The Punk Vault

Riot Fest 2026 Day Three – 9/20/26 at Douglass Park

Thanks to an overnight flash flood rainstorm that lasted the entire night, and then the rain that continued the entirety of Sunday, it turned out to be the most challenging Riot Fest in history. It was challenging for everyone involved on numerous...

Riot Fest 2026 Day Two – 9/19/26 at Douglass Park

Saturday started off a little wet, but when the second day of Riot Fest opened the weather was humid but nice. Sadly that would change later in the day, but we’ll get to that in a bit. The second day of the 21st Riot Fest had a stellar lineup...

Riot Fest 2026 Day One – 9/18/26 at Douglass Park

Friday started the last and best weekend of the summer when the 21st Riot Fest kicked off. It was a beautiful day for the first day of the fest, but unfortunately it ended up being the only dry and nice day of the entire weekend. Like every year...

Cabaret Voltaire – 9/16/26 at Metro

Last night was the second and final night of Cabaret Voltaire at Metro. Just like the night before, they filled up the place nicely. I Speak Machine was up first and just like Tuesday, Tara put on am amazing performance well worthy of fighting...

Cabaret Voltaire – 9/15/26 at Metro

Tuesday night was a very special one as it saw the long awaited return of Cabaret Voltaire to the Metro. This was the first of a two night stand and the most beloved music venue in the city. It had been over 30 years since the band played here, and...

Silver Abuse – 9/3/26 at Reggie’s Music Joint

First generation Chicago punk band, Silver Abuse, made a rare appearance headlining a really good four band bill at Reggie’s Music Joint (the bar side of the venue). It was hot as hell outside, and not much cooler inside, but at least there...

Sludgeworth – 8/30/26 at Cobra Lounge

In what should become a regular thing, yesterday Cobra Lounge hosted a Sunday matinee show when Sludgeworth headlined the second of their two record release shows, the first being the night before. It only took more than three decades, but the band...

Quicksand – 8/26/26 at Bottom Lounge

Wednesday night, Quicksand and Bane made a stop here in Chicago on their current tour to play a show at Bottom Lounge. Soul Blind was the opening band. This New York band played an interesting mix of metal/post-hardcore, grunge, and a bit of...

Category - Show Reviews

Greta Van Fleet 12/12/18 at Aragon Ballroom

Wednesday night Greta Van Fleet kicked off the first of three headlining shows at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom. The Aragon has been doing large rock and roll shows for decades so the venue was the perfect locale for...

Hotlips Messiah 10/25/18 at Cigars and Stripes

Thursday night over in Berwyn, a small bar called Cigars and Stripes was the host of a special record release show for Hotlips Messiah. The band just released an epic, 46 song double LP with really beautiful packaging...

MC50 10/24/18 at Metro

Wednesday night was a very special one as the Metro hosted a celebration of one of the most important rock and roll bands of all time, the MC5.  The celebration was an appearance by MC50, which is Wayne Kramer’s...

Gorilla Biscuits 9/29/18 at Metro

Saturday the Metro hosted a good old-fashioned hardcore matinée in the spirit of CBGB when Gorilla Biscuits headlined a three band bill. Modern Life Is War was the second band of the day and got the crowd worked up into...

Cold Waves 2018 Day Three 9/23/18 at Metro

Sunday night was the final night of the annual Cold Waves fest over at Metro. They had some solid acts lineup up to end the weekend and the action got started early. Caustic is a midwestern band that has been making the...

Cold Waves 2018 Day Two 9/22/18 at Metro

Less than 24 hours after everyone left the Metro at the end of the first night of the Cold Waves fest, they all piled back into the club for the second night of mechanized musical entertainment. The crowd was relatively...