Riot Fest knows you’re a sucker for the good old days. The punk-happy megacarnival (Ferris wheels included, duh) not only situates itself on the cusp of cozy hoodie weather—when the leaves are a-changin’ and the pangs of what went wrong in life become especially poignant—it also books enough reunions, one-offs, and rare performances by bands relevant to a thirtysomething’s formative years to create a bona fide time warp. The key, of course, is not to concern yourself with making sense of how (and maybe why) Paul Westerberg is onstage singing “I Will Dare,” but to wring every ounce of appreciation you can from the spectacle. Trust me, Riot Fest didn’t book Mephiskapheles, a satanic third-wave ska band, to get you thinking.
See our previews of acts playing on:
Friday · Saturday · Sunday
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
9/13-9/15 Fri 2:30 PM, Sat -Sun 11 AM Humboldt Park, Sacramento and Divisionriotfest.org
$55-$60 for a single-day pass (Saturday sold out)
$105-$125 for a single-day VIP pass (Sunday sold out)$105 for a two-day pass for Friday & Saturday (Saturday & Sunday sold out) All three-day passes sold out All-ages
