Riot Fest brought good spirits and a love of cannabis to Chicago

Paranoia prevailed on the first day of Riot Fest. Before music lovers, drawn to the Chicago festival alone, entered the festival site, many asked themselves, “What about my legally acquired cannabis ?!” I overheard this concern more than once, but those fears were soon put aside when festival goers the bypassed lovable security members and enjoying their vices in a peaceful three day celebration of music and community.

It really was a celebration with a lovable sense of community. People cared. Not just about good music and good times, but also about each other. Petty arguing and arguing, as it is unfortunately common at festivals, were a rare sight, at least for my eyes. If someone was injured or had a few too many, people would help.

Photo courtesy Jack Giroux

During a booming set of cannabis enthusiasts Run the Jewels, when a man landed on the ground there was only concern, not laughter. The people shitting each other made the music and the overall experience of the Riot Fest even more enjoyable.

A couple of bands dropped out ahead of the event, including Nine Inch Nails and the Pixies, but the lineup stayed stacked. Headliners this year included Lupe Fiasco, Devo, Slipknot, The Flaming Lips and The Smashing Pumpkins.

Sometimes the must-see acts were contradicting the schedule, but mostly all stages offered variety. Depending on the mood of the day, there was a band to take care of it. After a long day, for example, Lupe Fiasco boosted the energy. The Chicago native played “The Cool” and it prevailed. The artist’s voice was as beautiful as it sounds on a vinyl record.

The artists were happy to be back on stage. Several acts admitted to the crowd that they hadn’t performed since the pandemic began. Many, like Run the Jewels, feared they would show signs of rust. Not the case. All artists, except Machine Gun Kelly, brought nothing but joy and their A-Game to the festival.

A bit of clarification: Machine Gun Kelly attacked Slipknot when the band was performing on a different stage and dedicated the show to one of their founding members, Joey Jordison. Kelly mocked the group. In the end, Slipknot was the last one to laugh because people were actually talking about their performance the next day while people were just moaning at Kelly.

Each day was an embarrassment of riches in relation to deeds to be caught. K.Flay was a dominant force on the stage. Together with her band, she held nothing back. It was exciting. Sublime sparked a wave of nostalgia in the audience.

“I was smoking weed in college listening to this!” called a friend. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Living Color did it too. These bands put together such a contagious stage chemistry. It radiates from the stage and consumes the audience.

On the more rocky side, no one left Thrice or Taking Back Sunday disappointed. Disappointment was not common at Riot Fest. The huge crowd that had to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to participate had nothing to complain about.

Photo courtesy Jack Giroux

Greetings to the participants, whose phones were not always on and selfies did not run rampant. People respected the performances. There was a palpable passion among the people there. Everyone, in my experience, was there for the music alone.

The audience was perhaps the loudest when Run the Jewels took the stage. Hip hop group of two, El-P and Killer Mike, have always been known for putting on one hell of a show. The hype is right. Their music is not even to my liking, but what a fantastic performance the admittedly high duo delivered.

Both spontaneous and choreographed, Run the Jewels had an army of music fans on their feet and in motion. There was non-stop cheers, especially when killer Mike said the cannabis ban had to end. He also lovingly called out to his wife in the audience. She was high too, noted Killer Mike.

The Riot Fest didn’t stop after the headliners performed. There are late nights after the shows in Chicago. I only caught one myself, but it was one worth catching. The feverish punk group from Los Angeles, The Bronx, made my ears ring with joy in the Cobra Lounge. The band even gave me an excuse to finally put my long hair to good use and play around with it a bit. They hadn’t performed in a long time, but you would never know.

The Riot Fest was such an enjoyable experience full of good times that it is impossible to list all of the damn good acts that have enlivened not just the weekend but the whole year for many participants. Fever 333, Anti-Flag, Body Count, headed by Iced-T, and many other groups brought nothing but joy to Chicago. This year’s Riot Fest was another reminder of why live music is only good for the soul.