Riot Fest 2014 Day 3

I got to Riot Fest quite a bit after the gates opened for the third and final day.  The few bands I saw though definitely left a lasting impression.

Andrew W.K.

Andrew W.K.
at Humboldt Park 9/14/2014

The party-punk act Andrew W.K. is pretty well described within the title of its genre.  Prior to seeing them, I heard from a few people that Andrew W.K. puts on a pretty good live show and this show, indeed, did not disappoint.  Although I am not too familiar with their music, this show sounded pretty good.  It failed to make me want to go all out and party but it certainly kept my attention.




Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys
at Humboldt Park 9/14/2014

I saw the Dropkick Murphys at Riot Fest two years ago and I can say with a load of confidence that their show never plays out the same way twice.  The energy and excitement from the first show was just as immense at this show and the crowd was just as into it as ever.  If you are a fan of the Dropkick Murphys and have not seen them live, you really need to.



Social Distortion

Social Distortion
at Humboldt Park 9/14/2014

Like a few of the old school punk bands, Social Distortion still sounds great despite their age.  They still bring a ton of energy to the stage and care deeply for their craft.  Even if you are unfamiliar with Social Distortion's music, you will definitely recognize hits such as "Story of My Life" and "Ball and Chain" which are huge crowd pleasers that you will find yourself singing to along with everyone else in attendance.




Weezer

Weezer was definitely one of the main bands I was looking forward to at Riot Fest this year because they were listed to play through their 20th anniversary debut album more commonly known as "The Blue Album."  Before diving into the album, Weezer decided to do a bit of a gimmick where they played a major single from each album (well not quite all the albums) in reverse chronological order until they reached 1994.  Confusing?  Well, let me explain it.  Weezer started by playing "Back to the Shack" (2014) which the corresponding album hadn't even been released yet.  Then they played "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" (2009), followed by "Pork and Beans" (2008), "Beverly Hills" (2005), "Hash Pipe" (2001), "El Scorcho" (1996), and then they played through "The Blue Album."  Make sense?

Weezer at Humboldt Park 9/14/2014

The main course was better than hoped for.  Despite technical issues with the monitors causing "Hash Pipe" to be a tempo nightmare, "The Blue Album" was truly better than I had expected.  As a group, Weezer sounded crisp and together song after song.  All of the singles from the album such as "Buddy Holly," "Undone," and "Say It Ain't So," really got the crowd going.  I was really excited to hear "Only in Dreams" which I had wanted to hear Weezer play live since I was a kid.  "Only in Dreams" was, for me, the best part of the concert because it was a big, emotional, finish to a really good set and great run through of an album.  The band was together the whole song and Rivers poured as much emotion into the guitar work at the end of the song as he had in '94.  It was truly breathtaking and truly spectacular.

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1/28/2015
Another year of Riot Fest has come and gone and I still hold onto all of the great moments in some of my darkest hours in present day.  It's easy to lose a grip on reality and live in the past but I figure it's better to use my memories to help keep an emotional hold on myself instead of falling into deep despair.  When I think about the great mosh pits this year, the gash I got on the side of my head during Streetlight Manifesto, the black-eye I obtained during The Dropkick Murphys, the high energy of The Descendants, the incredible, propaganda, filled show of Anti-Flag, the meet and greet with Anti-Flag, the heartfelt vocals and mellow guitar work of Dashboard Confessional, and of course, the mud and rain that made everything even more fantastic, I can't help but to think that nothing has truly been better to me in life than this annual festival.

As you may anticipate, I have already bought my 3-day pass for Riot Fest 2015.  I managed to obtain one during the first holiday pre-sale which was as expensive as the secondary pre-sale the previous year.  Actually, it was even more expensive this year due to an added "Municipal" fee; probably due to the fact that Humboldt park got completely trashed from the rain and stampeding people.  But, you know what?  It's understandable.  I'll pay every penny if it means that this festival can live on.

Because there isn't anything in this world that's quite like it.






Images:

Andrew W.K.: http://cdn2b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/9f/fc/9ffcfaab33d03837a4e736ff3b5088dd.jpg?itok=Woo8cdQM

The Dropkick Murphys:
http://www.trbimg.com/img-54166fce/turbine/redeye-riot-fest-performances-20140912-075/960/960x640

Social Distortion:
http://www.altpress.com/images/made/chrootimages/uploads/photoblog/riot_fest_chicago_day_3/SocialDistortion2-3536750124-O_900_600_70_s.jpg

Weezer:  http://www.brooklynvegan.com/img/cl/riotfest/2014/day3/012-weezer/weezer-5.jpg