– Solemn Joy Division Songs Find Perfection in Morning Rain
The post-punk genre mastered by Joy Division is depressing, at times, but still highly affectionate in every sense possible. Ian Curtis captured his emotions intimately in his lyrics throughout Unknown Pleasures and Closer, but Peter Hook, fellow Joy Division bandmate and New Order, was able to bring such a powerful voice back to life once again. His lower register comfortable coasted along Curtis’ sorrowful ranges with confidence as he reached to connect with audience and bring the songs to life. The band supported his extended invitation with two basses, which doubled its most dominant riffs and, sometimes, weaved in between each other with unique surveys, and powerful unity that made the songs lose their age and sound as fresh as ever.
– Bad Books Beat the Rain
Manchester Orchestra and Kevin Devine are deadly combination, commanding explosive rock delivery capitalized by enigmatic poetry, two unique vocal ranges, and dominance pronounced through the teamwork of three guitar dominance. While such an essence is nothing unusual for Manchester Orchestra, Devine supplied sharp vocal harmonies and bolstering guitar dynamics that set their instrumentation in-and-out of hazy chaos and soft tranquility simultaneously. Even though the rain began to damper the festival crowd, attendees of their set were continuously drawn and head-banged to match the contagious energy drawn from the stage, colliding with raindrops and drowning themselves in waves unleashed from the sound system.
– Riot Fest Defeats “Do the Standing Still”
While it may have been the most-overwhelming set of Sunday, The Dismemberment Plan introduced to mad science lab that is math punk. Unlike the calmer instrumentation and complex song structures of Maps & Atlases, who also played Sunday, the band fashioned Emergency & I highlights like “Girl O’ Clock” and “Gyroscope”, both of which smash keyboards to produce mush, stuttering vocal rhythms, and staggering pacing that thrown off the typical head bob. Even Change favorites like “Following Through” and “Time Bomb” and new cuts from their upcoming album Uncanny Valley coasted into the set, sounding strong as Travis Morrison unleashed his inner demon as he sang, and Joe Easley dominated every combination on his drum kit. What made the performance most memorable came from the crowd during their in-your-face crowd mockery “Do the Standing Still”, where a mosh and dance circle erupted on the right side of the stage. Finally, The D-Plan has found a crowd that understands how lame “the standing still” really is.
– Why Brand New was the Most Anticipated Set of the Festival
It has been four years since Brand New has performed in Chicago, and it was evident that they were one of the most eagerly awaited acts of the whole festival. Their t-shirts swarmed each day, a number of tattoos were proudly shown, and conversations of their to-be-amazing set were endless. When the band took the stage as the sun set on Saturday, it was evident that Brand New was ready to unleash their unsteady demons and dominate the sound system with an aggression that no one saw coming.
In opening their set with Daisy opener “Vices”, Jesse Lacey revealed that his clean-cut demeanor was only for the look, signifying his dirty aggression had never disappeared. The core of their set was dominated by Deja Entendu highlights, which is turned 10 years old in June, served as the crowd pleasers of the set. It was impossible to resist the screaming chorus’ of “Sic Transit Gloria…” and “The Quite Things that No One Never Knows” (featuring Kevin Devine on guitar), but the set’s most emotionally provocative moments were locked in movements the crowd never expected.
While “Jesus” was the most singable out of the tracks, Jessie Lacey and Andy Haul strumming a shivering performance of “Play Crack the Skye”. As Lacey’s bold vocals narrated about his lone electric guitar, Hull stood timidly with his hands in his sweatshirt pockets as his upper register seethed in harmony. The minor performance kept the crowd cemented into the mud beneath their feet, but as soon as the band returned to unleash the fury behind “Degausser” and “You Won’t Know”, easily the set’s strongest tracks, the adrenaline factor would be violated and crash into the most distorted and energetic crowd mentality. As Vince thrashed back and forth and chucked his guitar in the middle of it all, Lacey struggled to contain his energy as he severed the protective plastic over his pedal board to create a truly disgusting turn to the set’s conclusion.
When Lacey commenced the set by smashing his guitar against one of Brian Lane’s cymbals, he immediately ran across the stage and embraced guitarist Vince Accardi as tightly as he could, symbolizing the contagious love that the band shares for the heaviness and distortion that coats their live set. While some find their anger intimidating, every Brand New fan at Riot Fest just couldn’t get enough.
– Riot Fest Avoids the Worst Conflict Possible: Pixies for All
“Would they seriously place Pixies during the same slot as The Replacements?” was probably a common quote threaded through Riot Fest attendees before the schedule was released. When our speculations were debunked, and festival organizers worked their magic, it was awe-inspiring to realize how two legendary bands could perform with picture-perfect circumstances.
Pixies certainly waste such an amazing set-up, organizing a set of wealthy of their strongest material. Even though their Doolittle reunion tour once seemed endless, the material featured on the album still evoked the same sing-along capabilities, especially classics such as “Wave of Mutilation” and “Monkey Gone to Heaven”. The band even fancied tracks from their first EP since, introducing “Indy Cindy” and her new friends to a fresh and receptive crowd, which was especially appreciated for replacement bassist Kim Shattuck fitting in to the band’s live set. On the familiar side of the coin, Frank Black unleashed the heat behind his vocal chords on “Debaser” and “Bone Machine”, satisfying the hype behind their placement on the fest’s bill.
– The Replacements Make An Ending All-So-Simple
Wait, are you sure it’s been 22 years? The Replacements second reunion performance explored many spectrums of punk rock that were exemplified at the festival, serving as the perfect closer to such a conundrum. The band lifted their performance with pure enjoyment, whether they surveyed the audience for which song should be played next, where everyone replied, “Both!”, or screwing around with each other’s pedal boards mid-song. It’s a free-wheelin’ reunion, to say the least, and the crowd was all-arms for celebrating with them while they still can. The band lifted favorites like “I Will Dare”, “Alex Chilton”, and “Left of the Dial” all as if they hadn’t changed at all, providing a perfect opportunity for new and old audiences to connect with a punk band that may not come around again. In that moment, we were able to celebrate together and only be happy for it.