This morning, Riot Fest announced their first wave lineup. This year also marks the 15th anniversary of the event. Blink-182, Slayer, a reunited Bikini Kill, The Raconteurs, Rise Against, The Flaming Lips, and Jawbreaker are among the headliners that have been revealed thus far. The festival, which takes place Sept. 13 – 15 in Douglas Park, will also include Ween, Patti Smith, Rancid, Violent Femmes, Descendents, The B-52’s, Avail, Against Me!, Hot Snakes, Less Than Jake, Cursive, and many others. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. Additional bands will be announced in the coming weeks.
Full Album Performances by:
Against Me! – Reinventing Axl Rose + Transgender Dysphoria Blues
Avail – Over The James
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
Dashboard Confessional – The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most
The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot
Glassjaw – Worship and Tribute
The Selecter – Too Much Pressure
Senses Fail – From the Depths of Dreams + Let It Enfold You
Taking Back Sunday – Tell All Your Friends + Louder Now
Ween – The Mollusk
Photos by Katie Hovland
The first day of Riot Fest began somewhat ominously, with cloudy skies and forecasted showers, but after a brief spell of light rain from 1:00 – 2:00 PM, the skies cleared and sunshine remained for the duration of the festival. This was a huge change from the previous two years, where heavy rains and an abundance of mud unfortunately dominated the weekends. This year’s event marked the second time that Riot Fest was held in Douglas Park, and while the grounds proved to be a very adequate space last year, the festival’s organizers did an even better job this time around of maximizing the park’s space. They managed to create an open layout that allowed for easy movement between stages and also minimized excess sound from bleeding into unintended areas. Another positive was the emphasis on local businesses, specifically the beer tents named after establishments like Liar’s Club, Double Door, Cobra Lounge and All Rise Brewing. There were also great local food options, like Reggie’s, Taco In A Bag and others. Despite Riot Fest continuing to grow markedly in size every year, it really doesn’t feel like a giant, corporate-sponsored festival and it definitely hasn’t lost sight of its roots. Loyal attendees return every September to find that the bar has once again been significantly raised and the original spirit of the event still very much intact. Continue Reading…