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