The threat of a Midwest rainstorm didn’t deter fans from making their way to Douglass Park for Saturday’s Riot Fest lineup- and day two promised a little something for everyone. Even folks weary from the previous day’s shenanigans were upbeat and ready for another day of amazing music. From hardcore to beachy pop (literally) to GWAR, every taste was represented on the most eclectic day of the weekend.
John Stamos-palooza!
For over a decade, Riot Fest’s running joke has been to cajole actor and singer John Stamos to attend the festival in some capacity- and this year’s efforts took the cake and succeeded. With Stamos playing guitar and drums for The Beach Boys, it was finally time to welcome all that charisma to the Riot Stage at golden hour. Before the excitement, the festival held the first annual John Stamos Look-a-Like contest in the shadow of a giant butter Stamos sculpture (not words you’d often hear at a punk rock festival). Ambitious- and somewhat delusional- attendees lined up to be judged by the growing crowd, with one lucky fan taking home the crown and the accolades of being Stamos’ slightly off-kilter twin.
That lighthearted interlude was the perfect break between bands but fans still amassed at the Riot Stage when The Beach Boys emerged. Principal members Mike Love and Bruce Johnston rounded up a great collective of musicians, including longtime admirer and sometimes-contributor Stamos. Despite the warm rain drenching the crowd, fans stayed put for the sunshine emanating from the stage alongside hits like “Surfin’ U.S.A.”, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, “Kokomo” and so much more. Stamos also threw in his rendition of “Forever”, taking the whole festival right back to the Full House days for a full evening of nostalgia.
It’s a Pop Punk Party
In a callback to the festival’s roots, the Rise Stage hosted back to back pop punk acts throughout the day, including Knuckle Puck’s Copacetic album play. Free Throw made their triumphant return to the festival, sporting shocked smiles at the size of the audience gathered to see their set. The band put every ounce of emotion and energy into 30 powerful minutes, cementing them as one of the must-see acts of the weekend. Citizen then got the party started with their loud but melancholic tunes as crowd surfers flew over the barricade at an astounding rate. The mosh pit never stopped moving during Knuckle Puck’s high energy performance- and Copacetic has long been a pop punk staple album, making for a very special show.
Weezer’s Voyage to the Blue Planet Closes Day Two
The weekend’s most iconic full album play arrived when Weezer was beamed down to the Riot Stage to perform every track on The Blue Album and then a few more for good measure. They started with the hits- “Hash Pipe” and “Beverly Hills”, anyone?- before navigating the Pinkerton asteroid belt right before landing on the planet of The Blue Album. And let us not forget that every song on that album is a certified hit and the audience of thousands could be heard belting out “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So” all the way from outside the festival.
The band was typically reticent onstage, preferring to let the guitars do the talking while offbeat frontman Rivers Cuomo held down the vocals on every song- with plenty of assistance from an enthusiastic crowd. Chicago was transported to another planet for 90 magical minutes, reliving special memories and moments together in that Douglass Park field. The rain may have dampened the grass but it never dampened the spirits of Saturday’s fans- they stayed till the very last notes of “Only in Dreams” woke them up and sent them home to prepare for one final day in the sun.
