mineral-21

Riot Fest Chicago day 3 in pics (Weezer, Primus, Patti Smith, Mineral, Superchunk, Bouncing Souls, Hold Steady, more)

photos by James Richards IV, words by Zach Pollack & Milos Markicevic

Mineral / Patti Smith / Superchunk
Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3
Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3
Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest Chicago wrapped up this past Sunday (9/14) with sets from The Cure, Weezer (playing Blue Album), Primus, Social Distortion, Cheap Trick (playing Heaven Tonight), Patti Smith, Mudhoney, Hot Snakes, Mineral, Lucero, Naked Raygun (playing Throb Throb), La Dispute, Superchunk, The Hold Steady, Kurt Vile, Bouncing Souls, The Front Bottoms, The Menzingers and many more.

I arrived at the final day of the festival to find New Jersey punk heroes The Bouncing Souls already on the Roots Stage, and NJ folk punks The Front Bottoms getting set to perform on the Rebel Stage. Having seen the former a few times, I went for the latter band and heard “Flashlight” as I approached the stage. Their early afternoon-yet-rabid crowd screamed the lyrics along to the song’s stop-start chorus. The tongue-in-cheek Talon of the Hawk opener “Au Revoir (Adios)” came next, followed by mix of songs from that album and their 2011 self-titled LP. —ZP

Kurt Vile & The Violators were the next band I caught, over at the Riot Stage. Given that Sunday beared even better weather than Saturday had, opening with “Wakin on a Pretty Day” was an apt choice in full sun. The Violators proceeded to deliver a low-key and enjoyable set that touched on Wakin on a Pretty Daze, Smoke Ring for My Halo, and Childish Prodigy. After a bit of KV and co., I headed over to the Rebel Stage to catch The Hold Steady. The NYC crew kicked things off with “I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You” from this year’s Teeth Dreams, followed by the Boys and Girls in America favorite “Stuck Between Stations.” The band flew by their usual M.O. — flexing some muscle without coming off as too cheesy — while pulling out tunes from their back catalog. —ZP

Next I went to catch Superchunk, and I arrived at the Riot Stage a bit prior to their set. In the meantime, I caught the last few songs of Billy Bragg‘s performance on the nearby Roots Stage. Before playing “The Milkman of Human Kindness,” Bragg shared that he’s out to become “the Pete Seegar of punk” and hopes to be performing into his 90s. He turned “There Is Power in a Union” into a sing-along and finished off with “A New England.” Superchunk began with the No Pocky for Kitty tune “Cast Iron,” followed by the one-two punch of “Digging For Something” and “FOH.” It was back to No Pocky… for “Punch Me Harder,” and then Mac asked the crowd to sing along during “Learned To Surf.” “I’m gonna need you to repeat after me, in the age-old tradition of repeating after people on stage, he quipped. Their 11-song set came to a close with “Slack Motherfucker” into “Precision Auto.” —ZP

Michigan post-hardcore crew La Dispute were up next at the far-from-everything Rock Stage. The four-piece were heavy on this year’s great Rooms of the House, and began their 10-song set with “HUDSONVILLE, MI 1956,” “Stay Happy There,” and “First Reactions After Falling Through the Ice” from the LP falling within the first five they played. Their meditative grooves quickly won over the large crowd they had gathered at the stage. My next target after La Dispute was the Rise Stage, where whiskey-soaked Memphis crew Lucero would soon begin their late afternoon set. I only stuck around for a few songs, but I got to hear some of my favorites from the start, including “On My Way Downtown” into “Nights Like These.” —ZP

La Dispute’s crowd
Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

After Lucero, it was back over to the Rock Stage for reunited Austin emo band Mineral. The band quietly took the stage and delivered an excellent set that was split evenly between their 1997 debut The Power of Failing and 1998’s EndSerenading. Highlights included their heavier moments found within the brief “Five, Eight, & Ten,” “For Ivadell,” and “Gloria,” and also the more subdued offerings like “Love Letter Typewriter.” Mineral were one of the best emo bands out there, and it’s great to see them return sounding great. —ZP

One of my most anticipated sets of the three-day fest was Patti Smith‘s 6PM performance on the Riot Stage. Patti was born in Chicago not all that far from the stage she occupied, and spoke about coming to the park with her mother as a very young child. She and her band opened with “Dancing Barefoot” into the Horses tune “Redondo Beach.” A cover of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” came next, followed by “Pissing in a River.” Along with a select few others, Patti Smith fully embodies the spirit of Riot Fest. —ZP

While Zach was over at Patti Smith on the Riot Stage, I was at the Rise Stage for Mudhoney. The grunge grandfathers ripped through their set and barely stopped to catch their breath. Drummer Dan Peters was a beast on drums throughout the set, and at one point the band even made way for a brief drum solo, bringing in the fuzz at the climax. You would think Mark Arm’s vocal style would have wrecked his pipes after all these years but the guy sounded just as good as he did on the band’s debut album. The definite highlight of set was the band’s classic “Touch Me I’m Sick” which left everyone floored. —MM

If Patti Smith carries the ethos of Riot Fest, then Primus serve to represent the festival’s large carnival presence. Les Claypool was transfixed on the ferris wheel he faced from the stage and spoke at length about how beautiful it was and how lucky they were to be performing near it. He later prompted guitarist Larry LaLonde to do a solo inspired by the wheel. Unlike when I saw them in 2013, Primus shed their jammy approach of late for the tighter feel of their early material. This shift was aided by stand-in timekeeper Danny Carey, who delivered a fast-handed, rigid performance. The trio opened with the Sailing the Seas of Cheese cut “Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers,” followed by the driving LP number “Here Come the Bastards.” The tweaky Brown Album song “Over the Falls” was also played, as well as more favorites like “My Name Is Mud,” and set endcap “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver.” —ZP

Weezer were one of the albums billed to play a classic album (The Blue Album), but first they warmed up with some of their more recent singles, steadily going back in time with each song. The band played “Pork and Beans,” “Beverly Hills,” “Island In The Sun,” “Hash Pipe,” “El Scorcho” and others before getting to 1994, the year of The Blue Album. Everything prior to The Blue Album‘s performance felt like filler as everyone, including myself, sang along to every Blue Album song, most loudly to “Buddy Holly” which some fans begged to be played again. Weezer performed flawlessly while their stage lights bathed everyone in blue light, keeping in theme of the album’s color. It was amazing seeing the band perform The Blue Album— one of my favorite 90s albums– in its entirety. I only wish they could’ve squeezed in Pinkerton right after. —MM

Pics and review of day 1 are HERE and day 2 are HERE. More day 3 pictures below…

Bouncing Souls

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Kurt Vile

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

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Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

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The Front Bottoms

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

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Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

The Hold Steady

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

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Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Superchunk

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

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La Dispute

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Lucero

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Mineral

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Patti Smith

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

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Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Cheap Trick

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Primus

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

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Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Weezer

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3

Riot Fest 2014 - Day 3