For the last four years, I’ve served as your Expert In Bands At The Bottom Of The Poster. That role has since spiraled into A Case For, an interview series that began at Riot Fest 2023 that highlights bands that are embedded in the alternative community, but don’t find their music being played on Q101. As Riot Fest moves to RiotLand, I am happy to report that once again, I’ll be highlighting acts on this year’s festival that could wind up being your next favorite band. Join me in exploring 9 bands that are playing Riot Fest this year that you don’t know, but that you need to. -Case the Producer
Basement
Basement is a funny band. They played Riot Fest in 2015 and they’re objectively a bigger deal than they were nine years ago. Two records have followed, neither of which were as explosive as 2012’s Colourmeinkindness, but both were strong. The band has become big by simply pausing their activity. Much like Deftones and contemporaries Superheaven, their shoegaze-adjacent sound has exploded on TikTok and has ushered Basement back into the spotlight. Riot Fest 2024 marks their return to Chicago for the first time in five years.
Drug Church
Drug Church are a machine. They play fast, they play loud, and they play mean. Fronted by loudmouth Patrick Kindlon, the band has plowed through lesser bands to reach their current status as a must-see touring act. Most recently, the five-piece punk act opened for Chicago’s own Alkaline Trio. Kindlon has promised new music by the end of 2024, which we’ll surely hear some of at Riot Fest this year. Before you’re bombarded with what will surely be an Album Of The Year Contender, familiarize yourself with both Cheer and Hygiene, both of which are some of the finest punk records of the 21st century.
Fiddlehead
Fiddlehead is my favorite active band, full stop. They rival only The Smiths when it comes to minutes spent listening over my lifetime. Fronted by ex-Have Heart frontman / current high school teacher Pat Flynn, Fiddlehead is one of the many melodic hardcore acts that have surged in popularity post-COVID. Pulling from the raw intensity of bands like Minor Threat and Mental while also borrowing melodic approaches from Arches Of Loaf or Samiam, this band brings forth a truly unique and original sound. You will not want to miss Fiddlehead.
Gel
Gel’s popularity always catches me by surprise. It’s not that they don’t rip, because they absolutely do, but it’s a little bit like Knocked Loose in which I instinctually feel like their sound isn’t accessible. Their white-hot audience says otherwise. Gel continue to tour hard and play even harder. Each time they hit the road and leave a city in the dust, the city left behind feels the undeniable impact of what Gel did on stage. This feels like a band that could steal the entire weekend.
Heart Attack Man
While Riot Fest alumni The Menzingers still sit atop my “Why Isn’t This Band Bigger?” pantheon, Heart Attack Man are quickly nipping at their heels. Seriously, why isn’t Heart Attack Man bigger? I blame the sad decline of MTV2. This band would be huge if the ecosystem was different and frontman Eric Egan had an easier path to scaring Middle America. When 2023’s Freak of Nature dropped, I played “Like A Kennedy” for Brian after the morning show because I thought he would appreciate what they were going for. He was stunned at how abrasive the lyrics were. That seems to be the ongoing goal for Heart Attack Man – not to receive a good reaction or a bad reaction, but merely to receive a reaction.
Home Front
I honestly feel like more bands should try to be like Home Front. They don’t need to copy their look or their sound, but they do need to copy the innovative spirit that this Canadian outfit has to offer. Having just seen them at Cobra Lounge with The Chisel, I cannot express just how much fun Home Front were to see live, especially given that their primary influences are The Cure and Echo & the Bunnymen, a far cry from the no-nonsense street-punk approach that The Chisel brings to the table. They were odd-men-out, yet they felt right at home. I get so excited when I see bands go for it, unapologetically, and Home Front is absolutely going for it.
Slaughter Beach, Dog
While Modern Baseball remains one of the most sought after Riot Fest reunion bookings, Jake Ewald’s post-MOBO project Slaughter Beach, Dog is live and in living color at Riot Fest 2024. While still as emotionally rich as MOBO’s teenage angst hits, SBD offers an alt-country approach to yearning and despair. If you are looking for an escape from the pit, Slaughter Beach, Dog will be an excellent exit ramp.
Spiritual Cramp
What if The Clash had a baby with The Hives? That would be Spiritual Cramp. In fact, let me be incredibly clear when I say this: if you’re going to go see The Hives at Riot Fest, you need to also go see Spiritual Cramp. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Spiritual Cramp a handful of times over the last few years – first with Angel Du$t, then with The Metz, then as a headliner, and then one last time with Militarie Gun on the Life Under the Gun Tour, and each and every time I was simply in awe by the raw, unforgiving stage presence of this band. I wish nothing but success for this band going forward. If I were going to earmark any single band as “must see” for this year’s Riot Fest, it would be this band.
Waxahatchee
As it stands at publishing time, Waxahatchee has 2024’s Album Of The Year. Tigers Blood, which dropped in March, has been on steady repeat ever since. Admittedly, I’m a little surprised to see Waxahatchee on this year’s bill given how folky and chill Tigers Blood is, but this is nothing short of a delightful addition to what is already a spectacular festival lineup.
