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Judging by its first day, one thing that Riot Fest has going for it is that it feels like a real, old-school festival. The volume of people induced sparse or nonexistent cell phone reception, which prevented festival goers from spending hours staring into iPhones and Androids and prompted them to focus on the festival itself. And all around are candy-colored ferris wheels and faux-plushy prizes and Coney Island-esque stands for corn dogs and nachos, all of it looking like a twisted, rockabilly version of the erstwhile Kiddieland Amusement Park. Focus on the music (or, in Saul Williams’s case, the lack thereof) and you’d find Fall Out Boy bringing the Stanley Cup onstage, Joan Jett still rocking out, Danzig still rocking out, and Gwar still spraying people with whatever it is that Gwar is using to spray audience members these days. The Reader was there to witness all of it—check out some choice photos of yesterday’s festivities below.
- Alison Green
Former intern Summer Concepcion: “Yes I love rock n roll, but I love you too, Joan Jett! Great set and love the guest song with Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!”
