In true Chicago fashion, we had a week filled with sunshine and mild weather, only to ramp up to a music festival weekend filled with rain and dropped temperatures. Granted we are inching our way into officially being in Fall, and any day the skies will open up on and bestow upon us another snowmageddon. For now, attendees at Riot Fest: Chicago had better packed their parkas and worn their work boots, because the scene at Douglass Park was not a pretty one. So many ruined Vans and Chuck Taylors it could make a style writer cringe.
The unique and really amazing piece about Riot Fest is the night doesn’t just close down with one big, huge band. Instead you get to watch clinger bands back to back to back. And that’s after a day of navigating through puddles and filth (but we did it smiling, mostly) of watching the artists that took us back to our college days – like Every Time I Die, Atreyu and Coheed and Cambria. These guys are still big now, no doubt, but we remember the debut album releases that got it all started.
Eagles of Death Metal also proved you shouldn’t put them on the dusty shelf just yet. With their first album in 7 years coming out next month, the guys convinced us that we should be counting the days until we can pick up the new record.
Last but obviously not least, a pretty well known guy named Ice Cube took to the Roots Stage. Rumor has it that all the original remaining members of NWA are going to tour with another pretty well known guy, Eminem. While we didn’t get any deep insights into the word on the street, we did get an amazing show.
All Photos: Derek Georgevich
Riot Fest Recap: Day 1
Riot Fest 2015 was filled with nostalgia as it kicked off on Friday night, September 11th.
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Everytime I Die
Keith Buckley told our photographer, "You're the second man to tell me my hair looks sexy today." You can see why here.
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Everytime I Die
Siblings Jordan and Keith Buckley bringing up the energy on Friday night.
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Everytime I Die
Can you hear me now? Yeah, everyone on the south side of Chicago could hear Everytime I Die on Friday night.
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Everytime I Die
Keith Buckley on stage.
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Everytime I Die
Stephen Miccich
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Everytime I Die
Keith Buckley
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Everytime I Die
There was no lack of sweatpant & cargo shorts at Riot Fest on Friday night.
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Everytime I Die
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Eagles of Death Metal
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Eagles of Death Metal
Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal
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Eagles of Death Metal 2
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Atreyu
Alex Varkatzas of Atreyu.
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Atreyu
Lead singer Alex Varkatzas and bass guitarist Marc McKnight.
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Atreyu
Guitarist Dan Jacobs of Atreyu.
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Riot Fest 2015
Fans were deep into the music on Friday night.
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Coheed & Cambria
Claudio Sanchez
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Coheed & Cambria
Lead singer, Claudio Sanchez of Coheed & Cambria.
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Coheed & Cambria
Crowd surfing during Coheed & Cambria.
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Faith No More
Mike Patton of Faith No More.
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Faith No More
Mike Patton of Faith No More with a signature, and uncomfortable, microphone in mouth move.
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Faith No More
Flowers filled the stage for Faith No More's Friday night performance.
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Faith No More
Mike Patton convincing the crowd.
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Faith No More
Mike Patton
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Ice Cube
Quoting Friday and capturing the crowd, Ice Cube closed out the night, of Riot Fest Day 1 Chicago 2015.
