PREVIEW: Riot Fest 2022 — EMMIE MAGAZINE

By: Claire Borgelt and Arthur Machado

This weekend, thousands of live music lovers will flock to Chicago for Riot Fest as Douglass Park hosts the biggest names in emo, punk and rock music. Since beginning as a punk festival in 2005, Riot Fest has moved from venues scattered throughout the city to a large outdoor event at Douglass Park. Now, it draws massive crowds annually and lends its name to similar celebrations in Denver, Dallas, Brooklyn and Toronto. To gear up for a busy weekend of music and mosh pits, check out a preview of what the festival has in store:

Friday Headliner – My Chemical Romance

A discography tackling everything from the morbidity of vintage horror to the vibrance of a post-apocalyptic rebel radio program and a knack for explosively theatrical live performances have made My Chemical Romance the heroes of multiple eyeliner-smudged generations. Infectiously passionate fans, Frontman Gerard Way’s raw, masterful vocals, and an unparalleled onstage dynamic marked the band’s resurrection from a decade-long hiatus and make it clear that these titans of rock and post-hardcore never truly left. Hits like “I’m Not Okay,” love letters to misfits and self-proclaimed emos everywhere, will balance angst-ridden masterpieces like “Helena” and frenetic, half-screamed anthems such as “Our Lady of Sorrows” will deliver a set that is sure to be well worth the 10 year wait. My Chemical Romance will be performing on the Riot Stage Friday at 8:30 p.m.

*My Chemical Romance (Paul Harries for Kerrang!)*

Cliffdiver

Earnest pop-punk vocals, high-energy ska instrumentals and fifth wave emo guitar twinkles blur together on Cliffdiver’s debut album, Exercise Your Demons. As they dance between genres and explore themes of grief, mental health and resilience, this Tulsa-based group plants themself firmly among the major players in the newest wave of emo. Mosh pit fuel like “New Vegas Bomb” and “Dick Van Yikes” pairs well with the bittersweetness of “We Saw the Same Sunset” and promises audiences a whirlwind of emotions set to clever titles and memorable riffs. Cliffdiver will be performing on the Rebel Stage Friday at 1:15 p.m.

Hot Mulligan

Say what you will about the fourth wave of emo. Call it derivative, poppy, maybe even too “fratty” but it’s impossible to not feel emotional after listening to the lead singer’s snarling screams. The Michigan group was at the forefront of the midwest emo scene during the emo revival era. With songs like “I Fell in Love With Princess Peach” and “How Do You Know It’s Not Armadillo Shells?” the band proves themselves as a powerhouse in the scene and with their blend of midwest emo sensibility and pop-punk instrumentation they’ll be sure to get the Riot Fest crowd moshing and sobbing. Hot Mulligan will be performing on the Radicals Stage Friday at 2:30 p.m.

Saturday Headliner – The Misfits

The Misfits have been delivering gorey, relentless punk music since the late ‘70s. Brash, gleeful songs such as “Mommy Can I Go Out & Kill Tonight?” and “Vampira” helped define the horror-punk subgenre and serve as well-loved relics of the musical era that made events like Riot Fest possible. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Walk Among Us, The Original Misfits will perform the album in its entirety. This high-energy homage to American punk history is not to be missed. The Original Misfits will be performing on the Riot Stage Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

Mannequin Pussy

As of late, this Philadelphia rock outfit thrives just as much on sunlit guitar hooks and bittersweet lyrics as the noisy vocals which characterize its earlier releases. While 2016’s Romantic favors punk influence, 2019’s Patience tackles similar issues of love, independence and empowerment with bright indie-pop exuberance. This weekend’s audiences are in for a taste of both – Mannequin Pussy takes the stage at Riot Fest bearing an arsenal of early hits such as “Kiss” and “In Love Again” as well as favorites from Perfect, their versatile 2021 EP. Mannequin Pussy will be performing on the Radicals Stage Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

Yellowcard

Yellowcard’s Ocean Avenue is a staple of the early 2000s pop-punk carefree attitude. The album marked an angsty generation, clamoring to leave the confines of their suburban Hot Topic. Nostalgia is a common theme in the 13 tracks released in 2003, and now, almost two decades later the band will play the album in its entirety as the Rise Stage headliner Saturday evening. Hits like “Only One,” “Breathing,” and the homonym “Ocean Eyes” represent the essence of the entire pop-punk movement and in an era of MGK and WILLOW, Yellowcard is offering the audience an opportunity to experience what led pop-punk to its contemporary resurgence. Yellowcard is performing the entirety of Ocean Avenue on the Radicals Stage Saturday at 8:30 p.m.

Sunday Headliner – Nine Inch Nails

This quintessential industrial rock band has perfected a ratio of fizzling electronic elements to syncopated, growling vocals. Permanent members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have been joined by a rotating cast of musicians over the course of the band’s 34-year history, but elaborate visuals and clever audio motif usage have always been a constant when it comes to live performances. With supercharged hits like “Starfuckers, Inc.” and dark, percussive numbers like “Head Like a Hole,” Nine Inch Nails prepares to immerse their audience completely. Nine Inch Nails will be performing on the Riot Stage Sunday at 8:15 p.m.

The Linda Lindas

Well before their performance of “Racist, Sexist Boy” at the Los Angeles Public Library went viral, The Linda Lindas came together under the guidance of Kristin Kontrol (Dum Dum Girls) to form a new wave cover band in 2018. They stuck together and quickly made a name for themselves as the fresh faces of the riot grrrl movement. Growing Up, their debut album, sets bouncing guitar lines against themes of friendship, identity and hope for the future. As the festival’s youngest act – Guitarist Bela Salazar is the oldest member of the group at just 17 years old – these rising punk powerhouses are proof that the kids are alright. The Linda Lindas will be performing on the Roots Stage Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

Mom Jeans.

Mom Jeans has mastered the art of confessional lyricism. Best Buds, their 2016 debut album, is decorated with declarations of uncertainty and desire amid bass-heavy, meandering instrumentals. Early hits from the band such as “Edward 40hands” and “Death Cup” are lauded as fourth wave emo essentials but sugar coated guitar flourishes and newfound pop-punk sensibilities suggest that February’s Sweet Tooth has similar potential. Mom Jeans will be performing on the Rise Stage Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Stay tuned on our website and our social medias to check out EMMIE’s journey into the emo world as we cover Riot Fest 2022.