Fans enjoy Riot Fest in Chicago on Sep. 17, 2021.
The first official day of Riot Fest 2021 – held at Douglass Park in Chicago on Sept. 17, 2021 – had a distinctly local vibe as Chicago’s own The Smashing Pumpkins, Lupe Fiasco and The Lawrence Arms all played crowd-pleasing sets.
Billy Corgan appeared with arms outstretched, bathing in the cheers from the hometown audience, as The Smashing Pumpkins – Corgan, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin, Jeff Schroeder and touring member Jack Bates – took the Riot Stage to perform their headlining set. The danceable CYR track “The Colour of Love” kicked off the performance but fans didn’t have to wait long to hear some of their favorite songs from the nineties. “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and “Today” – both of which inspired sing alongs – appeared early in the hit-filled setlist.
The Smashing Pumpkins perform at Riot Fest in Chicago on Sep. 17, 2021.
Along with screaming every word of every song, crowd surfing was how fans showed their love for The Lawrence Arms during the group’s first show back from the pandemic. Frontman Brendan Kelly joked that although it’s been awhile since the group was on stage, “against all odds, they are better than ever.”
The Radical Stage featured some of the most unique, interesting and legendary acts of the day as Fishbone and Living Colour – who were joined on stage by the allegedly-banned from Riot Fest professional wrestler CM Punk – performed back-to-back in the afternoon. Earlier, Seratones set the bar high with a set full of soulful, punk-infused rock jams and Amigo the Devil sang of revenge and madness on songs like “If I’m Crazy” and “Drop for Every Hour.”
Living Colour performs at Riot Fest in Chicago on Sep. 17, 2021.
The band of brothers known as Radkey also counted as one of the day’s many highlights with a spirited performance that left no doubt as to why they were tapped to open for the Foo Fighters on their recent tour and Meet Me @ the Altar ushered in a new generation of pop punk rockers – while still paying homage to those who came before them with a hit-filled medley – as the very first act of the day. Meg Myers, Motion City Soundtrack and a rainy Coheed and Cambria set were also stand-outs during Day 1 of Riot Fest.
Radkey performs at Riot Fest in Chicago on Sep. 17, 2021.
The Riot Fest fun continues with Best Coast, Rancid, Run the Jewels and more on Saturday, Sept. 18. Check out photos from Friday at Riot Fest 2021 below and click here to check out our coverage from the event’s Preview Party. More information can be found at Riotfest.org.
