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BLINK-182

RIOT FEST

September 14 - 16

by Daniella Thompson
photo by Willie Toledo

When you think of summer music festivals (and Riot Fest in particular), circuit staple Blink-182 never strays too far from mind. The legendary trio will headline Riot Fest this year to turn out some hits and make us scream with delight. Lightning can definitely strike the same place twice, as it may seem the guys were just in Chicago last festival season, closing out Lollapalooza back in 2017. Apparently a festival is not a festival without the boys of Blink, and Riot Fest is no exception. The group’s current roster of Hoppus, Skiba, and Barker has not stopped longtime listeners from relishing in the teen nostalgia that helped shape their younger years. And with drummer Travis Barker recently cancelling a string of scheduled residency shows in Vegas due to unfortunate health concerns, there’s not a chance in hell they won’t give it their all.

MATT AND KIM

RIOT FEST

September 14 - 16

by Daniella Thompson
photo by Caleb Kuhl

With five full-length albums already under their ever-expanding belt (not to mention remix records and singles), the lively New York duo Matt and Kim have shared another fulfilling body of work this year entitled Almost Everyday. Their under-the-radar approach to the spotlight has left eager listeners ready for more, and the raucous approach to performance from these “Daylight” dynamos should draw a significant crowd who may leave the show with even more than they bargained for. Matt & Kim’s unmistakable whimsy finds a way to contribute to their ultra-relatable lyrics, molded into carefully curated metaphors, catchy chants and sing-alongs that put their supporters squarely on the same page as the artists. 2010’s Sidewalks was a surefire smash, with the hit song “Cameras” that fans know and love. In the age of social media, I guess we’ll see if there’s really “no time for cameras, we’ll use our eyes instead” during this high-octane performance from these New York electro-pop kingpins.

TWIN PEAKS

RIOT FEST

September 14 - 16

by Casey Moffitt
photo by Daniel Topete

Chicago’s Twin Peaks has settled in nicely as one of the city’s more reliably exciting rock bands, steeping itself in the traditions of ‘60s blues and folk rock. In utilizing basic chord progressions, the band opens itself up to weave intricate musical parts upon one another. Piano lines intertwine beautifully through lead guitar lines, while the bass bounces squarely in the blues box. Twin Peaks also takes full advantage of having three lead vocalists to build harmonies over this controlled chaos. Twins Peaks throws a lot at you in a song, but not by changing up groove or tempo with jarring key changes. Everything works well within the underlying parameters of the song structure itself. While it might be a bit much to catch it all during a live set in a festival setting, that’s no problem for fans as Twin Peaks has enough energy and liveliness to put on one of the must-see sets of the weekend.

SUPERCHUNK

RIOT FEST

September 14 - 16

by Jake McKenzie
photo by Jason Arthurs

Formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1989, Superchunk had the energy, high-velocity style, and DIY ethic of any great punk band from the very beginning. In fact, when a bidding war erupted over their debut album and every major label in America wanted to get their greasy hands on it, Superchunk decided to keep it indie and signed with Matador Records while founding their own label, the now iconic Merge Records. Superchunk went on to release beloved album after beloved album and now, nearly 30 years later, their 2018 offering What a Time to Be Alive proves they show no signs of slowing down. This is the first political album in Superchunk’s vast repertoire and, while it usually raises red flags when a punk band three decades deep decides to try out politics for the first time, they absolutely knocked it out of the park on this one. Which, by now, should come as no surprise.

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