Girl at the Rock Shows

And day number two of Riot Fest 2025 is in the books. It was yet another day full of some surprises, some rain, lots of amazing sets and moments that left me with a “pinch me, I must be dreaming” kind of vibe. Long story short, there are a million things to write about and only a few hours until day three, so I’m going to breeze through my synopsis of the day, but don’t let that fool you– Saturday was truly amazing.

My day started off right with Cliffdiver. This band has been through some incredible experiences over the past few years (most notably a freak accident on the road that is truly remarkable, but you can do your own research on that), but you wouldn’t have been able to tell. Their pop-punk-perfect set was on point. It was perfectly rehearsed but also perfectly fun, making it the best way to kick off day two of this amazing festival.

Although I didn’t make it in time to snag photos of them, Speed of Light stopped me dead in my tracks. Their first sound reminded me of Refused, but as the set progressed, I began to get more of a 90s grunge style. Although not typically one for grunge, I was struck. This band was so talented, so angsty, and just so gosh darn perfect. I don’t know much about them, but I truly hope Speed of Light comes to the Twin Cities soon.

Since I had been drawn to the two main stages by Speed of Light, I decided to stay there and see what Wishy was all about. It wasn’t quite what I was in the mood for stylistically, as it was extremely calm and had a very indie-folk feel, but there was no denying the beauty they brought to the festival grounds with their sound.

For being a duo, the amount of sound and power that Feral Tact brought to the stage was absolutely insane. Their sound was as unique as it was powerful, and although I hadn’t been a huge fan of this group’s recordings, I definitely loved what they brought to their live performances.

I was super impressed by Thrown when I saw them in March at The Fine Line in Minneapolis, but I wasn’t impressed with the photos I took. Seeing them on Saturday was like a redemption of sorts for me. Although I’m still not super stoked on the photos that I got, there’s no denying that they continue to be a stunner of a heavy band.

One of the many stand-out sets of the weekend for me was H2O. I’ll be honest, I went into this set knowing I was going to love it, simply because this iconic hardcore band is one of my all-time favorites, but I’m not being completely biased here. They had an air of positivity that blended perfectly with the intense aura they brought to the stage.

The Cribs are a band that I used to obsess over back in the day. Never did I ever think I would see them live. I wouldn’t even call them a bucket list band because of that thought, but as Riot Fest often does, my dream came true, and seeing this British indie-rock band perform right in front of me was insane.

The 90s were one of the themes of Saturday, and that included Superchunk. Although this band seemed to hit it big back then, they haven’t stopped and treated the Riot Fest crowd to a few songs from their new album ‘Songs in the Key of Yikes’ that came out earlier this year. Whether they were playing a classic or one of their newer tracks, Superchunk proved that they are so much more than just a ’90s band.

I know that I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen GWAR perform, but how was I supposed to resist catching them yet again? They were up to their usual bloody antics, and although I didn’t stay at their set long, I was there long enough to see these intergalactic monsters massacre Elon Musk and spray the crowd (photographers included) with their signature blood.

I’ll be honest, my bouncing over to catch Citizen quickly was a wild card of a choice, but my sister-in-law had called this band out when looking at the line-up before I left home, so I just wanted to see if they were worth my time. Don’t get me wrong, I know this band and their music is fine, but their show has just never really struck me the way other bands do. That changed on Saturday. The emotional attachment that so many people have with this band was insane and shone brighter than the stage lights throughout their set.

It was back to the 90s to catch James. Formed in Manchester, England, all the way back in 1982, this band hit it big with a couple of singles (most notably for me, “Laid”), which seemed to soundtrack an entire era. Their set felt fresh and, although a bit calmer than my fading energy levels wanted, there was no denying the organic beauty that came with every song they performed.

Not only did I get to see hardcore legends H2O on Saturday, I also got to see Bouncing Souls play through their 2001 album ‘How I Spent My Summer Vacation’. I would put both of these bands in the same category of a PMA (positive mental attitude) hardcore band, which means they gave the same vibe but with their own twist. Their sound was as infectious as it was positive, and it was just what I needed to get through the afternoon slump.

There were numerous album playthroughs on Saturday, including The Front Bottoms playing through ‘Back On Top’. Hearing this album took me back and filled me with so much love. The band sounded great and had a super cool, calm, and collected vibe about them that lingered above the frenzied audience, who were screaming along to every word.

What happened next takes a really long backstory, and, truthfully, I just don’t have the time to write it all out. It’s most easily put as: Riot Fest has an obsession with John Stamos. There’s typically a whole tent dedicated to John Stamos fan art, and it comes complete with a butter sculpture of the iconic actor. It’s always been a goal to get John Stamos to the festival, but it has never happened (despite begging from literally everyone). That changed on Saturday. The Beach Boys were the next to perform, and, in case you didn’t know, John Stamos has been performing with this group as a guest for years. That weird combination hit one of the two main stages at Riot Fest on Saturday. Words can not even describe the amount of joy and sheer dumbfoundedness (did I just make up that word?) that could be felt as Stamos took the stage. It was unreal, like a moment that we had all been waiting and praying for but never really thought would happen. The Beach Boys actually sounded really great, and it was fun to hear their summer anthems, but John Stamos was definitely the highlight of this set and the day in general (and, quite possibly, the weekend). There’s a lot more to this story, and it includes “Riot Mike” (the founder of this amazing festival) getting a Stamos tattoo and a supposed guitar case full of hummus. When you have some time, dig in and enjoy. It’s truly a trip and a half to read about the whole Stamos / Riot Fest thing.

Although I was more than happy to have my night end right there and then, I kept going and was able to catch a few songs from Buzzcocks. Their blend of punk, pop-punk, and power-pop was just what I needed to calm down a bit while also giving me the energy to push through the two final bands of my Saturday.

I didn’t stay at All Time Low long because, truthfully, I was fading fast, but these pop-punk kings were up to their usual game of performing flawless pop-punk anthems while making the audience swoon at their every move. There was something so fun and electric about their set, but, if you’ve seen this band before, you know that’s no surprise.

I ended my night with Weezer. I could have ended it with The Damned, but come on, it was Weezer, and it’s been a hot minute since I had seen them perform (and I had just seen The Damned at Punk Rock Bowling earlier in the year). Weezer’s set was as dramatic as it was nostalgic. It was an album playthrough of ‘The Blue Album,’ but it was also so much more than that. It was a journey to the Blue Album as the band played through some of their many hits before hitting the album and giving the audience a taste of pure nostalgia. All in all, it was a perfect way to end the day.

And there you have it, day two of Riot Fest. Day 3, I’m coming for you!