Riot Fest is always the highlight of my concert attending year and has been ever since the first one. Every year they seem to out-do themselves in terms of diversity and enormity and I honestly thought the marathon that was last year’s fest couldn’t be topped. I should have known better because this year’s lineup looks downright incredible! Riot Fest just announced a good portion of the lineup, check this out.
Bad Religion, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Circle Jerks, Articles of Faith, Snapcase, Less Than Jake, The Lawrence Arms, Bouncing Souls, Corrosion of Conformity (Animosity lineup), High on Fire, Smoking Popes, “Busted At Oz” Reunion, Cro-Mags, Fun, Negative Approach, RedOktoberFest presented By Red Scare, Zero Boys, Riverboat Gamblers, Bhopal Stiffs, The Meatmen, Agnostic Front, Off With Their Heads, Brendan Kelly, The Toasters, Roy Ellis aka Mr. Symarip, Mr. T Bone, Easy Action, Shot Baker, Cobra Skulls, Eastern Standard Time, The Flatliners, The Copyrights, Banner Pilot, The Dopamines, Have Nots, The Brokedowns, Explode and Make Up, Vultures United, Mother of Mercy, New Lows, Green Room Rockers, Whut?, Righteous Fool, DJ Chuck Wren, The Infected, X Is For Eyes and many more to be announced.
Now re-read that list! There are some incredible bands on it including a Busted at Oz reunion (which will include reunions by many of the bands who appeared on that album playing the same night at the Metr0). They even managed to score one of the many versions of the Cro-Mags and the Animosity lineup of Corrosion of Conformity! I also commend them for including High on Fire who I have been wanting to see play and now I can. In keeping with Riot Fest tradition, you can bet that this list isn’t complete and there will be some secret shows leading up to the big fest too.
The week-long festival takes place right before my birthday so I can’t think of a better way for me to celebrate my continuing old age than seeing dozens of bands both old and new that I love. The venues included this year are: Congress Theater, House of Blues, Metro, Bottom Lounge, Double Door, Subterranean, and Cobra Lounge.
A limited amount of five-day passes go on sale this Saturday at noon CST and you can grab yourself one right here when they do.
