I am starting a new job next week in Woodridge and getting to the friday date is going to be a bitch. Do they usually put less popular bands early on Friday or start a bit later? And does anyone have a good excuse to either leave work early or not come at all?
If I remember right, Friday usually starts an hour or two later than the other two days. They do tend to have a mildly popular band play first to get at least some people in the door. Last year I think it was Grayscale.
Yup, Grayscale last year (though I think it started the same time? If not I'm pretty sure doors were the same at least) and I know the first year we went in 2016 Tigers Jaw was up first on Friday
I wish they would add another entrance this year. Getting off the pink line and having to walk all the way to the entrance is annoying.
The stage layout was a lot worse the first year they moved to Douglas Park, but the entrance on California was so nice.
even though it is part of an album play im VERY excited to FINALLY hear glassjaw play Cosmopolitan Blood Loss. Its the first song i ever heard by them and ive seen them 5 times and they didnt ever play it.
Wow for the first time in history, all my friends want to attend this with me. I get more Stoked on the lineup everyday
This might change, but the band I am most excited to see (today) is Against ME! I didn't get into them until seriously 3 months ago and only hoped they'd play this year. Transgender Dysphoria Blues is an incredibly tight 28 minute so I can't wait to rock out to it in it's entirety.
LOVE TDB. About the only way I'll miss that set is if they put them against Ween or Guided By Voices or something (and then I'd have to give it serious thought ...)
Looking to Air BnB this year. Any recommendations on the best area to do so? Ideally somewhere not too far from the festival but also in the general area of the after shows/parties? I've stayed with a friend in the past but he lives right in the main downtown area so it always made for a long trek going back and forth.
Going through the lineup to make my list of must sees and bands that I really want to see has made me terrified of the conflicts I am going to have. I think I ended up putting over a third of the lineup on those lists, so yeah I'm screwed. I'm definitely going to end up having to skip some of my favorite bands that I have seen numerous times. Edit: And that is before I've gone through any smaller bands that I don't already know.
The good news with Riot Fest is you can easily split sets. I get it that the set lengths are shorter at RF but I've been able to split in the past no problem.
"Not too far from the festival" and "general afters hows/parties" are geographically contradictory, unfortunately. That said: I'd look into West Town/West Loop/Pilsen/Bridgeport neighborhoods for general proximity. West Loop is where Bottom Lounge is, which hosts a lot of after shows.
Based on recent festival set lists, you have a pretty good shot at hearing Short Fuse Burning, She's Gonna Break Soon, and Escape From A-Bomb House. Excluding Plastic Cup Politics, Look What Happened, and Science Of Selling Yourself Short because these are pretty much sure things for any LTJ set list. Personally, I'd prefer Welcome to the New South or Mo-Town Never Sounded So Good compared to most of those tracks at this point... I wouldn't bank on that. I've literally seen Matt side-stage watching them... And he didn't come out for it. Never say never, but I wouldn't travel hoping to see it if that's your sole motive. Haha.
Senses Fail announced a new tour and Riot fest is listed for both the 13th and 14th. Maybe one of them is an aftershow?
I think they might be doing two different sets. Their drummer Steve Carey (ex-The Color Morale) posted on his instagram "It's a damn honor & a literal dream come true to not JUST play one...but TWO days of 2019 Riot Fest".
That's kind of whack, I don't really want to have to make time for them twice. I'd probably just skip the EP play since I'm getting that tour anyway
Yeah I actually remember seeing somewhere (idk if it was SF's social media or Buddy's or what) that it was to make up for having to cancel. They keep using the #polarvortex haha