Six Down Card Acts You Cannot Miss at Riot Fest 2024
Pitchfork Music Festival just ended. Lollapalooza kicks off next week. It's not hard to forget Riot Fest lurking in the background like your weird burnout cousin at family gatherings growing up. But we are under 2 months from getting our first look at Riot Land and daily lineups were just released:
While there's the typical eclectic mix across every day, the early theme that jumps out is:
Friday: Pop-punk/emo
Saturday: Indie rock
Sunday: HEAVY SHIT
So who are the down-card acts that you need to pay the most attention to? I'm glad you asked because I've got some opinions and it's been a few weeks since I've been able to force them onto an audience. Fun!
The Aces - Rolling out endlessly catchy guitar-driven pop songs seems to be The Aces' specialty. HAIM comparisons seem both lazy and absolutely spot on, but this Utah quartet seems to have a bit more upbeat poppiness than general angst and that goes a long way when listening to them for 8 hours straight.
The Warning - Hooooooly shit do these sisters rock. And I mean that first part in the literal sense. This guitar/bass/drum power trio is made of up actual sisters and the amount of riff-fueled fury just the three of them are able to produce is enough to shake your molars. Daniela Villarreal's sultry vocals are the perfect compliment to a style of music that usually leans more into screams than vibrato. Don't miss this set.
Winona Fighter - I can tell you from experience that you should miss this set at your own peril. After seeing them obliterate a jam-packed crowd at Chicago's House of Blues earlier this year on tour with Bayside, I will go anywhere at any time to see Winona Fighter's brand of onstage mayhem. High energy, catchy songs, insane stage presence. This is one of those sets that people are going to be talking about all weekend and the only question is if you're going to be doing the talking or the listening in those conversations. BE A TALKER. SUBARU THANKS YOU.
Action/Adventure - Maybe my Chicago bias is showing, but Action/Adventure is criminally low on the billing and I have a feeling that's going to change a lot by the next time they play a Riot Fest. If you like your pop punk sprinkled with metalcore influences, this is the band for you. Treat yourself to 'Big Al Dente', the single they put out last month. The more of their songs you have committed to memory, the harder you can go in the pit.
Sincere Engineer - Is my Chicago bias showing too much? Yes, I've spilled a good amount of (internet) ink over the years talking about Sincere Engineer performances, but that's because Sincere Engineer shows kick ass and you would know that if you've been to even one. Fortunately, you've got that exact chance, both at Riot Fest and when their tour with New Found Glory kicks off in mid-August. It would be smart to study up on the newest Sincere Engineer album Cheap Grills, but the real hidden gem in their discography is the single 'Bottle Lightning Twice' which is a unique departure from the usual angry/angsty/funny mix you get from their songs.
See you in the corn dog circle pit.
Lord of the Lost - Did previous Riot Fest inclusions like The Struts and Foxy Shazam whet your glam whistle? Lean into the harder edge of that music with Lord of the Lost. Their most popular song is called 'Blood and Glitter' and that's a perfect description of their brand of dark hair metal.