Riot Fest 2026 @ Douglass Park - Chicago, IL
September 18-20 2026: Riot Fest @ Douglass Park - Chicago, IL
Photos Courtesy of: Taylor Nettnin
For a weekend plagued with weather issues, Riot Fest persevered. While it was incredibly chaotic manoeuvring through the mud that had to have been at least 5 inches deep in some areas, the music came out on top and drove the dedicated fans back to the park for another year. I was able to catch some amazing sets regardless of the rain and soggy grounds.
The women absolutely kicked ass this year! With acts like Santigold, Alanis Morissette, and Patti Smith on the lineup, it’s easy to forget which bands closed the fest each night, while newer artists like Nobro, Panic Shack, and Violet Grohl held their own and proved exactly why women have always and will continue to rock.
I was excited to catch Angine de Poitrine, an anonymous microtonal math rock duo from Canada. With only a 30-minute time slot quite early in the day, they easily packed a punch with their quick set and solidified themselves as an act to keep an eye on. The debut of 95-year-old William Shatner’s metal group, The Fuckers, was also a highlight. Taking classic metal hits and turning them into a spoken-word performance over the classic instrumentals we know and love, Shatner was inspirational, proving you can do whatever you set your mind to regardless of how old you are.
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Hot Mulligan (Riot Fest Aftershow) @ Metro - Chicago
September 21st, 2024: Hot Mulligan @ Metro - Chicago, IL
Hot Mulligan | Photos Courtesy of: Allie Loven
Hot Mulligan visited Chicago, Illinois for Riot Fest weekend 2024. The Lansing-based band started their weekend by playing on the Cabaret Metro Stage on Friday evening. It finished off with a bang Saturday night, September 21, 2024, with a sold-out after-show held at Metro Chicago supported by fellow Midwest locals, New Age Thief. Pulling up to the venue, there was a line full of fans, waiting in suspense for the doors to open, wrapping around the building into the alley. Hot Mulligan has remained a Chicago pop-punk favorite over the past decade, so this was no surprise.
Up-and-coming opening pop-punk band, New Age Thief, definitely brought the surprise factor though. The duo Gino Savarino and Brady Corcoran are well-known in the Midwest as well from former music, but New Age Thief is the most recent and growing project he has been a part of. These members had the perfect way of setting the tone for Hot Mulligan’s performance. It is safe to say New Age Thief is already established in Chicago and seemingly more growth is coming each day, especially after their opening set on Saturday. By the end of New Age Thief, the crowd was non-stop moving and ready for Hot Mulligan.
Once Hot Mulligan was ready to take the stage, the room quickly started to pack in even tighter. Some fans travelled over 1,000 miles for this show specifically. For a band who has been non-stop touring and doing festivals, there was impressively no lack of energy to be found. From the front of the barricade to the balcony viewing, fans filled the room screaming along to a variety of Hot Mulligan songs. The band started with three of their songs from their 2016 Album Opportunities and continued on the night with 16 more of their top hits including: “Digging In,” “SPS,” “ *Equip Sunglasses*,” and many more. Hot Mulligan never fails to provide their following with lively, upbeat performances every time they touch the stage.
New Age Thief
