{"id":5333,"date":"2015-09-14T14:06:05","date_gmt":"2015-09-14T19:06:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=5333"},"modified":"2015-09-17T20:47:38","modified_gmt":"2015-09-18T01:47:38","slug":"riot-fest-day-1-highlights-review-friday-sept-11-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=5333","title":{"rendered":"Riot Fest 2015: Highlight’s Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Christopher David<\/p>\n

2015 was a year of change, for better or worse, in the literal and figurative landscape of Riot\u00a0Fest. While preemptive\u00a0noise complaints and a location change boiling in controversy could\u00a0have overshadowed many a music festival, Riot Fest\u2019s supporters are nothing if not loyal, and\u00a0the Fest went off in Douglas Park over the weekend with a solid series of performances all\u00a0around.<\/p>\n

Anthrax<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"anthrax\"<\/p>\n

If Anthrax were to claim a second home, Chicago would be an easy choice. Drummer Charlie\u00a0Benante lives here, and the band\u2019s studio is hidden in the depths of a warehouse district here in\u00a0the Big Windy, so a warm reception for New York\u2019s biggest thrash metal band was a no-brainer,\u00a0though the band delivered as though they were playing to a field of faces unfamiliar with how it\u00a0felt to be caught in a mosh. A disadvantage to any festival is set length; while many would\u00a0argue that it allows for more acts to be seen, and therefore the discovery of new and unheard\u00a0things on the part of the attendee, I would argue that it doesn\u2019t give a band much time to find a\u00a0groove in the way that a normal set\u2019s length would. That said, seasoned bands don\u2019t often need\u00a0the warmup,\u00a0and from opener \u201cMadhouse\u201d to Among The Living anthem \u201cIndians,\u201d the metal\u00a0quintet were on point.<\/p>\n

Speedy Ortiz<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"DSC09666\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a big year so far for Speedy Ortiz, with the \u201cFoil Deer\u201d album getting much deserved\u00a0recognition from every corner of the indie rock globe. The band\u2019s set on the Revolt Stage was\u00a0strong, and frontwoman Sadie Dupuis comes across as a combination of Liz Phair and Stephen\u00a0Malkmus, with a dash of Tanya Donelly thrown in. That\u2019s not to say that Speedy\u2019s sound is\u00a0derivative they\u00a0simply take the best elements of some seminal \u201890s alternative rock and throw\u00a0it in a blender with excellent results. (If anything, more of the current indie rock wave would\u00a0benefit from wearing their influences as clearly on their sleeves as Speedy Ortiz does.) During\u00a0tracks like \u201cThe Graduates,\u201d \u201cPuffer,\u201d and \u201cRaising the Skate,\u201d it was tough to not, for a few\u00a0moments, squint and imagine that you were watching the second stage at Lollapalooza,\u00a0circa1995.\u00a0In a good way.<\/p>\n

Motorhead<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Motorhead<\/p>\n

In the pantheon of signature introductions, it\u2019s this writer\u2019s hope that this simple but consistent\u00a0intro makes the cut: \u201cWe are Motorhead, and we play rock n\u2019 roll.\u201d<\/p>\n

No Doubt may have been the big draw on the other side of the park, but for those who were in\u00a0need of straight up\u00a0rock n\u2019 roll (something that was, even with a few notable exceptions, sorely\u00a0lacking at this year\u2019s Riot Fest), the Rebel Stage was the only place to be on Friday night as\u00a0Motorhead returned to the road following Lemmy\u2019s recent and\u00a0fairly serious health\u00a0issues.\u00a0While taking things a bit slower than usual, particularly on tracks like \u201cAce of Spades\u201d and\u00a0set closer\u00a0\u201cOverkill,\u201d Lemmy was in solid, jovial form, joking with the crowd and reflecting on the\u00a0generational span of the Riot Fest audience.\u00a0Introducing \u201cDr. Rock\u201d from 1986\u2019s classic Orgasmatron, he pointed at a cheering member of\u00a0the crowd, noting, \u201cno, you\u2019re too young to even know that album.\u201d And if ever the term \u2018power\u00a0trio\u2019 should be in the dictionary, surely pictures of guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey\u00a0Dee (arguably the best in heavy metal\/rock) will accompany Mr. Kilminster, providing a sound\u00a0fuller than many bands could boast with twice the members. The set leaned heavily on 1979\u2019s\u00a0Overkill record, with \u201cDamage Case,\u201d \u201cStay Clean,\u201d and \u201cMetropolis\u201d as highlights, with no\u00a0attention being paid to new material in spite of Bad Magic (the band\u2019s 22nd album consider\u00a0that for a moment, kids) having been released the previous week. \u201cLost Woman Blues,\u201d a\u00a0standout from the Aftershock record, was a welcome shift in pace, and \u201cThe Chase Is Better\u00a0Than the Catch\u201d turned into an extended opportunity to get a sense of Campbell\u2019s blhesbased\u00a0chops.<\/p>\n

And in spite of a consistent mosh pit, the hourlong\u00a0set showcased the fact that Motorhead (by\u00a0their own admission) have never really been a heavy metal band, at least not in the same way\u00a0as Metallica, Slayer, or any other number of names associated with the term. They are\u00a0Motorhead, and they play rock n\u2019 roll. It doesn\u2019t really need to be any more complicated than\u00a0that, when you\u2019re good at it. And after 40 years on the road, they are. Damn good.<\/p>\n

Alvvays<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Alvvays<\/p>\n

Indie popsters Alvvays, hailing from Nova Scotia, played a tight 30 minute\u00a0set under a bright\u00a0blue sky, the weather perfectly reflecting their breezy, melodic tunes. Singer Molly Rankin has\u00a0an ethereal tone to her vocals that at once calls to mind the sweeping vocals of Scotland\u2019s\u00a0Camera Obscura, and the band showcased choice cuts from their 2014 self titled\u00a0debut album,\u00a0including single \u201cArchie, Marry Me,\u201d \u201cNext of Kin,\u201d \u201cParty People,\u201d and opener \u201cAdult Diversion.\u201d\u00a0Alvvays has the songs you\u00a0don\u2019t hit #1 in the U.S. college radio charts on your first outing\u00a0without solid tunes and\u00a0falling early in the afternoon, alas, their set was all too brief. If their live\u00a0show is any indication, following this band\u2019s trajectory will be a pleasure.<\/p>\n

Hum<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Hum<\/p>\n

In every musical era, there are bands that somehow just don\u2019t get the widespread recognition\u00a0they deserve but\u00a0often, these bands become cult favorites and return to great excitement\u00a0among their still loyal\u00a0fan base. Hum is Illinois\u2019s best example of this. Hailing from Champaign\u00a0and releasing three excellent records between 1993 and 1998, and best known for their 1995\u00a0single \u201cStars,\u201d Hum are one of the loudest bands you\u2019ll ever see in your life, which only adds to\u00a0the atmosphere of their space centric\u00a0songs. Dealing out a skull flattening\u00a045 minute set, Hum\u00a0hit the hotspots of all three records, with the majority of the focus on 1995\u2019s You\u2019d Prefer An\u00a0Astronaut. \u201cLittle Dipper,\u201d that album\u2019s opener as well as the opener of Sunday\u2019s set,\u00a0established Hum\u2019s presence in Douglas Park like a flying saucer crash, a punchinthechest\u00a0wall of guitars with vocalist Matt Talbott\u2019s low, crooning lyrics about space travel riding smoothly\u00a0over the noise. \u201cI\u2019d Like Your Hair Long,\u201d \u201cComing Home,\u201d \u201cGreen to Me,\u201d \u201cSuicide Machine,\u201d\u00a0and \u201cStars\u201d sat well with the audience, and the only thing that would have made Hum\u2019s return\u00a0more exciting would have been a slot later in the day, when the lights and staging could have\u00a0been utilized to greater effect alongside songs that evoked an interstellar vibe.<\/p>\n

Taking Back Sunday<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Taking<\/p>\n

Riot Fest favorites Taking Back Sunday, having just headlined on Saturday, returned for a\u00a0\u2018surprise\u2019 set on the Revolt Stage, the smallest in the park. Needless to say, word got out and\u00a0led to one of the most jubilant and energetic sets of the weekend. Taking Back Sunday\u2019s fans\u00a0were rabid for the intimacy, singing, screaming, and crowd surfing\u00a0their way through a\u00a0thirty minute\u00a0set of favorites (though it was rumored that the set would consist of all new\u00a0material). The intensity of the crowd wasn\u2019t lost on the band, fueling their performance from\u00a0start to finish.<\/p>\n

\u201cRiot asked us if we\u2019d do this set, after having played last night and being hungover and all, and\u00a0we said sure, because we didn\u2019t think anyone would come,\u201d vocalist Adam Lazzara joked, and\u00a0the band seemed genuinely delighted for the duration of the set. A playful cover of Nirvana\u2019s\u00a0\u201cTerritorial Pissings\u201d fit right in with \u201cLiar,\u201d \u201cTimberwolves of New Jersey,\u201d and \u201cCut From the\u00a0Team,\u201d and as Lazzara made his way into the photo pit to stand on the barricade and commune\u00a0with fans who crowd surfed\u00a0all around him, it was clear why Taking Back Sunday have been\u00a0invited back to Riot Fest they\u2019re\u00a0a band that truly comes to life on stage and devours every\u00a0second of the experience.<\/p>\n

Rodrigo Y Gabriela<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Rodrigo<\/p>\n

Riot Fest has done a more than admirable job over the years of carefully considering diverse\u00a0acts, and there was perhaps no better example this year than giving Rodrigo Y Gabriela a slot\u00a0late in the day. Though the spanish guitar duo received more than a few puzzled looks from the\u00a0crowd in my particular spot on the green, the confusion went away as the two burned through a\u00a0jaw dropping\u00a0set consisting of original material and heavy metal covers.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes anyone here like Megadeth?\u201d Gabriela asked toward the beginning of the set, prompting\u00a0one audience member near me to say, sure, like they\u2019re going to play Megadeth. A blinding\u00a0cover of \u201cHoly Wars\u201d from Megadeth\u2019s 1990 classic Rust in Peace was one of the more stunning\u00a0moments of the weekend, and covers from Metallica (\u201cOrion\u201d and \u201cBattery\u201d) and Rage Against\u00a0the Machine followed. It\u2019s tough to describe what makes a guitar duo as compelling as Rodrigo\u00a0Y Gabriela were, as the pair\u2019s unique approach to percussive strumming and solos is unlike\u00a0anything you\u2019re likely to hear at most fests. Perhaps even as impressive was the size of the\u00a0crowd and the reception given one\u00a0of the weekend\u2019s best booking choices, bar none.<\/p>\n

L7<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"L7<\/p>\n

But for lovers of 90s alternative rock, Sunday boiled down one thing: L7. The female\u00a0foursome\u2019s return to the music scene after a near 15year\u00a0hiatus has been the subject of much\u00a0rejoicing, and their presence is needed in the current musical landscape where women are\u00a0largely focused on manufactured pop or rap. For those who missed out on the riotgrrl\u00a0movement of the 1990s and the proliferation of badass female rockers of that period, the return\u00a0of Babes in Toyland and Veruca Salt in recent months was a promising sign that \u2018women in\u00a0rock\u2019 was still a viable concept.<\/p>\n

In that number, L7 are grungy, snarling royalty. Vocalist\/guitarist Donita Sparks doesn\u2019t look or\u00a0sound one bit different in\u00a0fact, it\u2019s as though the band was cryogenically frozen in 2001, lying in\u00a0wait for the scene to cycle through and return triumphant.<\/p>\n

And return triumphant they did on Sunday night. Opening with bruiser \u201cDeathwish\u201d from 1990\u2019s\u00a0Smell the Magic, Sparks, along with bassist\/vocalist Jennifer Finch, guitarist\/vocalist Suzi\u00a0Gardner and drummer Demetra Plakas led the crowd through a no holds\u00a0barred tour of their\u00a0early catalog. Largely ignoring their most recent two records (1998\u2019s The Beauty Process and\u00a02001\u2019s SlapHappy),\u00a0Sunday\u2019s set was nothing but classics, with \u201cEverglade,\u201d \u201cShitlist,\u201d \u201cFast &\u00a0Frightening,\u201d and breakthrough single \u201cPretend We\u2019re Dead\u201d serving as highlights. L7, in many\u00a0ways, are like a female Motorhead no\u00a0frills, classic power chord\u00a0rock n\u2019 roll minus the blues,\u00a0with a nasty edge and a lot of crunch. In many ways, they\u2019re a band that encapsulates the\u00a0excitement of a festival endless\u00a0energy, great songs, and a vague sense that anything could\u00a0happen.<\/p>\n

The band was in fine form, joking with the crowd and each other, and the assembled\u00a0masses couldn\u2019t get enough.\u00a0\u201cYou still want it louder?\u201d Sparks remarked at one point, indicating to the sound man, \u201cfine. Turn\u00a0it up. Blow their faces off.\u201d\u00a0\u201cAnd blow their balls and titties off,\u201d Finch added. \u201cIn a nice way.\u201d\u00a0What more could you ask for from one of the hardest rocking bands of Riot Fest 2015?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Christopher David 2015 was a year of change, for better or worse, in the literal and figurative landscape of Riot\u00a0Fest. While preemptive\u00a0noise complaints and a location change boiling in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music-news","category-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}