Riot Fest 2021 is finally seeing its return to Chicago this weekend and with it comes another dope collection of artists that will fill the air of Douglass Park with great music.
While Riot Fest is best known for its celebration of Punk music and culture, the festival has been doing a good job of offering more variety of performers as well as having a tradition of tapping select artists to treat fans to performance of an iconic album/project of theirs.
Riot Fest sucks. Here are our picks for the top 12 artists to see at Riot Fest 2021:
Alex G
Alex G is going into Riot Fest after releasing what is, arguably, his best work to date. 2019’s House of Sugar has some of the Pennsylvania artist’s most creative songwriting, crafting engaging stories that are paired with instrumentation that can range from the folksy to the experimental. Alex G’s music has always felt like it’s coming from a raw and pure place, which explains why he’s built a cult following throughout his career. Now that’s a musical journey I will always recommend.
– Oscar
Beach Bunny
You know we love us some Chicago music! Beach Bunny is another fine representation of what Chicago offers the musical world, and what better stage than a massive hometown festival? Beach Bunny racked up critical acclaim around their 2020 debut album, Honeymoon, which was packed with Indie and Power Pop anthems (“Cloud 9” periodically gets stuck in my head) that will translate excellently to the festival stage. Lili Trifilio knows how to write damn good tunes that cover a lot of intimate feelings, which we could all use a chance to experience them in a communal way after having to deal with pandemic life for nearly two years now. Also, “Goodby Summer 🙁”
– Oscar
BLACKSTARKIDS
BLACKSTARKIDS is a group that just caught my attention earlier last year after hearing their single FRANKIE MUNIZ off their Whatever, Man tape. Their music is very eclectic fusing genres ranging from hip hop to indie rock to pop. They are also very queer positive in their messaging and image which is great to see considering how rare it is to see in the hip hop space. They have honestly turned out to be one of my favorite groups at the moment and I can almost guarantee they will put on a show this Sunday.
– Frankie P
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips is a band that needs no introduction, those interested in the alternative rock scene know that The Flaming Lips aren’t only a band that makes incredible music, but put on an incredible live show. The band performed their magnum opus Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots during Riot Fest 2019 and it was frankly one of the best performances the festival has seen. Their stage costumes were wild while they also crowd surfed in bubbles. If you are attending the fest on Sunday this ones a no brainer.
– Frankie P
Fucked Up
Canadian band Fucked Up has been smashing stages for over 20 years now, cementing them as one of the greats in the realm of hardcore music. What makes Fucked Up so great is that they expand beyond bounds of what many perceive hardcore music to be. They include many experimental passages with lyrics that often tell really great stories. Although I haven’t seen them live myself they have fabled to be extremely great live performers.
– Frankie P
KennyHoopla
If you’ve been keeping up with our podcast, Yo. Check This, you may have noticed how we raved about KennyHoopla for two episodes in a row. KennyHoopla has found a way to pay homage to his 90s-early 2000s influences while creating songs that still very much sound like they’re made in 2021, which will keep younger fans and O.G. Pop-Punkers entertained… Plus, he’s got Travis Barker’s approval.
– Oscar
Knuckle Puck
Chicago’s own Knuckle Puck is back for this year’s Riot Fest, and while their music isn’t for the faint of heart they put on an incredible live show nonetheless. If you are down for an absolutely wild mosh-pit experience I would suggest making it out for Knuckle Puck. I can attest to the fact that they put their all into their live shows, exerting every bit of energy they have in every track.
– Frankie P
Lupe Fiasco
This set, in particular, is going to be an absolute treat. One of Chicago’s finest, Lupe Fiasco, is set to perform his second studio album The Cool on Friday. Lupe is an inspiration to so many and his music, especially The Cool-era Lupe, brings back fantastic memories. I’ve been fortunate enough to see Lupe live twice and each performance was truly a spectacle to watch. Vic Mensa recently announced he’d be following suit by performing one of his most popular bodies of work this weekend as well; check his write-up below to see what his plans are. I can’t wait to see both of these Chicagoans put on performances, I’m sure they’ll be memorable.
– Jack
Pinegrove
New Jersey’s Pinegrove is a band that has dominated my perspective of modern indie soft rock for nearly five years now. After originally seeing their late addition to the Riot Fest lineup I knew they would have to be one of my picks for this year’s Dope Dozen. I first saw Pinegrove at the Bottom Lounge here in Chicago over three years ago, and their ability to captivate a crowd while simultaneously performing an extremely tight set proves them to be a worthy band to see this weekend. Their newest single ‘Orange’ also makes it extremely evident that they are constantly improving on their craft every new release.
– Frankie P
Run The Jewels
– Oscar
Slipknot
Slipknot have a special place in my heart. The very first music festival I attended was Ozzfest 2004, where Corey Taylor and co. headlined the second stage. I saw them in their peak era, and parts of that set still live in my mind to this day. Even back then it felt like they were on the breaking point of becoming superstars, and they sure as hell went on to prove that in the years that followed, helping Metal get mainstream coverage again. The theatrics and the vibrancy that they bring to their performances can hardly be done justice with words, taking the concept that KISS perfected in the 70s and taking it to a whole new level that is fit for this era. I would safely bet on this being the biggest spectacle of the weekend.
There are also rumors of a new album on the way, so this can also be your chance of potentially leaving Douglass Park having heard new songs being played that few others have heard so far.
– Oscar
Vic Mensa
Another Chicago artist, Vic Mensa has always been one of POD’s long-time favorites and seeing him return to Riot Fest will be something special this year. Vic recently shared the news that he will throwing it back to 2013, a Golden era of Chicago Hip Hop, and will be performing his breakthrough project INNANETAPE. When this mixtape arrived it felt special, like we were seeing a young artist unleash his potential thanks to dope tracks like “Orange Soda” and “Lovely Day.” With this being a hometown show it’d be pretty dope if Vic would bring out any of the tape’s contributing artists, but even without that it will still be incredibly cool to see him tap into the magic of his early years. I cannot stress enough how fire this set will be.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CT0dRY5AanF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
– Oscar
