With the movement of venues, uncertain was the main emotion when I first entered the Riot Fest 2024 gates. After wandering through to “Riot Land”, it became clear that Riot Fest listened to the asks of their fans. We saw the return of the Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow, more photo-ops/decor, faux “buildings”, and more things to do besides purchase alcohol. Among the buildings featured a “Riot Fest Museum” where viewers could see original flyers, tickets, etc. There was a “grocery store” with snacks available for purchase and the classic “wedding chapel” in the form of a little church. Giant “RIOT LAND” block letters mimicked the Hollywood sign with two giant Riot Pop cans behind it, overall giving an exciting vibe of everything that was ahead. Logan Arcade had a tent with arcade games and I saw extra games sprinkled throughout the fest, where underage attendees tested how strong their punches were.
The Friday music at Riot Fest kicked off with a bang, setting the tone for a day filled with genre-spanning music, unexpected moments, and nostalgic performances. Chicago natives Action/Adventure opened with their signature blend of pop-punk, infusing energy into the early crowd and setting a solid pace for the day while People R Ugly gave a cover of “What’s Up?” on the other side.
The first heavy band to shake things up was Polaris, delivering an intense set. The standout moment came when they unleashed “Dissipate,” urging the crowd to “snap your fucking necks” to the breakdown—a call that was fully embraced by the audience. Metal fans definitely found their fix early on. One of the more whimsical moments came from a festivalgoer prancing around in a sparkly gold outfit, commenting in a high-pitched voice, “I like this music, it’s very niiiiice”. Some things (and outfits) you can only see at Riot Fest. Unfortunately, The Chisel dropped out last minute without any official explanation from Riot Fest, though it turned out the band had canceled their entire tour, leaving fans disappointed and a few punks very confused.
The festival regained momentum with The Aces. Laying under a tree near the press tent provided a much-needed rest while their breezy indie pop tunes washed over me, offering a welcome reprieve. The area around the press tent had some of the best grass in the park—a hidden gem for those looking for a moment of peace. State Champs followed, though their set was marred by technical difficulties. The guitar cutting in and out distracted from the performance, but the band powered through like pros as the sun beat down on them. New Found Glory wasted no time, launching into “Understatement” to the delight of fans and Four Year Strong made a surprise appearance during their set, which brought a burst of energy. At one point I became convinced that Chad had sucked in helium to deliver those classic, high-octave nasal notes. However, the set hit a low for me with a cover of Frozen, prompting me to call it early and grab a Ghost energy drink to keep my spirit alive.
Sum 41‘s performance brought out the big guns with a pyro-heavy set that thrilled both the young kids in attendance and the “old kids” (aka us). It had been a while since I’d seen them live at ye ole’ Warped Tour, but they exceeded expectations, especially when beach balls flew through the air during “Underclass Hero.” Fall Out Boy closed out the night with an impressive production as they brought us an “eras” show. Each backdrop represented parts of each record, playing a few songs off each. This performance started with something I’ve never heard from them: Patrick Stump, overcome with emotion during the opening song, tearfully declared, “It’s good to be home,” setting the tone for what would be a memorable, heartfelt performance. Riot Fest Friday felt like a return to roots for both the bands and fans, filled with highlights and just the right amount of chaos. On to the next day!
