LIVE REVIEW: INNERVIEW AT RIOT FEST 2018, DAY ONE

Following a nightmarish lead-up to Riot Fest’s 2018 edition which included the festival’s ticketing agent being hacked and excruciating delays that led to the lineup being finalized mere days before the event, things started to turn around for Riot Fest the minute it started. Mother Nature gave the fest a much-needed stroke of fortune with three picture-perfect days, and the bands continued to prove why Riot Fest remains one of the most vital music festivals in America. It was strange to see Liz Phair on stage for such an early set on Friday afternoon, but the Exile in Guyville queen did her part to entertain the crowd with a solid if slightly mellow set that included an invitation to ride the Ferris wheel with her. A characteristically defiant Pussy Riot took to the stage with a sign screaming “We Will Punish Those Who Poisoned Peter Verzilov” (a nod to the band member’s poisoning just days before the fest) and ripped through a snarling if brief set featuring calls for political disruption and weird dancers in ski masks. Hobo Johnson’s affable spirit and palpable joy proved infectious as he delivered a wholly unique set before Digable Planets took their 25th anniversary rendition of Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) to new heights with a healthy dose of experimentation. Matt & Kim played about as loud as anyone all weekend, while it was hard to find fault with Bleachers’ polished festival-perfect sound. Young the Giant covered Blink-182’s “All the Small Things” in a similarly radio-friendly set, before Weezer took to the stage to rip through hit after hit from opener “Buddy Holly” to covers including “Take on Me” and “Africa.” BY JOHN KURNAT–PHOTO BY ANTHONY NGUYEN
Next: Riot Fest Day Two

Lineup Announced for Inaugural Red Bull Music Festival Chicago

A successor of 2017’s Red Bull-sponsored 30 Days In Chicago, the inaugural Red Bull Music Festival Chicago will take place November 3-30 at multiple venues across the city. The festival kicks off with a G.O.O.D. Music showcase at Wintrust Arena featuring Nas and Pusha T on November 3, before concluding on November 30 with a performance by Jamila Woods at Harold Washington Cultural Center. Additional Red Bull Music Festival Chicago events include Vic Mensa at Saffron Rails Nov. 8, Cupcakke at Thalia Hall Nov. 10, and Black Monument Ensemble at Garfield Park Conservatory Nov. 15. The festival will also feature live radio broadcasts, interviews, and genre showcases from progressive jazz to Latinx. For more information, visit the festival website.

LIVE REVIEW: IDLES AT LINCOLN HALL 9/14

Lincoln Hall was packed to capacity in anticipation of IDLES’ return to Chicago on September 14. The British punk band joined American post-punk opener Bambara at the sold-out venue for a high-energy explosion of glorious sing-along punk rock. As the band took the stage for their opener “Colossus” (also the first track off their new album Joy as an Act of Resistance), lead vocalist Joe Talbot paced the stage with sheer determination and focus. The anticipation swelled as the performance built, with the band continuing to layer instrumentation atop instrumentation until the entire song kicked into full gear. The full band joined in on vocals with various chants and melodies while the crowd was hooked on every word, singing and shouting along. The rest of the evening largely followed suit, as the positive energy remained in high gear while IDLES kept the crowd engaged through audience participation — including the celebration of one concertgoer’s birthday. BY JON BUKIEWICZ

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS

RIOT FEST

September 14 - 16

by Adam Hacker
photo by James O’Mara

Without exaggeration, Elvis Costello is easily one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century. Pub rock’s greatest acolyte has influenced countless musicians and were it not for his backing band Clover, we might not have been blessed by bands like Toto, The Doobie Brothers, and Huey Lewis & the News. (It gives me great joy to imagine Costello singing “Power of Love” or “Jesus Is Just Alright.”) While his Buddy Holly-inspired look seems to be over-the-top and at times makes him look like Rivers Cuomo’s dad, his stage presence feels seismic as an undeniable forefather of modern rock ‘n’ roll. Attaching any genre to Costello is reductive at this point as his career spans punk, country, power-pop, and occasionally even reggae. It’s truly a feat that he is only listed at number 80 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “Top 100 Greatest Songwriters” when his singing is one of his less appreciated traits. God bless Elvis Costello.