Year-to-year, I think the viewing areas for the other stages are much more useful for me. I generally don't find myself watching too much over the headliners in years that overlap. And by the end of the day I've usually given up on alcohol. Haha. So it'll still be worth it for me. Just came in super clutch last year for Blink and Green Day. I've also got a partner who isn't always so interested in what I want to see and sometimes just wants to sit and chill. So it's helpful for that too. Hah. I really can't say enough about how underrated the Iron Roses are! Super fun, catchy pop-punk with huge hooks and lyrics that actually mean something. The vibes at their live show are super positive too. Also excited about Panic Shack too! They are a major driver for my wife in wanting to go. I always have a goal like that in mind but usually, some of those all-time favorites wind up sucking me in. Haha. There's a few I might skip (Alkaline Trio, Social D, Pennywise) depending on what all else is going on. Mostly because I've got tickets to see them back in MA. But it really does depend on who else is playing at that time.
I have a friend who used to be pretty uninterested in music until I took him to a Foxy Shazam show and now he’s a full blown foxy fanboy. He’s said that anytime they’re within a 4 hour drive we’ve gotta go see him. I just realized that this lineup really does have one major strength and that’s the sheer number of bands with unique/fun live shows. I have very little doubt someone like my friend who thinks foxy Shazam is a blast would also enjoy seeing GWAR, Iggy Pop, less than Jake, mariachi el Bronx, golgol bordello & angine de poitrine.
Not sure what has or has not been announced yet, but The Suicide Machines, Descendants, Pup and Taking Back Sunday all doing album plays per Riot Fest Instagram story.
Pretty surprising for there to only be four when there are other bands playing that are playing albums at other shows this year. Not to mention that they could have probably gone ahead and added Sex Pistols as one too.
Now that you mentioned it, last year Never Mind The Bollocks were announced as an album play. Also TBS played Louder Now in 2019, even tho I never seen them play the album in full, it kinda feels lees special for them to do it again.
Feels "light" this year but there's been a few of these. 2024 only had three (Smash, Cope, and Leviathan). And I think 2021 only had the Lupe Fiasco set (plus Joyce Manor doing S/T if you count the pre-party). I'm wondering if there was weird contractual stuff with Bright Eyes and the Sex Pistols preventing them from being promoted as album plays this year. Feels a little telling that they're both "re-books" from cancelled appearances. Because the Pistols are 100% doing the album. LOL All that said: The four albums we get this year are all bangers! EDIT: There was also the year Four Year Strong played an album that wasn't on the official list. That was odd.
There have definitely been numerous times that a band has played a full album that wasn’t a part of the official album plays promoted by Riot Fest. Off the top of my head, I remember that happening before with Senses Fail, Bayside and I think Streetlight Manifesto. I’m sure there are others too.
For Bright Eyes, I was so confident they were going to promote as the Chicago show of the album plays they did earlier this year, but now it feels more like the Chicago show of the regular tour they're doing in the fall. Would love to be wrong and get a Wide Awake set though.
99% sure that one was advertised. I would have been excited to see them anyway but I got to the barricade for that set because it was that album.
Yeah, STWHA was definitely advertised in 2014. That year's list of album plays was pretty wild: Jane's Addiction, the Offspring, Weezer, Slayer, Samhain, NOFX, Descendents, Naked Raygun, and the Get Up Kids
If we throw one of these at Morrissey he'll cancel his performance, right? That looks so stupid good. LOL
not usually a 'marinara on a burger' guy...but the taco puff and fancy mini corndogs more than make up for it. tried this place out for the first time 2 years ago when the NOFX pop up was next door, i think it was the Korn burger, insanely good, may have to become a thursday night prefest staple for me.
I usually go once a year on my birthday but maybe I'll make an extra trip because that does look really good.
Saw Haywire over the weekend and it made me even more hyped to see them at Riot Fest. If for no other reason than to see how crowds react to them outside of MA, what they do on a big festival stage with a bigger gap between them and the crowd, etc. I'll be seeing them one other time between now and then (with Fiddlehead ). But I'm still excited about seeing them in the context of Riot Fest. Hah.
That’s also one of my most anticipated sets this year too. I like my hardcore and metal to be fun, so I’m hoping and expecting the set to be cartoonishly violent.
saw them open for dropkick and while the crowd loved them, it was a much older crowd so the intensity wasnt quite there in the feedback loop for a young and hungry hardcore band, but they were able to pull a few short-lived pits out of us, i imagine a crowd there specifically for them will be wild.