{"id":29975,"date":"2018-09-18T09:35:07","date_gmt":"2018-09-18T14:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=29975"},"modified":"2018-09-18T09:35:07","modified_gmt":"2018-09-18T14:35:07","slug":"riot-fest-2018-day-3-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=29975","title":{"rendered":"Riot Fest 2018: Day 3 Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

The third and final day of Riot Fest 2018 had a lot to live up to, and a varied lineup that brought both lifers and newcomers together offered something for everyone in the best possible way.<\/p>\n

The day started as a stranger thing than Saturday. (I\u2019m sorry. I had to.) Teenaged foursome Calpurnia, featuring Finn Wolfhard of \u201cStranger Things\u201d and \u201cIt\u201d fame on vocals and guitar, brought their unique blend of garage rock to a sizable crowd, with a sound that incorporated some elements of surf, punk, and classic rock n\u2019 roll, particularly on opener \u201cWasting Time,\u201d which sounded like it could have been a lost Buddy Holly gem. Guitarist Ayla Tesler-Mabe has serious chops for a seventeen year-old, and the whole outfit was promising and energetic. If their Scout<\/em> EP is any indication, we may be seeing them at a future Riot Fest.<\/p>\n

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Speaking of classic rock n\u2019 roll, JD McPherson\u2019s three albums exist practically outside of time or era, and his live set reflected the best of his best material on that front. (The continuity of having Jerry Lee Lewis close Saturday and McPherson early on Sunday was sweet for those who caught it.) Cuts like \u201cHead Over Heels\u201d and \u201cLet the Good Times Roll\u201d were groovy, hooky slices of 60s-inspired pop that took on the better qualities of rockabilly and classic country, and McPherson\u2019s voice has just the right amount of rasp, sneer, and sex appeal to make his music virtually impossible not<\/em> to dance to.<\/p>\n

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Metal was in short supply this year, and while past years have seen the likes of Slayer, Anthrax, and Motorhead (in their final Chicago area appearance before Lemmy\u2019s death), there wasn\u2019t much by way of offerings for the thrash contingent. Bullet for My Valentine dropped a blast of nuclear metal on the mid-afternoon crowd, and the crushing rhythms were perfect for the unusual heat of a September day. \u201cYour Betrayal\u201d and recent single \u201cDon\u2019t Need You\u201d from the band\u2019s new album Gravity<\/em> were blistering forays into the band\u2019s signature mix of nu-metal crunch and bright melodies that called to mind the classic power metal of the early \u201880s. A strong mix of styles helps Bullet to stand out from many of their contemporaries; their set at Riot more than solidified their position as the year\u2019s best metal\/hard rock set.<\/p>\n

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Chapel Hill\u2019s mighty Superchunk stormed the Radicals stage for a stellar set that bought the band\u2019s usual balance of old and new, highlighting exactly why they\u2019ve remained such an important voice for indie punk-pop for the last thirty years. While founding bassist Laura Ballance no longer tours with the band, Jason Narducy is the best replacement imaginable, and he fits right in with the inimitable Mac McCaughan (guitar\/vocals), Jon Wurster (drums), and Jim Wilbur (guitar). Touring behind What A Time To Be Alive<\/em>, the year\u2019s most effectively political album, the Chunk tore through classics like \u201cSlack Motherfucker,\u201d \u201cHyper Enough,\u201d the frantic \u201cPackage Thief,\u201d and singalong \u201cDriveway to Driveway\u201d along with new tracks \u201cErasure,\u201d \u201cReagan Youth,\u201d and the bouncing title track for a nicely blended mix of tunes old and new – the fact that Superchunk aren\u2019t in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame yet is absurd, as they\u2019ve proven to be one of the most important indie-rock bands on the planet time and again. (Maybe Riot can just have them back every year from now on to ease the pain.)<\/p>\n

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While Matt Skiba didn\u2019t get the chance to pull double-duty at Riot Fest as originally planned, Alkaline Trio still delivered a killer set as the evening waned. With their new album Is This Thing Cursed?<\/em> having been released just a couple of weeks ago, Skiba, bassist Dan Andriano and drummer Jarrod Alexander delivered a tight, punchy headliner level set with a good smattering of tunes from albums past along with new single \u201cBlackbird\u201d and the bright chorus harmonies of \u201cDemon and Division.\u201d Skiba has the unique position of fronting two bands with similar audiences and demographics, and his effortless ability to bend a great hook around a familiar progression was notable in classics \u201cSadie\u201d and \u201cBlue Carolina.\u201d For a crowd who was undoubtedly disappointed by the loss of Blink-182 this year, Alkaline\u2019s set had to be a grin-inducing shot in the arm.<\/p>\n

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As darkness fell on Douglas Park and on Riot Fest 2018, California alt-rockers Incubus took the stage for a set that leaned heavily on hits, atmospheric lighting, and singer Brandon Boyd\u2019s soaring vocals. \u201cMegalomaniac\u201d and opener \u201cPrivilege\u201d from 1999\u2019s Make Yourself <\/em>were tight rockers that had the crowd bobbing along through (ahem) clouds of smoke that permeated the air and drifted through the green and purple laser lights. Boyd\u2019s voice has always been the popular focus of Incubus\u2019s sound, and their riffs that move from classic, fist-raising professions to slightly off-kilter rhythms are often underrated, though you\u2019d have never known it from the size of the crowd assembled at the Rise Stage. \u201cPardon Me\u201d and \u201cDrive\u201d were immediately recognizable to anyone who turned on an alt-rock station between 1999 and 2001, and a cover of INXS\u2019 \u201cNeed You Tonight\u201d fit right in – indeed, for as celebrated as Eddie Vedder\u2019s voice and persona have become over the years, it\u2019s interesting to consider how Boyd\u2019s is overlooked by popular music, despite the band\u2019s success – their Riot set was a powerful reminder of Incubus\u2019 strength and relevance.<\/p>\n

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Which could also be said for Riot Fest itself. Given the confusion over this year\u2019s scheduling, timing, and the Ticketfly debacle that seemed to have months\u2019 long complications, it was hard not to worry about the future of Riot Fest – but 2018 was one of the best years yet by a long shot, and it was clear from the enthusiasm of the crowd to the quality of the vendors and the unbelievable diversity of the lineup that its best days may be ahead of it, not behind it. Already considered by most of Chicago to be the \u201cAnti-Lollapalooza,\u201d Riot Fest is needed now more than ever during a time when festival attendance is flagging in some markets due to high ticket prices and over-saturation of artists. Screens around Douglas Park promoted Riot Fest 2019 throughout the weekend; who can even venture a guess as to what they\u2019ll bring us just a year from now? (Roxy Music w\/ Eno, British Sea Power, Slayer, and Ladytron are my votes, and you know you agree with me, Riot Fest.)<\/p>\n

See you in 2019!<\/p>\n

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