Riot Fest gets ready to rumble into Douglass Park starring Slayer, Beck, St. Vincent, NOFX’s farewell

Riot Fest Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Summer may be winding down, but there’s no better way to wrap the season than with the weekend-long roar of Riot Fest, which is steadily becoming every alternative music lover’s annual destination.

In addition to offering once-in-a-lifetime reunions, enticing exclusives and several local heroes, there are countless shades of rock, rap, punk, metal and indie offerings amongst the nearly 100 artists on the roster.

Catch them all or choose select dates from Friday, September 20 through Sunday, September 22 at Douglass Park, and for those still undecided, here are ten of the most anticipated to help make a decision.

Riot Fest1. Slayer (Sunday)
It’s been five years since the socially conscious thrash metal legends Slayer stopped touring, which means this super short run of reunion shows is attracting appreciators from all over the earth and will surely be one for the record books.

2. Beck (Saturday)
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Beck is a man of many musical personalities, such as alt-rock, electronic, folk and funk, who after three decades of topping various charts and collecting armloads of Grammy Awards, keeps everyone guessing and never disappoints.

3. Fall Out Boy (Friday)
What started right here in the suburbs throughout the early 2000s has since become a global phenomenal, though there’s nothing better than seeing Fall Out Boy come home for an overview of anthems and some rarities, possibly even dating back to the very beginning.

4. Sublime (Sunday)
Sublime with Rome certainly filled the void when it came to continuing the legacy of these ska, punk and reggae rockers, yet having the additional blessing of late singer Bradley’s son Jakob Nowell, plus original bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh both on board makes this reunion of sorts as authentic as it gets.

5. Public Enemy (Friday)
Chuck D and Flavor Flav, the principal members of Public Enemy, practically laid the entire foundation of hip-hop, so it’s only fitting they bring a history lesson potentially laced with the iconic likes of “Fight The Power,” “911 Is A Joke” and “Can’t Truss It.”

Riot Fest6. St. Vincent (Saturday)
As a boundary blurring, endlessly innovative troubadour of the tallest order, it’s always impossible to predict what exactly St. Vincent will pull from her palette, but after the release of the guitar-charged “All Born Screaming,” chances are she’ll be ready to rock.

7. The Offspring (Friday)
The hit list is a mile long for The Offspring and much of what put the pop/punk players on the map came from the album “Smash,” which gets a front to back treatment for its 30th anniversary, including the classics “Come Out And Play” and “Self Esteem.”

8. The Marley Brothers (Friday)
Brothers Stephen, Ziggy, Julian, Ky-Mani and Damian are all exceptional artists in their own right, though there’s nothing like having them all join forces to salute their father and reggae architect Bob Marley.

9. Rob Zombie (Sunday)
The “Freaks On Parade” Tour just stormed the Summerfest grounds starring Rob Zombie, but now Chicago area fans get an opportunity to experience the epic theatrics and industrialized groove metal of the former White Zombie front man turned solo superstar and actor.

10. NOFX (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
The fact that these punk veterans are permanently waving goodbye is such a historic undertaking following four decades together, it couldn’t be contained to a single day, instead giving attendees on any evening the chance to hear how they paved the way for today.


Riot Fest comes to Douglass Park from Friday, September 20 through Sunday, September 22. For additional details, visit RiotFest.org.