As if the three days of Riot Fest 20 weren’t exciting enough, they closed the weekend out with something very special and unexpected when Naked Raygun headlined the final Late Night show at Metro. Billed as “Naked Raygun and Friends”, this night was going to be one for the ages.
First up was Marky Ramone. Much like his Riot Fest set, he and his band blasted through a tight sent of Ramones classics. Name a Ramones hit and they probably played it. They were every bit as entertaining as they were at Riot Fest and the crowd seemed to really appreciate it.
Next up was Buzzcocks. The irony wasn’t lost on me that they were opening up for Naked Raygun, a band that certainly was influenced by and even covered a Buzzcocks song for a tribute compilation many years ago (and chose the best song to do, “Love Battery”). They too played a similar set to the Riot Fest one full of classic favorites. They had plenty of energy which proved that punk rock is clearly the fountain of youth!
I don’t think you could have squeezed one more person into the Metro by the time Naked Raygun took the stage. People were really excited at this opportunity to see them one more time and it was something that no one saw coming. The band played their last show in 2019 and seemed to be done for health reasons. Getting to see them probably for the last time was the best gift that Riot Fest fans could’ve been given, especially considering how integral Naked Raygun was to Riot Fest’s formative years. The fest was responsible for reuniting the band, and was the first surprise reunion that Riot Mike pulled off, which led to nearly two decades of him pulling off similar feats (Misfits, Jawbreaker, Replacements, and more). If there was any one band that perfectly represents the spirity and history of Riot Fest it is Naked Raygun. They also have the distinction of being the greatest Chicago punk band of all time, and that’s a title no one will ever take from them.
The band opened with “Vanilla Blue” one of the best songs in catalog of greats. The band sounded better than anyone could’ve predicted and there was a magic feeling in the air. The crowd went nuts from the beginning and they didn’t stop the whole time. They also were singing along with all the choruses. When the band finished that first song, Jeff said to the crowd “I missed you guys’ and I’m not going to lie, it made me tear up. It was a very emotional and vulnerable moment on his part, and the crowd reciprocated with so much love.
Naked Raygun was the one band in this city that unified an entire punk rock scene. Everyone came out to Naked Raygun shows, it didn’t matter what little clique of the punk scene you were in at the time, you went to see them. Every time they played it was an event, something special. The band even transcended punk rock and it was the first punk band in the city I can recall where people who weren’t punk rock started coming to see their shows because even they knew how special and great they were. If you were to make a chart that outlined how friends met and bands were formed in this city, a lot of it would trace back to a Naked Raygun show, and a shared love for their amazing music. A band like this comes across once in a lifetime.
The band played an abbreviated but amazing set that contained ten songs and a handful of guests who did vocal duties, or played guitar or bass. Guests included Josh Caterer (Smoking Popes), Simon Lamb (Methadones, Sludgeworth, Violets), Aly Jados (Blood People, Violets), Daryl Wilson (The Bollweevils), and one more that I’ll mention shortly. The guests only added to the fun, and is another example of how Naked Raygun unified and inspired the Chicago music scene.
The setlist was as follows:
Vanilla Blue
Home Of The Brave
Knock Me Down
Treason
Broken Things
The Strip
Entrapment
Backlash Jack
I Don’t Know
Rat Patrol
New Dreams
As is tradition, they ended with “New Dreams” which is where they brought out the final special guest, and this one was really special. Nicole Kezdy, daughter of the late Pierre Kezdy, joined the band on stage and played Pierre’s bass for the song (and sang along with all the other special guests during the choruses). Seeing Pierre’s daughter up there playing his bass, while a big image of him was on the backdrop looking at everyone was the second time that night I was moved to tears, and I wasn’t the only one. It was hugely emotional, as was this entire show. Just like she did earlier that day, she totally killed it and was a natural up there. That girl could be a future musical legend in this city just like her dad was.
When the band left the stage, people were sweaty, they were smiling, and many were crying. This is likely the last time we’ll get to see Naked Raygun, and it was something we weren’t even expecting to see up until the week prior when they announced it. If this is goodbye, how do you say goodbye to one of your favorite bands, a band that changed your life and the lives of so many? How do you say goodbye to a band that influenced a generation of bands that followed them, one that actually unified a scene every time they played? What would Chicago be without them? I’m tearing up just thinking about this. Thank you Naked Raygun for all the great, timeless, and influential music. Thank you for changing this city for the better. Thank you for all the free shit! We loved you then, we love you now, and we will love you forever.
And thank you Riot Fest!
