PIXIES ANNOUNCE LEG THREE OF THEIR 2023 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR WITH STOP HERE IN CHICAGO
    PIXIES ANNOUNCE LEG THREE OF THEIR 2023...

    Mar 28, 2023 0

  • The Den Theatre Announces Comedian ALINGON MITRA: The Too Good Tour Coming This Summer To The Heath Mainstage
    The Den Theatre Announces Comedian...

    Mar 24, 2023 0

  • New Album From Lana Del Rey Released Today Marking Her 9th Studio Album In Her Thirteen Years Of Releasing Baroque Pop Hits
    New Album From Lana Del Rey Released...

    Mar 24, 2023 0


Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

CALENDAR

April 2023
S M T W T F S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30  
« Mar    

Archives

  • March 2023 (15)
  • February 2023 (18)
  • January 2023 (9)
  • December 2022 (4)
  • November 2022 (5)
  • October 2022 (12)
  • September 2022 (28)
  • August 2022 (27)
  • July 2022 (37)
  • June 2022 (21)
  • May 2022 (20)
  • April 2022 (13)
  • March 2022 (33)
  • February 2022 (21)
  • January 2022 (22)
  • December 2021 (11)
  • November 2021 (15)
  • October 2021 (16)
  • September 2021 (36)
  • August 2021 (21)
  • July 2021 (26)
  • June 2021 (27)
  • May 2021 (13)
  • April 2021 (12)
  • March 2021 (12)
  • February 2021 (4)
  • January 2021 (2)
  • December 2020 (7)
  • November 2020 (4)
  • October 2020 (3)
  • September 2020 (10)
  • August 2020 (6)
  • July 2020 (7)
  • June 2020 (3)
  • May 2020 (5)
  • April 2020 (3)
  • March 2020 (10)
  • February 2020 (22)
  • January 2020 (10)
  • December 2019 (8)
  • November 2019 (30)
  • October 2019 (30)
  • September 2019 (27)
  • August 2019 (41)
  • July 2019 (33)
  • June 2019 (27)
  • May 2019 (36)
  • April 2019 (25)
  • March 2019 (41)
  • February 2019 (22)
  • January 2019 (11)
  • December 2018 (17)
  • November 2018 (13)
  • October 2018 (34)
  • September 2018 (43)
  • August 2018 (25)
  • July 2018 (34)
  • June 2018 (23)
  • May 2018 (31)
  • April 2018 (24)
  • March 2018 (49)
  • February 2018 (48)
  • January 2018 (25)
  • December 2017 (10)
  • November 2017 (30)
  • October 2017 (10)
  • September 2017 (26)
  • August 2017 (25)
  • July 2017 (42)
  • June 2017 (37)
  • May 2017 (49)
  • April 2017 (54)
  • March 2017 (44)
  • February 2017 (39)
  • January 2017 (14)
  • December 2016 (22)
  • November 2016 (20)
  • October 2016 (20)
  • September 2016 (35)
  • August 2016 (46)
  • July 2016 (51)
  • June 2016 (23)
  • May 2016 (15)
  • April 2016 (18)
  • March 2016 (22)
  • February 2016 (27)
  • January 2016 (11)
  • December 2015 (8)
  • November 2015 (17)
  • October 2015 (21)
  • September 2015 (30)
  • August 2015 (54)
  • July 2015 (49)
  • June 2015 (44)
  • May 2015 (16)
  • April 2015 (6)
  • March 2015 (9)
  • February 2015 (9)
  • January 2015 (2)
  • December 2014 (2)
  • November 2014 (2)
  • October 2014 (1)
  • September 2014 (2)
  • August 2014 (5)
  • July 2014 (1)
  • June 2014 (4)
  • May 2014 (5)
  • April 2014 (1)
  • March 2014 (1)
  • February 2014 (2)
  • January 2014 (2)
  • December 2013 (1)
  • November 2013 (2)
  • October 2013 (1)
  • September 2013 (1)
  • August 2013 (2)
  • July 2013 (3)
  • June 2013 (2)
  • May 2013 (5)
  • April 2013 (3)
  • March 2013 (1)
  • February 2013 (1)
  • May 2012 (2)
  • January 2012 (3)
  • September 2011 (1)

Facebook

Instagram

Photo Gallery: @cursemackey (@pigface_official / @evil.mothers ) @concordhall live in Chicago, IL March 2023
Photos: @steelpanther live in Chicago at @hobchicago throwback series featuring #michaelstarr, #satchel #lexxifoxx #StixZadinia #ontheprowl #letsgetweird
Photo Gallery: @thebellwethersyndicate : Clan of Xymox Tour 2023 William Faith & Sarah Rose Faith featuring @phillyperoxide, Stevyn Grey & Corey Gorey (Brickbats)
Photo Gallery: @clan.of.xymox (rescheduled tour) 2023 (Ronny Moorings, Mario Usai, Sean Göbel & Daniel Hoffmann) live at Concord Music Hall in Chicago, IL March 24, 2023
Ummm... @alanis Morissette fans, Jagged Little Pill, The Musical. James M Nederlander Theatre. Chicago. April 11th. You're welcome. #jaggedlittlepill #alanismorissette #chicago #musical https://www.choosechicago.com/event/jagged-little-pill/2023-04-11/
Hey Chicago, @lollapalooza 2023 lineup just announced! Who are you most excited about seeing? Headliners this year include @kendricklamar @chilipeppers @odesza @honeymoon @karolg @the1975 @txt_member tickets on sale Thursday at 10am. For more info and complete lineup https://www.lollapalooza.com #lolla #lollapalooza #lollapaloozachicago #chicago #grantpark #musicfestival
Punk Rock Legend @iggypopofficial is still a force to be reckoned with as his 2023 #everyloser tour rolls across the States. Last night the skull ring wearing legend played @saltshedchicago right here in Chicago to a sold out crowd. Talk about a Lust For Life, this age defying 75 year old Detroit Muscle shows no signs of stopping. Here's a throwback to when the punker searched and destroyed Grant Park during a Lollapalooza performance back in 2007. #iggypop #lustforlife #thesaltshed #punker #punkrock #skullring #chicago 📸#jamescurrie
Big Kickoff For New Pop Punk Trio Meet Me At The Altar @mmataband As They Release Debut Album, Music Video And Embark On Sold-Out Headling Tour With A Stop Right Here In Chicago - Tomorrow - @subtchicago. #mmataband #meetmeatthealtar @_edithvictoria_ @teaofmmata @ahduhj #subterranean #chicago #newmusic #poppunk #womeninmusic #kool #soldout #pastpresentfuture #NoFoodNoSleepJustRecords #fueledbyramen
Photos: @elleking performed in Chicago Saturday night at the newest club @saltshedchicago. Here's a few shots from one of her first appearances in Chicago (outside of Lollapalooza) back in 2016 at the Taste of Chicago. #elleking
Drive Through Metal Kings @officialmacsabbath deliver the value meals at @hobchicago. #macsabbath #macsabbathtour #macattack #RonaldOsbourne #SlayerMacCheeze

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Tag Cloud

Blues on the Fox (2) Bobby Broom Organi-sation (2) Brian Wilson (2) Can't You Hear Me Knocking (1) Chicago (5) Dap-Kings (1) Doyle Bramhall II (1) Farm Aid (3) Farm Aid 30 (3) FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island (3) Heavy Metal (1) Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (2) Jamboree (2) Jukebox Pick of the Week (2) Live and Let Die (1) Lollapalooza 2021 (1) Lollapalooza Chicago Grant Park (2) Mavis Staples (1) Moreland & Arbuckle (1) North Mississippi Allstars (1) Otis Taylor Band (1) Paul McCartney (1) Q101 (2) Rattle That Lock (2) Ravina (2) Ravinia (11) RiverEdge Park (2) Rodríguez (2) Rolling Stones (2) Royal Southern Brotherhood (1) Santana (2) Sharon Jones (1) Steely Dan (2) Sticky Fingers (1) Summerfest (1) Tedeschi Trucks Band (1) The Rockabye Gollie Angel Tour (2) Toto (2) Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (1) United Center (2) Veruca Salt (2) Wheels of Soul Tour (1) Wings (1) Yes (2) ZZ Top (2)

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Stats

  • 179,931 Page Views
© 2023 In The Loop Magazine / All Rights Reserved.
  • Music News
  • Media
  • Festivals
  • Promotions
  • Venues
  • About
  • Gallery
 

Loading Comments...