Nine Inch Nails, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney And Coolio Close Out Riot Fest

“This is one of my favorite festivals in the world,” said Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor on stage at Riot Fest in Chicago. “We’re glad to finally be here, COVID and everything else.”

Following pandemic-induced postponement last year, NIN made their return to Riot Fest for the first time since 2017, closing out this year’s festival over the course of 90 minutes on the Riot stage.

Joined by longtime guitarist Robin Finck and composer/keyboardist Atticus Ross, who’s collaborated with Reznor for nearly 20 years, including Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning work on film scores, the group went back to the first track from one of it’s most underrated albums, setting the pace with “Somewhat Damaged” from 1999’s The Fragile.

Reznor got the crowd clapping along early, pausing for only a moment as he picked up a guitar for “Wish,” from the group’s 1992 EP Broken. The first moments of NIN’s Riot Fest return were defined by some of their earliest work, “Heresy” and “Sanctified” following.

Red lights from above cast straight down upon Reznor, striking a silhouette as “The Lovers” drew to a close. “Thank you!” he said, following with “Less Than,” a pair of tracks from the group’s 2017 EP Add Violence. “Too many f—ing people,” sang Reznor on the latter, ironically or not on what felt like the most crowded day of the festival weekend.

Three in a row from the group’s 1994 breakthrough The Downward Spiral came next. “Alright! Come on, pigs!” screamed Reznor setting up “March of the Pigs” before slowing things down into “Piggy,” crowd surfers surging toward the stage during “Closer.”

From 1997’s Lost Highway soundtrack, “Perfect Drug” was an unexpected highlight, the group soaring toward encore with “Head Like a Hole.”

Sunday’s Riot Fest schedule was stacked. But what sets the festival apart from other bigger ones is the ease with which fans can travel between stages, able to catch portions of multiple sets even if they’re taking place concurrently. Which came in handy Sunday with closing performances by Nine Inch Nails, Ice Cube and a reunited The Academy Is… all taking place simultaneously, preceded by both Sleater-Kinney and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Early in the Sunday slate, L.A. quartet The Linda Lindas put their spin on cuts by The Go-Go’s and Bikini Kill. Later, The Academy Is… took on Material Issue.

In between, reunited D.C. indie rockers Jawbox performed for 45 minutes on the Roots stage.

“This is amazing. We never thought we’d do anything like this,” said singer/guitarist J. Robbins. “We love Chicago and this song is nominally set in Chicago. It’s set inside my mind,” he said, introducing “Motorist.”

“Riot Fest! Our home outside our home!” declared singer and guitarist Chris Demakes of Gainesville, Florida ska punks Less Than Jake.

Seemingly able to squeeze about 80 songs into their 45 minutes on the Radicals stage, the group ultimately offered up one of the most fun performances of the weekend.

“You guys ready to hear some old s–t and run around in circles?” asked Demakes in jest under a blazing hot sun early Sunday afternoon.

Rolls of toilet paper soared through the air as Less Than Jake made their way through “Last One Out of Liberty City,” horns sparkling as bass rolled on the track, their biggest hit in “Johnny Quest Thinks We’re Sellouts” following soon after.

“This is the last date of our tour. We’ve been out for about a month and are ending on the highest note possible!” said Demakes. “It’s day three of a festival and you don’t even care that the portajohns are full! We were worried about playing day three of a fest…” he continued. “But I said, ‘No, it’s Chicago!’”

Sunday’s schedule was diverse, with ska, punk, industrial, rap and more all colliding in spectacular form.

“Coming to the stage, straight out of Compton, California – 1 billion views on YouTube, 1 billion streams on Spotify – put your hands together for Coolio!”

Backed by a three piece live band, 90s rapper Coolio tore through a quick half hour set on the Rise stage.

“Y’all wanna go for a ride?” asked the rapper rhetorically on stage at Riot Fest. “Then get yo ass in the truck!” demanded Coolio, setting up his debut solo single “Fantastic Voyage.”

Coolio was affable and entertaining on stage, sending out “C U When U Get There” to deceased rappers like DMX, Phife Dawg, Biz Markie, Eazy-E, Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.

Ultimately, Coolio saved his biggest hit for last. Performing it a once unthinkable 27 years after its release, “Gangster’s Paradise” – which, remarkably, is indeed closing in on both 1.1 billion streams and views – was resplendent on stage in Chicago.

Ahead of his All Elite Wrestling debut just three days later, Queens, New York rapper Action Bronson took to the Rise stage for one hour at Riot Fest.

“I’ve done some f—d up s–t in my life,” joked the rapper on stage at Riot Fest. “But Wednesday night, I make my pro wrestling debut!” he informed the festival crowd, following up “The Chairman’s Intent,” a song which doubles as the entrance music for AEW wrestler Hook.

Bronson performed at the same time as Sleater-Kinney, who took the stage as a 5 piece act across the park for 60 minutes on the Riot stage.

“Thank you, Chicago! It’s good to see you,” said singer and guitarist Corin Tucker on stage.

Carrie Brownstein shimmied left as Tucker sang, rock star hops on full display as psychedelic keys drove “Worry With You” early, ripping a solo later during “Reach Out.”

New York art rockers Yeah Yeah Yeahs got rolling just moments later, singer Karen O shouting out Sleater-Kinney during “Maps.” Heading directly into “Heads Will Roll” as the festival set headed for home, the group ultimately closed out Riot Fest 2022 in front of just over 1,000 lucky fans during an intimate aftershow at Chicago’s Metro.