The members of NOFX – comprised of “Fat” Mike Burkett, Eric Melvin, Erik “Smelly” Sandin, and Aaron “El Hefe” Abeyta – are Riot Fest veterans. As the band plans to retire later this year, it is only fitting that their contributions to punk will be celebrated at the festival – taking place in Chicago at Douglass Park on Sept. 20-22 – with a dedicated stage celebrating their legacy, dubbed NOFX World.
Fat Mike will serve as the stage’s ringmaster as NOFX is set to headline the stage each night. Before NOFX says goodbye to Chicago fans, they have recruited an incredible lineup of artists to perform at Riot Fest’s NOFX World throughout all three-days.
Here are five artists performing at NOFX World that fans won’t want to miss:
Pennywise
When it comes to any conversation about the impact of California punk rock, Pennywise must be mentioned. The band rose to prominence alongside NOFX in the nineties, leading to numerous occasions where the two bands shared space on the same bill. For their final show ever – taking place on Oct. 6 in San Pedro, CA – NOFX tapped Pennywise as the perfect band to warm-up the stage before Fat Mike and company take their final bow. Don’t miss Pennywise at NOFX World at Riot Fest at 7 p.m. on Sept. 22.
Laura Jane Grace with Catbite (Op Ivy Set)
Laura Jane Grace is a punk legend. For years, the Against Me! founder and solo artist has been requesting for Operation Ivy to reunite at Riot Fest. While Tim Armstrong and company have yet to heed the call, Grace – along with Catbite – will be performing an Op Ivy set on the NOFX World Stage on Sunday evening.
Against Me! performs at Riot Fest in Chicago on Sept. 15, 2019
The Lawrence Arms
Brendan Kelly is another musician who loves Riot Fest and all things punk rock. When he and his band The Lawrence Arms take the NOFX World Stage on 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 20, expect a raucous setlist befitting of the occasion.
Descendents
Before NOFX became synonymous with the California punk scene, the Descendents ushered in the era with their hardcore sound. As Milo Aukerman and his bandmates take the stage on Saturday Sept. 21 – performing directly before NOFX – expect them to let the music do the talking to pay tribute to the legacy of NOFX
Descendents perform at Riot Fest in Chicago on Sept. 16, 2022.
NOFX
NOFX is set to close out NOFX World each and every night, but if there is one set that absolutely shouldn’t be missed, it is the group’s 8:30 p.m. show on the third and final night of Riot Fest. This will be NOFX’s last Chicago performance, so anything can, and probably will, happen.
Click here to pick-up tickets to Riot Fest 2024 and head over to RiotFest.org to see the full schedule. More information about NOFX can be found at Nofxofficialwebsite.com.