Riot Fest 2022: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, My Chemical Romance, Ice Cube and More

Destroy Boys, Photo Credit: Sasha Danielle

Riot Fest returned to Douglass Park on Septemberr 16th for another three-day punk rock convention featuring Nine Inch Nails, Alkaline Trio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yungblud, among many others in a nostalgic carnival theme that never gets old.

The festival commenced on Friday afternoon with Sincere Engineer’s much anticipated corn dog circle pit that left many feeling extra hungry for a Chicago-style red hot. Pop punk bands like cult-favorite The Wonder Years and long-time veterans Taking Back Sunday revved up the sea of fans in the evening while a number of memorable punk acts rotated in-and-out on the Rebel stage, including Bob Vylan, Destroy Boys, and Algiers earlier in the day.

The largest crowd of the weekend was undoubtedly My Chemical Romance on Friday night, which prompted single day Friday tickets to sell out. Early 00’s emo fans sprung from every corner of the city, neighboring states, and out of the country to see MCR’s first set in the midwest after a six-year hiatus.

Gerard Way was calm and collected in a long black peacoat and a scarf wrapped around his head, kicking off the set with “The Foundations of Decay” and “Na Na Na.” They played seventeen songs in total, including crowd favorites “Helena,” “I’m Not Okay,” and “Welcome to the Black Parade.” He stopped the set a number of times to ask fans to take a step back to ensure people didn’t get hurt in the rowdy pit, and they were able to walk away with zero casualties.

On Saturday, The Joy Formidable shined on the Roots stage with warm indie tunes and a zen-like presence, a pleasant change to the sheer madness occurring in some of the other corners of the festival. Jxdn and Yungblud each performed later in the day on the Roots stage, both of which delivered energetic sets as they leapt and ran from one side of the stage to the other.

One of Blondie’s favorite bands, Surfbort, made an impression on the Rebel stage with a dose of exhilarating punk rock. Feminist rockers War on Women shed a light on social and political themes through their music, covering abortion rights, rape, and misogyny. Later chaos ensued with New York hardcore band Madball. Vocalist Freddy Cricien ignited a fury among the crowd, spurring a stage diver to make a near-fatal miscalculation and crash into the barricade face first at the Rebel stage. He stumbled a bit and carried on while the pit morphed into a mess of fists and hysteria.

Three-time Grammy nominated indie band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, led by vocalist and pianist Karen O., was one of the highlights on Sunday. Decked out in a bold technicolor ensemble, she led the band through twelve tracks across five studio albums. Guitarist Nick Zinner, known for the anthemic guitar riffs in Mad Max: Fury Road, and drummer Brian Chase completed the trio in a much anticipated performance, closing the set with “Date With The Night.”

On the Rise stage, Ice Cube brought gansta rap and hip-hop, highlighting his work in N.W.A. with “Straight Outta Compton” in the middle of the set and closing with “It Was a Good Day,” a song which has garnered over 658 million streams since it’s release in 1992.

Closing out the festival was heavy metal group Nine Inch Nails, a rescheduled act from 2021 due to concerns over the coronavirus. They played classics like “Closer,” “Hurts,” and “March of the Pigs” as well as newer songs “Less Than” and “The Lovers.” Nine Inch Nails has sold 20 million records since they formed in 1988, securing two Grammy awards early in their career with ten additional nominations.

Since its inception in 2005, Riot Fest has grown exponentially in size and today stands as one of the country’s largest and most diverse annual punk festivals. It is most known for distinctive artist reunions, full album performances, and occasional pop legends— like No Doubt, Blondie, and M.I.A.— that bring together eager fans in the masses.

While this year is a wrap, concertgoers hope for another year of Riot Fest in 2023. The dates have yet to be announced so stay tuned.