LIVE REVIEW: INNERVIEW AT RIOT FEST, DAY THREE
The sun was out in full force on a glorious Sunday afternoon for Riot Fest’s final day, and the weather did not go unnoticed by former Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, who thanked mother nature “for not being a cunt.” Meanwhile, Juliette Lewis rocked a tight set in an even tighter American flag-styled jumpsuit while strutting the stage and crowd surfing like she’d been shot out of a cannon, particularly on blazing covers of CCR’s “Proud Mary” and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love.” If anyone was yet to start feeling the vibes, Andrew W.K. immediately plastered smiles on the faces of the few remaining frowners with a typically uplifting set of party jams punctuated by a killer electric rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” that would have made Hendrix proud. Chevy Metal played one of the surprise sets of the fest, ripping through a good-times parade of well chosen covers including Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen”, Faces’ “Stay With Me” and Van Halen’s “Ain’t Talking Bout Love” (which should be played at every fest, just out of general principle.) Similarly, War on Women came out of nowhere to deliver a furious set most noteworthy for the time lead singer Shawna Potter destroyed a Donald Trump piñata with a baseball bat. Underoath underwhelmed, but thankfully Me First & the Gimme Gimmes were there to revive the party with a “did they really just play that?” set of unexpected covers including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Me & Julio Down By the Schoolyard.” Sleater-Kinney uncorked an all-business set that was hard to find fault with, but Death Grips stole the show with one of the most searing performances in recent memory that felt about as revolutionary as a modern rock set could. Flanked by giant pumpkins, Misfits closed out the night with a terrifying set of crowd-pleasers that featured Glenn Danzig front and center with the audience feeling as if it was witnessing something truly special. Which, of course, it was. BY JOHN KURNAT–PHOTO BY SARAH HESS
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