Chicago – Sunday was the final day of Chicago’s 2014 Riot Fest. It was also the best day to see new bands over at the Revolt Stage. The shady green that housed the stage was packed all day long and filled with wild crowds. All five of my picks played this stage, giving my feet a little break. (Insert winking emoji here.) They also each proved they’re ready for bigger stages and set for success. Without further ado, here are the best new bands from day three of Riot Fest.
PUP
A massive crowd gathered in the knoll ready to get crazy with Toronto punk rockers PUP, and boy did they deliver! From the side of the stage, Chumped and Tiny Moving Parts watched Stefan Babcock, Zack Mykula, Steve Sladkowski, and Nestor Chumak get fans riled up. A dude with a tall orange mohawk started a wild mosh pit. Others crowd surfed and tossed beach balls around. The guys played plenty of songs off their self-titled debut album, including the single “Guilt Trip.” After an awesome performance of “Yukon,” Stefan looked out into the packed crowd and smiled in wonderment. He proclaimed, “Holy shit! This is amazing!” After thanking everyone for showing up he invited fans to hang out with the band after the show and wasted off a bottle of malört. PUP ended the set with “Reservoir,” and Stefan jumped off the stage, into the crowd, and surfed away while played guitar. I caught up with Stefan and Steve after their malört adventures. Keep an eye out for the interview!
Tiny Moving Parts
These three Minnesota lads are awesome! I had the chance to chat with Tiny Moving Parts before their set. William and Matthew Chevalier and Dylan Mattheisen gushed about golfing, family reunions, and their new album, Pleasant Living. Speaking of which, the guys played some new material from it, including “Boxcar.” They also played “Fair Trade” off the Split EP with Old Gray, and some oldies off of This Couch is Long & Full of Friendship. Their friends and previous tour partners, Modern Baseball, rocked out from the side of the stage while the crowd sang along to “Grayscale.” The lyrics “I just want to be a part of something beautiful” echoed loudly and smiles filled William, Matthew, and Dylan’s faces. Be sure to check back in for my interview with this family band because the interview is sure to put a smile on your face.
Cerebral Ballzy
Just what does one say about these crazy New Yorkers? I’m not going to lie, this was the set I was looking forward to the most, and the skater punks did not disappoint! Cerebral Ballzy frontman Honor Titus energetically jumped around every inch of the stage, swinging his mic stand about, getting dirty with the microphone, and thrusting against speakers. Fans ate it up and got naughty with Titus. Just when I thought the crowd couldn’t get any more insane, Titus shouted, “All the kids who came to party it up, we’re gonna play a new one. Grab a partner and do-si-do!” And then boom! (For a more detailed live review, click HERE.)
Dads
These two New Jersey boys turned Michigan men were psyched, and it showed. The emo rockers have much to be excited about; Dads are set to release their album I’ll Be The Tornado next month, and then they’ll be kicking off a headlining tour with their pals Tiny Moving Parts. But it was the sight of the crowd that had John Bradley and Scott Scharinger really geeking out. Between cracking jokes and blushing about a bad haircut, chatty Bradley told fans, “Never in my life did I think I’d be able to do the shit we’ve done this weekend!” Smiles and nodding heads in the audience seemed to indicate that Bradley was not alone in that sentiment. A few overheard conversations also indicated that some were puzzled to see a third person on stage. Bassist Ryan Azada joined Bradley and Scharinger to enhance the live performance. So will Dads now become a trio? You’ll find out in my upcoming interview with Dads!
Modern Baseball
The devoted fans of Modern Baseball put all other Revolt Stage audiences to shame. People packed in tightly, covering every inch of green, to see emo rockers Brendan Lukens, Jacob Ewald, Ian “Slugworth” Farmer, and Sean Huber. Before the music even started, security warned the press that we’d probably get kicked out of the pit early thanks to a rumor that fans brought balls to toss around. No baseballs were thrown, but we did exit after two songs because of all the crowd surfing. Watching kids surf the crowd while screaming the lyrics to “Broken Cash Machine” and “Apartment” is simply amazing! The guys recognized this, too. Ewald took a moment to acknowledge it all and shouted, “Hey, this is really sick! There’s an eff ton of people here!” After thanking everyone for coming, he thanked security for “holding everyone’s butts up.” Modern Baseball ended their awesome set with “Your Graduation,” the lead single off their sophomore album You’re Gonna Miss It All. Stayed tuned for my interview with Modern Baseball at Riot Fest.
Honorable Mentions: Brooklyn’s Chumped, Cali rockers In The Valley Below, and Chicago band Archie Powell & The Exports also put on amazing sets on Sunday. Check these bands out, give them a “like” on Facebook, and buy their music.
Riot Fest’s ten-year Chicago anniversary was spectacular! Riot Fest Denver takes place September 19-21. There you can see many of the new bands we’ve discovered. Click HERE for more information.
Sarah Hess
After attending The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Sarah went on to study education at Dominican University, earning a degree in history. When not teaching, writing, or taking in a show, she is most likely to be found with a camera to her eye or hanging out in a darkroom.
You can follow Sarah Hess on twitter at @Sarahhasanh and view her music photography on her website: smhimaging.com.
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