Girl at the Rock Shows

Sunday, the final day of Riot Fest, was not all sunshine and rainbows. In fact, it was a pretty miserable day. It started rough. Heavy overnight rain and a persistent, obnoxious mist with random bursts of heavy rain pushed the gates back a few hours. I was bummed because I felt like a bunch of bands I wanted to see would be cut (and that ended up being true), but I made the most of it by grabbing lunch with my group of friends I was staying with. Lunch was delicious (shout out to Manchamanteles in Wicker Park) but, upon leaving, my boyfriend and I witnessed a woman get hit by a car. It was traumatic, to say the least, and although she was alive, she was not in good shape. Calling the cops and having to wait while making sure she was okay with the help of a bunch of other people that witnessed the accident put me on edge. Things calmed down at the scene; she made it into an ambulance, and it was time to head to the festival grounds. Again, it was a traumatic way to kick off the day, but I did my best to shake it off in the Uber and feel like I did okay. When we got to the fields, everything was normal, just a bit wetter than usual with giant pools of water and mud scattered throughout the entrance area. I didn’t let it get to me and hustled to start catching some music. I’ll tell you more about the state of the festival by the time we left later, but for now, let’s get into the music!

Haywire – Nothing like starting your third and final day of an exhausting festival with some good ol’ fashioned hardcore, right? Right! Formed just a couple of years ago, Haywire has taken the scene by storm, and their live shows are absolutely legendary. Sunday was my first time experiencing it live, and I get it. Although the rain was falling and the mud was starting to take over, nobody was going to let it stop them from enjoying this set. The energy I took away from Haywire’s short time on stage (all sets were condensed due to the rain delay) was just what I needed to get in the mood to be out in the rain all day.

Ben Quad – Ben Quad’s post-punk-hued emo sound was definitely a bit calmer than what I had just gotten from Haywire, but it was a perfect set. Ben Quad is a fairly new band to me, but between the few songs that I’ve heard from them and have loved, and the amount of heart that I felt throughout their set on Sunday, this is absolutely a band I have my eyes on.

The Beths – I’ll be honest, The Beths wasn’t really on my list of bands that I had to see over the weekend, but due to the change in schedule and shortened sets, Sunday was the kind of day where I would take what I could get and I happened to be trudging through the mud near the stage The Beths were playing in time to snap a few pictures. I would like to call this fate. The Beths sound was sweet and calming but it came over the audience like a breath of fresh air in a beautiful way. Sure, there were no high kicks to speak of or any epic moshing to document but there was love and warmth which, on the cold and rainy Sunday, was all anyone could have asked for.

Pretty Girls Make Graves – This band has been around since 2001, but I’m fairly certain that Sunday was my first time seeing them live, and I both hate and love that. I hate that because they sounded so crispy and perfect on Sunday. I loved it because, truthfully, on Sunday I was just wanting things that brought a smile to my face and made me forget about the fact that I would have to leave my combat boots behind in Chicago due to them being too far gone from the mud. Pretty Girls Make Graves gave me both of those things and more.

Pennywise – I feel like there are a few bands that really make Riot Fest feel like Riot Fest. Pennywise is one of those bands. Although I couldn’t stay long enough to take photos because of the security risk posed by the mud and the promise of crowd surfers, it’s always nice to catch these punk legends do their thing and feel the ferocity and passion they bring to every stage they grace.

jejune – This band was a suggestion from a friend so I went into this set completely blind and without any idea what this group was about. Although the set started off a bit slow for me, I got it. Their attention to details was as stunning as their actual sound. Although I would have loved a bit more energy to help me get through the day, I got it and hope I have another chance to spend more time with this band.

The Format – I was so bummed when I figured out that I was going to miss The Format’s back-to-back nights at First Avenue back home in Minneapolis due to being at Riot Fest so I wasn’t about to miss a second of their set here. Although I knew it was going to be perfect just due to the acoustic show I saw from them over the winter at the super intimate and cozy Turf Club in Saint Paul, I hoenstly forgot just how much I love this band. They are sweet but firm, soft but energized, and just so full of love that radiated throughout the muddy ground.

This Is Lorelei – I was intrigued by this band based on what I heard on various Riot Fest playlists. Their sound seemed to be a bit all over the place and I wanted to see what they would do when it came to a live show. They did not disappoint, and I feel like I got all of those elements that I had heard in the recordings, from pop to country and even a little post-punk edge. It was great and this is definitely a band I wouldn’t mind seeing live again.

William Shatner – Did anyone ever ask William Shatner to start a metal band? Probably not but he did that for us and brought it to life at Riot Fest on Sunday. Look, it wasn’t good. The cover songs that I heard from William Shatner and The Fuckers were tortured at best but the novelty of being able to see William Shatner “sing” alongside some seasoned musicians was absolutely something that made the pretty miserable weather and the impossible-to-traverse mud more than worth it.

Elvis Costello & The Imposters – I felt like it was only right to end my 2026 Riot Fest with an iconic and old-school legend like Elvis Costello & The Imposters. The last time I got to see Elvis Costello was probably one of the few times I actually impressed my mom with this blog because she knew who I had just seen. Although it was late and everyone was ready to be done with the mud and the rain, holdouts were treated to pure magic from this legendary musician.

Was Sunday my favorite day of Riot Fest ever? Absolutely not. The mud was trecherous by the end of it and I will be leaving my favorite pair of combat boots behind becuase there’s just too much mud to even try and salvage them. The rain will surely lead to me being sick this week and, per usual, I am absolutely exhausted. All that said, I wouldn’t trade this weekend or even Sunday for anything. Although everyone was cold, wet, and covered in mud, I saw more smiles than not because, truly, Riot Fest is a magical place.

I want to give a huge shout-out to all of the organizers and planners on this festival. They did the best they could with what mother-nature had offered them and, although there were points where I’m sure it felt like they were standing in a shit storm while trying to eat a shit sandwich, they made sure to give festival goers the best experience they possibly could.

And now the countdown begins– 361 days until Riot Fest 2027. See you there!