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

End Result 11/19/16 at Logan Hardware Records

There are few things better than getting to see a good band play while shopping for records and that’s exactly what people had the opportunity to do on Saturday afternoon over at Logan Hardware Records. The store...

Riot Fest 2016 Day Three 9/18/16 at Douglas Park

The third and final day of Riot Fest 2016 was Sunday and they saved their biggest act for last, the reunion of The Misfits. Aside from that there was another day full of great bands covering many styles of music. It was...

Riot Fest 2016 Day Two 9/17/16 at Douglas Park

It was an even nicer day out on Saturday and not a rain cloud in site which meant this was the first Riot Fest in three years that it didn’t rain and turn the park into a big mud field. There was an even better...

Riot Fest 2016 Day One 9/16/16 at Douglas Park

For the fifth year now, summer’s last hurrah has been the huge outdoor version of Riot Fest. The 14-year-old festival has evolved into the best outdoor festival anywhere in the USA and this year had easily the...

Gary Numan: Telekon live 5/17/16 at Metro

Tuesday night was the third and final night of Gary Numan’s classic album residency. For this final night, Gary performed Telekon in its entirety, which was the last of his three “machine era” records...