I think I agree with everyone else when I say "wtf?" but I also dont hate it. maybe a reflection of culture in 2026? for the first time that i can remember, i dont really care about any of the top couple lines for the most part, but the mid/undercard is stacked for me. I assume they will announce album plays eventually too? probably the format doing Dog Problems and more im too lazy to look up right now. top 5 im most excited to see: The format, Cartel (how have they not played before?!), angine de poitrine, sex pistols and MCS. (add bright eyes to the list above is they do IWAIM/DADU album plays)
Also suprised Mike D didn’t get on the lineup. Would’ve made a good ad for whatever stage Nas is playing
Gotta be honest, I completely missed them... That's a strong add. Especially with Chat Pile in the mix too.
Started at the bottom of the poster, checking out bands I haven't heard of. Aim High's newest song is some of the most 2006 throwback music I've ever heard.
If they replaced all the common repeats with different acts I think this would be their best lineup. There’s tons of cool first time stuff that I wish we had more of.
Since we weren’t blessed with early day splits, and one all encompassing playlist is just too daunting to scroll through, my 3 playlist categories so far are ‘already love you’ ‘like you but need to get to know you better’ ‘hearing you for the first time’
With any out left field type booking you can at least understand the ties to alternate music or them being a trailblazer or a like mindedness to punk ethos or an oddball/unique in some way… I do not see any of that with JMSN, seems to be straight forward poppy R&B. Did I not hear the right songs or something? Haha
When I filled out a survey last year I did say I’d like more variety, (hip hop, pop , and r$b ) so I like to think this is all my doing
i was swamped yesterday so im spewing out my thoughts today, and i had a somewhat epiphany about my initial frustrated feelings toward the line up - and its that i had 2 major gripes, but as i sat with them i realized they were in complete contradiction with each other. 1) being the top 4 headliners was a kneejerk 'that doesn't feel very riotfest-y" (maybe with a twinge of let down hoping for something massive, but dont get it twisted, im very hyped on tool & alanis) 2) being the next 4 lines being filled with so many consistent repeats taking up most of the upper card (RA, alk3, bad religion, tbs, descendents, pennywise, morrissey). i realized its 'damned if they do damned if they dont' to be mad that they took new big swings AND relying on old standards... if im mad at both- what did i actually want? haha and i think the answer to that question is 'more acts that are directly down the barrel of what im into right now, in heavy rotation'. i got a few (foxy shazam, sincere engineer, angine de poitrine, afroman), but thats less than other years- however the other side of the same coin is that this year has the undercard i have the most research to do, ever, and everyone across social media seems to agree the undercard is where the gold is, so i dunno who is gonna hook me yet but i feel like im about to fall in love with bands like the chats, frankie and the witch fingers, melt banana, show me the body, soul glo, whispers, panic shack, chat pile, teen mortgage, etc.. give me your recs! and finally, hell yea, slick rick!
She & Him announced a show at the Riviera Theater on 9/20 if anyone's looking to leave early and see a different show on Sunday.
I think this lineup would look better to some people if a lot of the repeat acts were more bottom tier acts. No one is really going to be angry if an act playing early in the afternoon also played last year or two years ago or whatever, but seeing repeat names (within 5ish years or more than say, 3x in a 10 year span) towards the top of the lineup makes some people go “this is the best you could do?”. That’s not to say those acts are bad or anything, Patti Smith and Elvis Costello are legends, Alk3, Rise Against, etc. are important or influential, you get the point, but I think going outside the norm for more of the top names would make this lineup look a little stronger (with the “weaker” headliners) and probably would make less people unhappy.
I think my take on the headliners is they look weak because if we’re being honest TOP is not really a RF band to me. Then you have PtV and I still can’t get past this because even though it’s been almost 20 years but I still remember seeing them open shows in basement venues in 2007 for bands like SKSK and Boys Night Out. I know both have draw and appeal, but I also know that I’m no longer the demographic they’re looking at as much anymore.
Honestly last year the headliners were more for me, but I genuinely think this year could be more fun. I love the chaos
funny thing about this take is i find PTV and 21P to be among the only refreshing names in the larger letters of the lineup. there’s a couple others, but it’s like - you have to have been a band for 25+ years to get your name visible on this lineup and that feels like the furthest thing from a modern fest lineup to me. i love the chaos of it all, in typical Riot fashion, but man, zero interest in trying to get actually current in demand names to draw people in. the worst part is when i realize 21P and PTV have also been around for like 20 years themselves.
PTV also just seems like a weak headliner for me because I also forget their big climb in popularity the last couple years. Pretty sure they sold out 2 or 3 nights at the Kia Forum last year. I’m just not super in tune with them because I’ve never really been into that whole scene/era of post hardcore
Someone on reddit did the math - 70% of the lineup are repeats, some have played 7 of the last 10 years. It's a shame where this festival ended up. The spigot runs dry at a point.
Well of course cus when they book different artists everyone loses their mind and says those aren’t riot fest bands, so truthfully what are they supposed to do?