Girl at the Rock Shows

Only three things in life are guaranteed —death, taxes, and Riot Fest being the best weekend of the year. Okay, maybe that third one isn’t quite applicable for everyone, but it should be, because one day in, I can already tell that this is going to be the best weekend of the year. In true Girl at the Rock Shows fashion, I tried to catch as many acts as I could, so let’s not waste any time and get right into it.

Cardinals – My day started with catching Cardinals. I had never heard of this band before, but a friend told me I couldn’t miss them, and I instantly understood why. Their sound was a perfect level of chill to help me ease into the day while giving me a little burst of angsty energy that I needed to get into the routine of running between stages and consuming as much music as possible. At times, their sound reminded me of The Good Life, and other times it felt a bit heavier. Either way, I was impressed and hope this band makes their way up to the Twin Cities soon.

Panic Shack – It was love at first song when it came to Panic Shack for me. Their song “Tit School” was the perfect amount of angsty and bratty energy all wrapped up in a bow of energy. That’s what I wanted from their set and that’s what I got and more. It was a sassy but super poignant set without a single note out of place and a perfect amount of energy to even get the strangers in the audience involved in their set.

Teen Mortgage – I love duos, especially when their name is Teen Mortgage. Although a duo, these two musicians have an insane amount of power and they put that on display early on in the day on Friday. It was a down and dirty kind full of punk anthems that I still have stuck in my head hours later.

JMSN – I spent a lot of time with the official Riot Fest playlist on shuffle leading up to this weekend, and every time a song by JMSN would come on, I would stop what I was doing and listen. It intrigued me. I don’t know that I loved it, but I knew it was something I wanted to see live, and they did not disappoint. I loved the fact that the members of this band all kind of looked the same- shaved heads and grey long underwear-looking outfits. It was as striking as their music.

Soul Glo – I was super excited to catch Soul Glo. This band is relentless. Their energy is insane, and it was absolutely on point on Friday. There was something almost bitter about their set, like this band had everything to prove and nothing to lose. Long story short, it was perfect.

Fleshwater – This band absolutely blew my mind when I saw them awhile back at The Fine Line in Minneapolis and I wanted to see if they could do it again. Although their overall stage design was definitely calmed down as was their light show, the intensity of their sound was not. Half shoegaze, half hardcore, Fleshwater wowed me yet again.

Radio Free Alice – This is another one of those acts that a friend said I had to catch. It was a lovely set with this laid-back sort of energy that hit you like a truck. I know that makes very little sense, but trust me, that’s the best way to describe it, and I hope this is a band that I get to see again sooner rather than later.

Mariachi El Bronx – Riot Fest is known for mixing it up every year, and nothing mixes it up quite as perfectly as a mariachi band does. A mariachi band made up of the legendary punk band The Bronx (get it– Mariachi El Bronx?), the amount of joy that this set brought to my Friday just can not be put into words.

3OH!3 – Is it a guilty pleasure if you are surrounded by thousands of other people shouting along to every word? I mean, yes, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the crap out of 3OH!3. The party boys were up to their usual trick of getting the audience all riled up with their party anthems and, truthfully, they sounded better than ever.

Bratmobile – I am a very sassy lady, so, naturally, I gravitate towards sassy bands, and it really didn’t get much sassier than Bratmobile on Friday. This band has been around since 1991 and are definitely legends of the scene so it was a true honor to be in their presence.

Bayside – There was no way I was going to miss a chance to catch Bayside. Arguably one of my favorite bands of all time, the boys sounded on point on Friday and let their personality shine throughout the set. I think this was the first time I have ever heard them do a cover of NOFX’s “Linoleum,” and I hope that becomes a standard in their setlist.

Motion City Soundtrack – Naturally, I couldn’t miss this band. Not only are they a super nostalgic favorite of mine, but they are also a local band from Minneapolis and, although I’ve only been in Chicago for a day and a half, I’m missing home, so this felt nice. Vocalist Justin Pierre took the stage with a cane, and every movement he made seemed to cause him discomfort, but that didn’t stop this band from giving the audience exactly what they wanted– nostalgic pop-punk perfection.

The Callous Daoboys – This band has been on my list for a hot minute so crossing them off at a place as magical as Riot Fest was a dream. Although on the smaller stage, The Callous Daoboys gave as much energy, if not more, than the acts playing the mainstages. Their controlled chaos was on point and came through crystal clear along with their insane energy. Cheers to hoping this band comes to the Twin Cities soon!

Slick Rick – I didn’t mean to catch Slick Rick’s set, but it just kind of happened with the path I was walking, and, come on, it was Slick Rick; why wouldn’t I stop? After a very extended intro by his DJ, Slick Rick finally came out and mosied about the stage. I can’t say that I’m so glad I didn’t miss this set, but I also can’t say that I didn’t enjoy seeing this legend live.

The Sex Pistols – Okay, we can fight about this but I got to see The Sex Pistols on Friday and I’m not going to re-word that. So maybe it’s not all of the original players but it was still Steve Jones, Glen Matlock, and Paul Cook with Frank Carter on vocals. The odd man out there is Frank Carter but I loved the way that he respected the original members. Sure, Frank sounded amazing and could have easily stolen the spotlight with his charisma but, instead, he let the rest of the band do the heavy lifting. I loved it and definitely can’t believe that I can now say that I saw The Sex Pistols live.

Foxy Shazam – Look, I know this is only day one of this epic three-day festival, but I’m calling it now: Foxy Shazam will have one of the top (if not the top sets of the festival for me. Although one of the last bands to perform on Friday, Foxy Shazam brought electricity to their stage. Although vocalist Eric Nally wasn’t eating lit cigarettes like he did when I saw this band play way back in the early 2000s at House of Bricks in Des Moines, Iowa, their set had the same kind of chaotic energy and I was here for it.

And there you have it, my first day at Riot Fest. Honestly, I saw a lot more than just these bands. These are just the ones that I have photos of. Being able to see Iggy Pop do his thing was an absolute dream, and although I was hesitant about the idea of Twenty One Pilots being a headliner, they killed it and proved why they were in that top spot. Pixies are always amazing but they sounded extra perfect on Friday and hearing some hits from The All-American Rejects wasn’t bad either. Long story short, Riot Fest 2026 is off to a really freaking good start.

Now it’s time for a quick nap and then back at it for day two!

If you’re out there, come find me and grab a sticker!