Riot Fest – Douglass Park – Chicago (A PopEntertainment.com Concert Review)
- PopEntertainment
- Sep 23
- 6 min read
Riot Fest – Douglass Park – Chicago, IL – September 19-21, 2025
Riot Fest Rings in 20th Anniversary with Legendary Performances and Its Largest Lineup Yet
For many years, punks near and far have flocked to Riot Fest in an effort to relive their glory days, as well as keep their finger on the pulse of alternative music. A three-day sonic escape for fans of punk rock, metal, and countless subgenres, the event continuously boasts an impressive array of artists and musical styles that ensures something for everyone.
This year, Riot Fest returned to Douglass Park in celebration of its twentieth anniversary, marking two decades of what owner and co-founder "Riot Mike" Petryshyn calls "not booking your favorite band." This year's affair was headlined by punk rock titans Green Day, joined by fellow icons Blink-182 and Weezer.
While I've attended before on several occasions, this was my first Riot Fest as accredited press. Between the chance to check out an abundance of bands on my radar and a latent desire to exercise my unique brand of guerrilla journalism, you could say I enthusiastically army crawled at the opportunity to cover the fest.
Things started off strong on Friday, which arrived in glorious sunshine and brought uncharacteristically high temperatures for the month of September. I had the pleasure of witnessing an electrifying set from the creators of "fast food metal," Mac Sabbath, which can only be described as what Ozzy Osbourne must have sounded like while drunkenly shouting his order into a late-night drive-thru intercom.
In tribute to the late Prince of Darkness, the band opted for "Black Instead of Mac" when covering "Paranoid," performing an authentic rendition of the song originally made famous by Black Sabbath. Both their diverse crowd and I found them incredibly entertaining, and I especially enjoyed their use of unique food-related props, such as oversized hamburger beach balls and a seven-foot disposable straw beer funnel.
This year's Riot Fest also featured a number of rising artists, many of whom have garnered considerable online traction with the help of TikTok and various social media platforms. As a musician myself, I was astonished by the lively performance of up-and-coming singer-songwriter Julia Wolf, whose haunting, angelic voice caressed listeners' hearts before wringing them out like a blood-soaked sponge with her crushing instrumentation.
Honey Revenge, another budding pop-rock group, brought a fierce, infectious energy to the stage that culminated in the live debut of new song "Poison Apple." Singer Devin Papadol displayed remarkable frontwoman ability in her interactions with the audience. Effortlessly directed by Papadol, scores of fans sang and jumped along to Honey Revenge's bright catalog, rumbling the grass beneath my feet for nearly the entirety of their thirty-minute set.
My night concluded with a high-caliber performance from metal mainstays Knocked Loose, packed with dramatic production and disquieting riffs that attracted any hardcore fan within earshot toward the mosh pit.
In spite of the unfavorable conditions, neither the punishing sunlight nor inclement weather could dampen festivalgoers’ excitement during Riot Fest's Saturday showcase. Metalcore heavyweights Thrown promptly took the stage at 1:05 PM, proving it's never too early to crowd surf or start a circle pit when you're at a music festival. The band sounds one-for-one with their records and the ferocity of their live show is no joke either.
Afterwards, I double-timed it over to the Rise Stage to catch Free Throw, an exceptionally talented group I have previously seen open for other prominent pop-punk stars including Four Year Strong and Hot Mulligan. Every song by the Nashville quintet could be mistaken for an anthem, as so often the collective voices of the crowd drowned out any noise produced by frontman Cory Castro's microphone.
However, the highlight of my day, and possibly my weekend, came in the form of an unstoppable display from Chicago's very own Knuckle Puck, the latest in a long line of local talent to ascend to international stardom. Ask anyone who was a fan of pop-punk between 2014 and 2018 what their favorite records were, and chances are the band's inaugural LP Copacetic is bound to surface in conversation. Arguably their most seminal work, Knuckle Puck played the record front to back for its ten-year anniversary.
I found it impossibly difficult to remain still throughout the duration of their set (whether motivated by the subconscious inclination to sway along to the rhythm or from others shoving me from behind). The band are no strangers to Riot Fest, having already played three times before. Nevertheless, this set was special to me and all who were fortunate to witness this next-level performance, which made for one of the best moments of the whole weekend.
By day three, I was ready to amputate my overworked feet and have them encased inside a glass display housed within the Riot Fest Historical Society – a token of the physical toll endured in the name of music reporting. Although my body was suffering the effects of trudging some sixty thousand steps, plus more than likely not drinking nearly enough water, my spirit remained unwavering in its commitment to finishing strong with Sunday's lineup.
SoCal collective The Linda Lindas delivered an explosive set, vehemently disproving the notion that punk is dead. An all-female group composed of members ranging from fourteen to twenty years of age, the band's musicianship and on-stage chemistry rivals that of their veteran influences. The fast-paced and boisterous nature of their songs are as timeless as the traditional anti-establishment messages found throughout the genre, which in turn enable them to captivate a wide range of listeners, new and old alike.
Another recent musical discovery of mine, Microwave, complemented Riot Fest's angsty atmosphere with their raw grunge style. Playing a number of songs from their latest record Let's Start Degeneracy, the Atlanta-based unit seamlessly blends elements of post-hardcore and indie to craft an original sound that is catchy and intense in equal parts.
As the day drew to a close, Green Day went on to exhibit an undeniable show of force, just as they always have. Billie Joe Armstrong hosts a masterclass in crowd work that compels audience attention and compliance with his commands to sing along. The band never ceases to impress its fans, even after nearly forty years. Before I knew it, the final chords to "Good Riddance" had ceased ringing throughout Douglass Park, and although I wasn't required to return home, it meant that I couldn't stay there.
Riot Fest continues to put on a world-class experience year after year, regularly opting to do things their way or not at all. I commend them in their ability to book renowned stadium acts, as well as provide promising artists with another rung to climb on the ladder toward greater recognition and possibilities. With its twentieth anniversary now under its belt, I have no doubt next year's fest will continue to exceed expectations – all without booking any of your favorite bands.
Nick Hoffmann
Copyright ©2025 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: September 23, 2025.
Photos by Ryan Heller © 2025. All rights reserved.
Knocked Loose, Honey Revenge, Julia Wolf & Mac Sabbath – Riot Fest (Day 1)
Weezer, Knuckle Puck, Citizen & Free Throw – Riot Fest (Day 2)
Idles, Microwave & The Linda Lindas – Riot Fest (Day 3)
