Now I apologize if this review is a little jumbled - Riot Fest has become a giant reunion for me, seeing a lot of old concert friends that I don’t normally get to because we live in different states or cities… All of this to say I really only had time to see bands I had personal interest in, and I didn’t have any time to explore the Riot Land area. Though, I hear there was a butter sculpture of John Stamos, a convenience sort of shop, a hall of fame setup, and the Riot weddings got upgraded to a real chapel. I wish I had planned to explore it a bit… but oh well. Maybe next year!

This was my fourth Riot Fest and this time I only attended one day of the festival, for a few reasons. The main reason that Friday was so important to me, personally, was so I could see Sum 41 live for the last time. In case you missed it - they’re retiring. (Lead vocalist Deryck has even published a book talking about his time in the band and touring life. I haven’t picked up a copy yet.) They weren’t playing until later in the day which was fine; Friday had a pretty stacked lineup, at least in my opinion.

I’m a lover of pop punk so it was definitely a perfect day for me. I spent the day at the AAA and Cabaret Metro stages from start to finish (if I wasn’t taking a porta potty or food break). I made sure to have that camelback filled to stay hydrated during the day since it was definitely a hot one. To kick off the AAA stage was local band, Action/Adventure. Despite it being like 80 degrees and having to playing first, the crowd showed up for Action/Adventure so they made sure to give it their all and put on a fantastic set. 

After that, it was a blur of catching up with friends, food, and sitting in the shade until State Champs & Hot Mulligan took the stage. Both bands have had new releases since I last saw them live, and it was incredibly exciting to get to hear them. Hot Mulligan’s newer song, “Stickers by Brian” is very catchy. Afterwards, it was time for New Found Glory and truthfully, I’ve seen them plenty; they’re very good and never disappoint performing live, but I opted to move to secure a great spot for Sum 41. Like I mentioned, Sum 41 is retiring so I needed to make sure I saw them in all their glory. Frankly, their set was absolutely PERFECT. They played all the classics including “Walking Disaster,” which is my personal favorite. 

It was time for food and bathroom break yet again after their set and then I was off to find a good spot for the headliner of the night, Fall Out Boy. I had seen Fall Out Boy play in Milwaukee for their Hella Mega Tour two years ago, but I had no idea how good they could be as the main event. To kick off the beginning of their set, they played “Chicago Was So Two Years Ago.” Perfection. It was phenomenal. Their lights, the effects, the fireworks, the smoke, everything was so well curated and made per song. 

Friday was truly was the perfect culmination the three-day festival and I can’t wait until next year. Hopefully, next time, I’ll make it to all three days.

All photos are credited to Riot Fest photographers. Pit Crew Media has no ownership over any of the media provided in this review. If you have any questions regarding the photographs, please contact Riot Fest directly.