Archives:
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- Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun Photo by Katie Hovland
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- Jeff Pezzati of Naked Raygun Photo by Katie Hovland
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- Bill Stephens of Naked Raygun Photo by Katie Hovland
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- Fritz Doreza of Naked Raygun Photo by Katie Hovland
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- Rob Zombie
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- Rob Zombie
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- Thursday
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- Sleater-Kinney
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- Sleater-Kinney
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- The Bronx
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- The Bronx
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- The Falcon
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- The Falcon
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- The Falcon
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- The Falcon
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- Swingin’ Utters
The Lawrence Arms
In July of this year, The Lawrence Arms released their seventh full-length and second for Epitaph, titled Skeleton Coast. We recently spoke with singer/bassist Brendan Kelly and talked about the album in detail. We discussed how it was recorded in a remote part of Texas, as well as what inspired some of the songs and the record’s overall concept. Skeleton Coast is undeniably one of the band’s top albums and features a matured sound yet still retains their classic characteristics. In short, very few bands are able to produce a record of this quality after being together for over 20 years. Additionally, this Friday, The Lawrence Arms will continue the proud tradition of their annual War On X-Mas show. This year’s edition will be an online festival with many notable guest appearances. The show starts at 7:00 PM Central and tickets can be purchased here.
Continue Reading…
Riot Fest Announces 2021 First Wave Lineup
Earlier today, Riot Fest announced their first wave lineup for 2021. With the festival postponed this year due to the current pandemic, organizers are already looking ahead to next year. My Chemical Romance, Smashing Pumpkins, Run The Jewels, Pixies, Circle Jerks, Jawbox and Les Savy Fav are the headliners that have been disclosed so far. Next year’s lineup will also include L7, Pup, Big Freedia, Fucked Up and many others. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. Stay tuned for additional announcements in the coming months.
Ramona
Last month, we caught up with Ramona after their set at Riot Fest. We spoke with singer/guitarist Diego Medrano and singer/bassist Abby Vigderman about their debut album, called Deals, Deals, Deals! (Drummer Shannon Ledbetter couldn’t be present and was presumably roaming the festival grounds). We talked about how the band connected with Red Scare for the record’s release, as well as what recording was like, some of the album’s lyrics and more. Deals, Deals, Deals! finds Ramona combining melodic punk with indie rock, and emphasizing personal, introspective lyrics. Thanks to the unique songwriting found throughout, the record is easily one of the most promising debuts of the year. In addition, we discussed the band’s performance at Riot Fest, their plans for new music and more.
Continue Reading…Riot Fest Late Night 2019 Announced
Riot Fest 2019 First Wave Lineup
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
Radar State
Kansas City’s Radar State formed earlier this year, featuring The Get Up Kids frontmen Matt Pryor and Jim Suptic, The Anniversary frontman Josh Berwanger and drummer Adam Phillips of The Gadjits. We caught up with Jim and Josh after Radar State’s recent performance at Riot Fest and talked about how the band got together. We also discussed their debut EP that they released last month, including where it was recorded and what some of its songs are about. In addition, we spoke about their upcoming tour in December and where they’re at with the writing of their first full-length. Lastly, be sure to check out a video for the song “Spinning Wheel” after the interview. Continue Reading…
Hot Water Music
Earlier this month, Hot Water Music released their eighth full-length and second for Rise Records, entitled Light It Up. We spoke with singer/guitarist Chuck Ragan after the band’s recent set at Riot Fest and talked about the album in detail. We discussed its writing process, the band’s decision to produce the record themselves and its overall theme. We also conversed about the album’s lyrics, some of which are extremely personal to Ragan and address rather difficult times. Additionally, we touched on the band’s experience at Riot Fest, their plans for the remainder of the year and their outlook on the future. Light It Up finds Hot Water Music evoking some of their long-established traits, while concurrently welcoming new ideas, resulting in one of their most cohesive albums to date. Continue Reading…
Shot Baker @ Cobra Lounge, 5/20/17
On Saturday, May 20th, Shot Baker will return with its original lineup and play Cobra Lounge alongside Avenues and Shots Fired Shots Fired. We recently caught up with singer Tony Kovacs and spoke about how exactly this reunion came to be. He explained that the departure of guitarist John Krohn in 2009, followed by the exit of drummer Chris Gach had left the band with only half of its founding members. After years of touring, the wind in the sails of the group had understandably begun to weaken. Kovacs eventually opted to move to Colorado to be with his girlfriend, (now wife) and to pursue a doctorate in audiology. Over the last five or so years, several of the band’s members have started families, while bassist Nat Wright currently plays in 88 Fingers Louie.
When asked as to how this show came together, Kovacs said “We’ve long since set aside our differences and really just wanted to play a show together again. We’re no longer trying to live off this band so we can really just have fun with it, which is how it should be. In the early years, Shot Baker was a total lightning bolt. Maybe it’s a nostalgia thing, but we really wanted to do a show that represented the urgency and volatility of the early years. That’s why this is an ‘original lineup’ show.” When speaking about expectations for the show, he said “I’m mostly looking forward to seeing everyone again. All of the people who helped this band along the way are going to be there: Mike Petryshyn of Riot Fest, Justin Schwier of Underground Communiqué Records, a ton of our close friends…I just can’t wait to see all those people in the same room again. And, obviously, I can’t wait to play again. Five years of academia as a mid-late thirties adult is rough. This show is like breaking out of prison for me.”
Lastly, when discussing the band’s plans beyond this show, Kovacs hinted at possible future endeavors. He said, “Before we broke up, we had written an album with (guitarist) Steven Jenkins that never got released. It’s a shame, because it’s easily some of the best stuff we’ve done. We really want those songs to see the light of day at some point. There have been talks about collecting the very best of that unreleased album with Steven and the best of the unreleased stuff we did with John and meshing it all together as an absolute stunner of a record. I have no idea when or if that record will actually get made, but if it ever does, it’ll be great. Any Shot Baker activity after this ‘original lineup’ show will include Steven as a second guitarist, but who knows when the next show will happen. We’re all so busy right now.” Tickets for what is sure to be a memorable evening can be purchased here.
Sean McKeough Memorial Benefit
Riot Fest partner and Cobra Lounge/All Rise Brewing founder, Sean McKeough, passed away unexpectedly on November 29th, 2016. Through the All Rise Foundation that McKeough established in 2014, his family and friends strive to preserve his memory and have planned an event to celebrate his life next month. On Friday, January 6th, Naked Raygun and Deal’s Gone Bad will play the Concord Music Hall, and there will also be a silent auction with all proceeds benefitting the All Rise Foundation. The foundation is managed by Sean’s longtime partner, Erin Raymer, and aims to assist causes that McKeough supported, like underserved youth musicians, animal shelters and cancer research. The show starts at 7:00 PM, is 17+ and tickets are available here.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Photos by Katie Hovland
We met up with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes at Riot Fest this year and talked with singer Spike Slawson. We discussed their latest collection of cover songs, Are We Not Men? We Are Diva!, as well as a range of other topics that spanned the punk rock supergroup’s two-decade-plus career. We asked Slawson about the band’s process for choosing songs, what his favorite ones are to sing, if they’ve ever heard back from any of the artists they’ve covered and more. We also spoke about The Gimmes’ upcoming greatest hits record, which they plan on releasing in 2017.
Swingin’ Utters
Photo by Katie Hovland
We caught up with Swingin’ Utters earlier this year when they played Riot Fest and spoke with singer Johnny “Peebucks” Bonnel and guitarist/singer Darius Koski. We talked about their latest album, Fistful of Hollow, including its style and how it was recorded. We also discussed the reasons for the band being so productive as of late, having released three full-lengths in the last six years. Additionally, we conversed about their upcoming new album, which they’ve already begun writing and hope to release next year. Continue Reading…
Laura Stevenson
Photo by Katie Hovland
Laura Stevenson recently played Riot Fest Chicago and we caught up with her shortly after her set for a quick interview. We discussed her most recent album, Cocksure, which was released last year on Don Giovanni Records. We talked about the record’s style, its title, what it was like working with producer Jeff Rosenstock and more. Additionally, we conversed about her plans for the future, which include putting the finishing touches on a new album that’s already nearly completed. Lastly, be sure to check out a video for her song “Jellyfish” after the interview. Continue Reading…
Riot Fest, 2016
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…
PEARS – Green Star
Fat Wreck Chords – Release Date: 4/01/16
In July of last year, PEARS re-released their debut LP via Fat Wreck Chords and quite honestly took the punk and hardcore communities by storm. Admittedly, the album was recorded in a hurried manner, but still conveyed the band’s unrelenting energy and unique approach to songwriting. In contrast, Green Star was meticulously written and recorded, and the added effort clearly shows. The record certainly spotlights PEARS’ evolution, but that’s not to imply they’ve abandon their signature style of frantic hardcore punk that’s both old school and progressive. Green Star charges out of the gates with “Hinged by Spine,” which channels Today’s Empires… era Propagandhi and highlights the impressive vocal range of singer Zach Quinn. “The Flu” evokes the spirit of punk pioneers Circle Jerks and Black Flag, and seems like it would be a definite crowd favorite in a live setting. The title track changes tempos on a dime, yet transitions fluidly between the varying rhythms. It also features a hyper-melodic chorus that’s supported by a horde of harmonious backing vocals. There’s even a re-recorded version of “Snowflake” from their Letters to Memaw seven-inch and it sounds more concise and confident than the original. Containing 16 tracks in all, including two piano interludes, this album is by all accounts a complete work that observes PEARS really elevating their game. Take a listen to the song “Green Star” below and for those who say there aren’t any new bands out there that are innovative or worthwhile, tell them to check out this record.
[audio:http://www.jadedinchicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/07-Green-Star.mp3|titles= “Green Star”]
Elway
Photo by Katie Hovland
We caught up with Elway last fall after they played Riot Fest Chicago. We spoke with three of their four members, (singer/guitarist Tim Browne, guitarist Brian Van Proyen and drummer Garrett Carr). Bassist Joe Henderer unfortunately could not be present. We discussed the band’s latest album for Red Scare Industries, Better Whenever, including how it was written and the manner in which it was recorded. The record finds Elway experimenting with new songwriting techniques, while at the same time penning lyrics that represent some of the most personal they’ve written to date. We talked with Browne extensively about the reasons for this, as well as the band’s new outlook moving forward and more. Continue Reading…
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