Riot Fest is this weekend, and if you’re anything like me, all you can think about is making festival preparations: planning the perfect outfit, coordinating with friends, and perfecting your personal schedule down to the minute so you won’t miss a single artist on your bucket list.
Add some local talent to your lineup this year by catching one of these nine artists that hail from the Windy City (yes, that includes the surrounding suburbs). In addition to Riot Fest-repeaters like Fall Out Boy, The Lawrence Arms, and Beach Bunny, there are three community artists who were hand-selected to represent the Little Village and North Lawndale neighborhoods on this year’s lineup.
Check out these Chicago-born-and-bred artists at Riot Fest this weekend, and get their insider recommendations on up-and-coming musicians, late night food spots, rockin’ venues and more in Chicago.
Chicago Artists at Riot Fest 2024
Friday
Action/Adventure, The Lawrence Arms, Fall Out Boy
Chicago punk is rocking the lineup on Friday. Pop punk powerhouse Action/Adventure is kicking things off at noon on the AAA stage, followed by an evening set from beloved punk group The Lawrence Arms at NOFX World. The local lineup wraps up with Fall Out Boy’s first hometown performance in over a year.
AAA Stage 12:10pm – 12:40 pm.
Chicago’s pop punk sweethearts are making their second appearance on the Riot Fest stage this year. After a whirlwind last-minute addition to the lineup back in 2021, Action/Adventure found themselves packing up after their afternoon set and heading straight to Radius to open for the New Found Glory after show — “such a chaotic, yet amazing 24 hours,” remembers vocalist Blake Evaristo.
This year, the band will be able to savor the moment — and they’ll even get to stick around and enjoy the fest this time, too. Do yourself a favor and call off work on Friday; Action/Adventure is kicking things off on the AAA Stage at 12:10pm, and you’ll want to be there when their catchy power-pop breakdowns start the first mosh pits of the weekend.
Which artist are you most excited to see on this year’s lineup?
Evaristo: I’m really excited to see Sum 41 (Cabaret Metro Stage 6:05pm – 7:05 p.m.). They were one of the first bands I saw when I got into the genre and they absolutely blew me away. They still shred and (this year) being their Farewell Tour, it’s going to be one for the books.
Which up-and-coming Chicago artists should Riot Fest fans be on the lookout for?
Evaristo: Four Stars and Fluorescents. Their names are popping up all over and for good reason. Really hardworking bands that deserve everything that is coming to them. Plus, we all practice at the same spot!
After the fest, what is your go-to late night food spot in the city?
Guitarist Brompton Jackson: Papa Ray’s. It’s home of the monster slice and it just so happens to be near our practice spot. We tend to hit this place up after shows or practice. Plus, the rib tips slap — so do the wings and the salads.
- NOFX World 5:30PM – 6:30PM
The next stop on our guided tour of Chicago bands is NOFX World, where The Lawrence Arms will be kicking things into high gear on the first night of the fest.
The Lawrence Arms have been rocking stages across Chicago since 1999. I love the incredible album performances at Riot Fest (I’ll be up front hearing The Offspring perform Smash in its entirety), but The Lawrence Arms pride themselves on not becoming a “nostalgia band.” For 25 years, the original lineup — bassist/vocalist Brendan Kelly, guitarist/vocalist Chris McCaughan, and drummer Neil Hennessy — has released seven studio albums that have pushed the boundaries of punk rock and won them masses of die-hard fans. If you catch their set at 5:30pm at NOFX World, you might just become one of them.
- Cabaret Metro Stage 8:15PM – 10PM
The final Chicago(land) band of the night needs no introduction. It’s only fitting that Wilmette’s finest pop punkers, Fall Out Boy, should close out night one of the festival.
Fall Out Boy’s headlining set will be the band’s first hometown show since they played Wrigley Field in June 2023 in support of their latest record, So Much (for) Stardust. There must be a light on in Chicago, because this performance will also mark the band’s first return to the Riot Fest stage since 2013.
Saturday
Dat_Boy_Zach, Pixel Grip, Sincere Engineer, Beach Bunny
Day two’s Chicago showcase features four local artists, including community artist Dat_Boy_Zach. Catch Pixel Grip on the AAA stage at noon, followed by back-to-back Sincere Engineer and Beach Bunny sets on the Rise Stage.
- Radical Stage 11:15AM – 11:45AM
Start your Riot Fest off on a positive note with Dat_Boy_Zach. By far the youngest talent on this year’s lineup, the motivational rapper, just 9 years old, will be performing with his mom, musician SableAlexis.
If you have littles in your Riot Fest crew, be sure to get to the fest early to catch Day_Boy_Zach’s set. The young musician raps about excelling in school, celebrating academic success, and letting loose on summer break.
- AAA Stage 12:00PM – 12:30PM
Chicago club-pop trio Pixel Grip will be making their Riot Fest debut on the AAA stage. Known for their energetic live performances and unique blend of dark wave, synth, and irresistible dance beats, the group is heavily inspired by the city’s thriving queer music and club scenes.
Pixel Grip joined stagemates HEALTH (AAA Stage 3:40PM – 4:20PM) on the Rat-Based Warfare tour back in March 2024. Their Riot Fest performance will be the group’s first hometown show since playing the Empty Bottle in October 2023.
- Rise Stage 4:10PM – 4:40PM
Sinceer Engineer are three-time Riot Fest veterans. Fronted by self-taught musician Deanna Belos, the folk-punk meets pop-punk project has been on tour with New Found Glory (Friday @ AAA Stage 5:00PM – 6:00 PM) for the past month. Sincere Engineer will be opening for NFG at the Riot Fest Kickoff Party before rejoining the band for the second leg of the Catalyst 20 Years Later Tour.
You might spot Belos catching The Hives (Cabaret Metro Stage 2:55PM – 3:35PM) before her set on Saturday, but once festivities wrap up for the day, it’s unlikely you’ll find her at an after show: “I’m usually ready for bed after the fest,” says Belos, but she recommends grabbing a drink at Gman Tavern and a pizza puff across the street at Wrigleyville Dogs if you’re catching a Metro aftershow.
Do you have a favorite memory from Riot Fest?
Belos: I think my favorite year was 2013 when The Broadways played. Last year, I got to sing a song with The Gaslight Anthem, that will always be one of my favorite Riot Fest memories!
What is your favorite venue in Chicagoland?
Belos: I love the Metro! We’ve played there a few times and the staff are the absolute best. We’re about to play the Salt Shed for the first time for the Riot Fest Kickoff Party with New Found Glory, we’re so stoked to play there. I love watching shows at the Empty Bottle, haven’t had a chance to play there yet but hope to someday!
- Rise Stage 5:30PM – 6:30PM
Don’t move a muscle after Sincere Engineer, because Beach Bunny is up next on the Rise Stage!
Since Beach Bunny’s first Riot Fest appearance in 2018, the indie pop rock group has released three studio records, full-lengths Honeymoon and Emotional Creature, and the Blame Game EP. The band’s latest single, “Vertigo“, has been out for a few months, and fans are excited to hear and experience a new side to songwriter Lili Trifilio — one that is more mature, moving past heartbreaks and towards self-discovery.
Beach Bunny has been busy teasing their followers with bits and pieces of new songs off their upcoming album, Clueless, on Instagram. Check out Beach Bunny on Saturday evening and you might just hear some of their new and unreleased songs — as well as old favorites — live at Riot Fest!
Sunday
VII, ALENIA
Only posers sleep in and show up late on the last day of a fest. Chug a Redbull or grab a drink from Dark Matter Coffee, because you don’t want to miss the two community artists on Sunday’s schedule. North Lawndale born-and-raised rapper VII brings the energy to the Rise Stage at noon, immediately followed by a cinematic ALENIA performance on the Radical Stage.
- Rise Stage 12:00PM – 12:30PM
Rapper. Wrestler. Academic. Mentor. Forget about being a cross-genre artist, West Sider Gabriel Townsell — who raps under the moniker VII — is as close as we get to a true Renaissance man in this day and age.
The former-Stanford wrestler and three-time NCAA tournament qualifier grew up working out in Douglass Park. Now, VII (pronounced “seven”) will return to the park as one of the festival’s hand-picked community artists to represent North Lawndale on the Riot Fest stage.
When Riot Fest asked Townsell which artists he looks forward to seeing this year, his response was just as eclectic as the rapper himself:
“I’m a huge Tierra Whack fan, Fall Out Boy is one of Illinois’s all-time greatest acts, I have a shirt from when Slayer came in 2019 (it was on my birthday), a Mastodon set comes with so much subgenre mastery, I put my best friend on to Beach Bunny… I can’t pick. All the rap and punk acts are so sick,” said Townsell.
Catch VII live — and backed by a full band — at the Rise Stage on Sunday at noon.
What do you want Riot Fest fans to know about North Lawndale?
Townsell: Representing North Lawndale means everything to me, as a person who was born and raised here and grew up to live and work here. There’s so much beauty and history in our neighborhoods to be proud of, and so much of that is so often misrepresented and misappropriated. I wish that more Riot Fest fans were aware of our history; the fact that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lived in North Lawndale, the depth and cultural richness of La Villita, and the power a few students had to change Douglass Park’s name for good are all powerful elements that tell a fraction of our story. We are a region of fighters, artists, prayer warriors, and visionaries, and many of each has poured into the fount of my development.
Are there any artists playing this year that had a significant impact on your work?
Townsell: Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, Tierra Whack, the Marley Brothers, and Fall Out Boy have all put out records that have left their mark on my vault and discography. I think our performance will really showcase how!
- Radical Stage 12:30PM – 1:00PM
Even on a festival lineup of alternative, heavy, and some downright bizarre performers, Nü-progressive metal band ALENIA stands out from the crowd — we’re “made from something different, and made from something real,” the band told Riot Fest.
ALENIA’s haunting, theatrical performances have helped the band make a name for themselves in the Chicago metal scene. Hand-selected to represent their community on the Riot Fest stage, ALENIA knows what it means to put in the hard work — “many of us are part of the working class and make everything you’re able to hear, see, and experience from whatever resources we have. It doesn’t matter what you have, it’s what you do with it,” ALENIA said in an email to Riot Fest.
“We’d like to remind Riot Fest fans that all of their favorite bands were once local bands that couldn’t have done it without the support of their fans. Whether it’s snapping a photo of a local flyer from a street pole or simply searching the hashtag #chicagolocalmusic, we ask those who have a love for art to open themselves up to new music and experiences,” said ALENIA.
What does it mean to represent your community at Riot Fest?
“To represent our community means everything to (us),” the band told Riot Fest. “Many artists, musicians, and creators go unseen and remain underserved within our local neighborhoods throughout the city. Many of the successful local artists you’re able to see on larger stages in Chicago have gotten their start and first experiences within the neighborhoods of Little Village and North Lawndale at DIY and underground events. The way we all work together, build, uplift, inspire, and believe in each other is what contributes to the strength in our community, as well as our strength in ALENIA. There is brilliant artistry and a special kind of drive that flows through Little Village, North Lawndale, and its surrounding areas, and it keeps our city alive. The independent artists, musicians, creators, and entertainers are the heartbeat of this city.”
Which up-and-coming Chicago artists should Riot Fest fans be on the lookout for?
If you enjoy metal as much as we do, keep an eye out for the bands Advorsa, Obsidian Spine, and Arrhythmia.
What are some of your go-to late night food spots in the neighborhood for after the fest?
Be sure to check out Guerrero’s Pizza directly across from the California Pink Line, Los Comales on 18th Street (open until 1 a.m. on the weekend!) and lastly Maxwell’s! Reliable, quick service, and they are open 24 hours for all the late night vampire dwellers.
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