Bad Religion, Sunny Day Real Estate And Yellowcard Highlight Day Two At Riot Fest

Seminal L.A. punk act Bad Religion has taken a socially conscious approach to punk rock for over four decades. Forced to celebrate a once unthinkable 40 years amidst the lockdown of pandemic quarantine in 2020, the group is back on the road, performing this weekend at Riot Fest in Chicago.

“You don’t predict the future. But if you’re going to be so arrogant as to write music that’s going to be shared with people and you care about your audience, you want to give them something that will be relevant in 40 years. That’s what we’ve always strived to do,” said singer Greg Graffin backstage prior to the group’s festival performance. “A two year hiatus in a 40 year career… We didn’t panic. But it wasn’t much fun. It was truly a concern whether we’d ever be able to do it again. So being able to get out there is liberating and makes us feel like we haven’t lost a step.”

Bad Religion are uniquely equipped to address uncertain times, taking stock of the world on their 17th studio album Age of Unreason. Continuing to write alongside co-founding Bad Religion guitarist, and Epitaph Records owner, Brett Gurewitz, Graffin is also readying the release of his latest book Punk Paradox, a memoir now available for pre-order ahead of release in November.

“We’ve always been driven to write relevant music. I think the relevant headlines of the day are not what we react against. We like to look at more universal problems of human nature. That’s what Bad Religion has always thrived on. So these are good current events to point out the failures of mankind. And that’s what we’ve always been interested in,” said the singer. “The truth is, I conceived of the book before the pandemic. But the pandemic hit and I used that time to write it. If one thing, the pandemic gave me an opportunity to reflect – a lot of time for reflection. And a lot of time to craft a story. This is a story. It’s not the story. It’s a story of my life.”

Making their return to Riot Fest for the first time since 2016, Bad Religion put forth a one hour set on the Riot stage, kicking off with 1993’s “Recipe For Hate.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve been at Riot Fest but I bring similar news – because these are still the dark ages,” said Graffin on stage, introducing “New Dark Ages.”

“Did you guys see Lee Ving from Fear?” asked the singer of the Chicago crowd, referencing the L.A. hardcore punk act who performed their 1982 debut album The Record earlier in the afternoon. “That’s what we grew up on,” said the singer, setting up “Suffer.”

Running through cuts like “21st Century (Digital Boy)” and “Infected,” Saturday near the end of their Riot Fest set, Graffin was clear on the importance of live music.

“I think it’s always been a very great privilege to be able to get together a community around music,” said Graffin, taking stock of Riot Fest. “The fact that it takes all different manifestations over the years, just makes it more interesting. It definitely changes every year. And it’s got permanence also in that there’s a tradition here by not only bands like ourselves but so many bands that have carried through all these years that have acted as sort of the bedrock of the community. So I take that role seriously and I appreciate the privilege to be able to do it.”

A last minute addition to the festival, Welsh alt rock trio The Joy Formidable was an early highlight Saturday in Chicago, plowing through a quick half hour set with reckless abandon, stretching out early via “The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade” prior to their latest single “Csts,” a song about honesty and authenticity.

“‘Hit the gong!’ Every gig…” mused drummer Matthew James Thomas, looking back at the gong behind his drum kit as he playfully mocked a fan request. “Don’t worry there will be more gong. It’s coming!” he said, prepping for the group’s take on “Whirring,” singer/guitarist Ritzy Bryan spinning a whirling dervish as she cut across the stage during the soaring closing cut.

Nashville-based alternative act Bully performed concurrently across the park from The Joy Formidable, two of the day’s strongest acts taking the stage at the very un-rock and roll hour of just 2 PM. Singer, songwriter and guitarist Alicia Bognanno knelt down at her guitar pedals, tearing through a rollicking take on “Where to Start.”

“It’s kind of wild doing these songs we wrote in high school. But here we are. The world is weird,” joked singer and guitarist Matt Pryor into “Michelle With One ‘L’” as The Get Up Kids wrapped a full performance of their seminal emo debut Four Minute Mile as it turns 25.

In addition to Fear and The Get Up Kids, Saturday at Riot Fest also featured full album performances by The Menzingers (On The Impossible Past) and headlining acts Yellowcard (Ocean Avenue) and The Misfits (Walk Among Us).

The only act to perform at each outdoor festival installment of Riot Fest, sci-fi thrash act GWAR closed out Saturday night on the Rebel stage.

“There was never a time in the history of the planet that was made for GWAR more than right now. This moment. When people are prepared to believe absolutely anything. When disease runs rampant,’’ said singer Blöthar the Berserker, taking stock of the group’s brand new album The New Dark Ages with just a hint of irony.

In June, the group released a new batch of its Ragnarök Rye, a collaboration with Virginia distiller Catoctin Creek and also put forth a graphic novel, the perfect encapsulation of the barbaric mythology that defines the band’s humorous and always entertaining story.

“First of all, it’s very graphic, let me tell you that. When GWAR does a graphic novel, you know it’s going to be graphic,” said Blöthar. “I’m not sure many novels have that many pictures,” added drummer Jizmak Da Gusha. “Usually novels have words, so it’s kind of confusing for me. But it’s GWAR.”

Battling sound bleed opposite Bad Religion, New Jersey rockers The Front Bottoms ran through a vastly rewarding one hour set on the Radicals stage.

An almost folk influenced take on punk rock sparkled amidst a warm breeze Saturday in Chicago, “Hello World” and “Jerk” early highlights.

But a reunited Sunny Day Real Estate stole the show Saturday in Chicago.

“Hello. We’re gonna play some songs,” said singer and guitarist Jeremy Enigk, introducing a perfect take on “Seven” to open the set. “Thank you all. You are beautiful,” he said, the band moving flawlessly into “In Circles,” crowd surfers surging toward the stage as the Seattle emo act plowed ahead with “One.”

Elsewhere Saturday, the always quotable Glenn Danzig cracked wise on Chicago as the Misfits made their way through their 1982 debut. “This song is called ‘Violent World.’ And it’s fitting that we’re playing it here in Chicago,’” said the bloated singer with a chuckle, plodding his way through the album as a once unthinkable reunion enters its sixth year.

Opposite the horror punks, Yellowcard were a humble and uplifting experience in their headlining performance nearby.

“Thank you!” said singer William Ryan Key, acknowledging rapturous applause during the group’s first performance since 2017, noting fans who made the trip to Chicago from far away locales like South Africa, Australia, Mexico and Brazil. “Usually, what we’re about to do is the culmination of the energy at the end of the show – but it’s about to happen,” said the singer, rolling out their biggest hit third in the set with “Ocean Avenue,” performing the 2003 album in order. “I wanna see the energy as if it was the end of the show. This song is the reason we’re here.”