Out of the first wave, I’d watch: My Chemical Romance Smashing Pumpkins Run the Jewels Taking Back Sunday The All American Rejects Simple Plan Circa Survive Bayside L7 PUP Mayday Parade Fever 333 SWMRS Beach Bunny Saves the Day Fucked Up The Sounds Meet Me @ the Alter And that’s basically just people I KNOW I’d like to watch, haha.
Strong post hardcore/emo representation on the first wave. Not a lot of 80’s/90’s punk. I’m expecting a lot of Epitaph/Fat Wreck punk bands next announcement
I’m hoping that there’ll be some 80’s/90’s alt/indie representation in the next waves. We got Living Color which is dope, but I hope we get some more, because that would pair super well on main stage with SP
Also fwiw I’ve yet to see anyone here discuss Limp Bizkit for the pre-party, and I’m very disappointed in all of you
So, am I right in this: if I didn’t have tickets to this year and don’t cop with the month and decided once it’s all announced I want to go, I can’t go Thursday? Lol
So, this line-up is fantastic! It doesn't have a lot of "holy shit" or "must-see" acts but a whole mess of acts I'd be ecstatic about seeing at least a few songs from regardless. But the way I look at it? That means it'll be a relaxing weekend full of non-stop great music. My highest priorities thus far: My Chemical Romance, the Smashing Pumpkins, Run the Jewels, Sublime with Rome, Vic Mensa, the All-American Rejects, Circle Jerks, K.Flay, Jawbox, L7, Thursday, Saves the Day, Hepcat, Fishbone, Fucked Up, Meet Me & the Altar There's a bunch of others that I'm stoked on but are bands I see fairly regularly when they tour so... Yeah. Fully not regretting my mega deluxe happy VIP package purchase or whatever the fuck it was! Anybody else already seeing what the different stages might look like on a given day (guessing there's gonna be a Sublime with Rome/Dirty Heads/Toots/Hepcat/Fishbone + another band stage). I think you're right. It'll probably be a multi-stage sorta thing (and probably not the two "main" stages). I'd guess it'll be the two larger ones in the back and the side stage. Super curious about who they wind up getting... They're making some pretty big promises here. Haha. Maybe if it goes over well, they'll do something similar next year. This could really push the line-up over the top for me! If they throw in the Larry Arms, Alkaline Trio, the Suicide Machines, NOFX, or whoever onto the second wave? That would kick the whole thing up a notch. And I feel like that might happen. To be honest, they were my first and only real "HOLY SHIT!" on the line-up thus far. I'm so excited for that. And already daydreaming about a Hepcat after show!
This will be my first time going to Riot and my first time in Chicago since...2005? Where should I stay? I’m not seeing much for hotels close to the park.
I'm sure some of the Chicago folks on this thread might be able to offer some specific solutions regarding neighborhoods, but I try to stay in/around the Loop just because it keeps things easy for the festival itself. That being said, I feel you for the hotel situation! I just checked a few travel sites to see what the options were and the vast majority of places appear to be sold out. Part of me is wondering if it's too far out to book certain hotels or if there's only X number of rooms currently available given the current "situation" and they'll open more up as time goes. I wound up jumping on the Congress Plaza Hotel. I've never stayed there before, but it was an okay price given the location, it's a ~10 minute car ride to the festival grounds, and within walking distance to museums, etc. for the day before and after the festival.
Here's my out-of-towner perspective: I've gone the past few years with a group of friends (like 4-5 white midwestern dudes, I think that shapes our experience and comfort levels) and we've always stayed in the Ukrainian Village area, or a bit east of it. It’s about a 15-20 minute Lyft ride to the park. We always do an Airbnb. We drive down from Minnesota, and we've always been able to park a couple cars wherever we stay. Last year from Friday-Monday it was about $550 total to sleep five guys really comfortably for the whole weekend. And that provided us our own space in a nice enough place as a home base to drink and rest, and we had some great recovery brunch/lunches within a few blocks of our place. I'm sure there's other areas that are great too that might have easier access to after shows (we've gone to the pizza party every year and just dealt with the uber cost/length) but for us, the ease of access from where we're coming from and to the park, as well as us feeling comfortable where we're staying can't be beat. I'm happy to help with whatever other questions anyone has if they're an outsider coming in for the first time, I can't claim to be an expert on the city or the festival, but I've successfully had a lot of really great years going to riot fest with my best friends!
Also, if you've never been to Chicago/haven't been in awhile/want to see more of the city, my best advice is to get there a day or two early before the actual fest starts. You might think you'll be able to sneak in some fun touristy/city adventure stuff, but after a day in the hot sun and having fun (and maybe having some drinks/anything else) your body wants and needs rest if you're gonna make it the whole weekend. I love Chicago, but if I'm going there for Riot Fest weekend, I know I'm not taking in it's full potential. It's always worth getting in at least a day or two early if you can swing it.