Stage Buzz: The Riot Fest 2022 Undercard Preview
Lucky Boys Confusion
Riot Fest returns for its 18th year to historic Douglas Park at Chicago at Ogden & Ashland. From its humble beginnings in small clubs to its current incarnation as a classic punk and hip-hop celebration each Fall, Riot Fest has a connection to Chicago like no other festival. Here are some of our must-see picks for the undercard.
Friday, September 16
Lucky Boys Confusion (Roots Stage: 1:25 pm)
It’s been 25 years since Lucky Boys Confusion first got together in a basement to write songs, playing their first party in the western suburbs of Chicago where they grew up. What happened between then and now is a story about triumph and tragedy, the roads paved with the love of each other and the love of music. They remained defiantly independent, rejecting the pigeonholing from their time on Elektra Records. Their most recent album, Stormchasers meshes the best driving pop-punk of their heyday mixed with top-notch emo-laced harmonies.
Pale Waves (Rise Stage: Noon)
Pale Waves front-vixen Heather Baron-Gracie pulls no punches, suffers no fools gladly, and always shoots straight from the hip. She’s justifiably proud of her newfound industry acumen, and the U.K’s Pale Waves new album Unwanted shows a new maturity and confidence full of heavy guitars and infectious pop-punk.
Saturday, September 17
The Menzingers (Rise Stage: 5:15 pm)
The Menzinger’s Impossible Past is the band’s benchmark LP, and they’re playing it in full at Riot Fest. Mixing a touch of Emo and pop-punk, it’s a deeply personal album of living life in your twenties full of self-doubt, overcoming obstacles, and redemption.
FEAR (Riot Stage: 2:50 pm)
L.A.’s FEAR are the godfathers of late ‘70s California punk and hardcore (along with Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and Bad Religion). Led by the amazing Lee Ving and original era members Philo Cramer and Spit Stix, they’re the prototypical Riot Fest band. They’re performing their debut album The Record, in full, and more.
Sunday, September 18
The Linda Lindas (Roots Stage: 1 pm)
L.A.’s Linda Lindas perfectly epitomize the dynamic melting pot of the City on Angels. The all-teenage pop-punk band dropped their debut on Epitaph Records this year; Growing Up is described by Pitchfork where the band “turn adolescent angst and razor-sharp hooks into heartwarming pop-punk with ample charm.”
Treaty of Paris (Radical Stage: 1 pm)
Chicago’s TOP is approaching two decades together as pop-punk stalwarts that blossomed from the same groundswell helped launched by Lucky Boys Confusion. The band’s Behind Our Calm Demeanors EP is a defining record from the early ‘200os.
-David Gedge
Riot Fest 1 and 2 day passes are still available. 3 Day passes sold out.
Category: Featured, Stage Buzz
