It was announced yesterday that Blink-182 frontman Mark Hoppus will be releasing a memoir with co-author Dan Ozzi, who previously helped create Laura Jane Grace’s memoir and authored the phenomenal book Sellout, which covers the journey of punk bands who signed with major labels at various points in their career.
In an infomercial released on social media, Hoppus said, “This book has everything! The young man, born in the California desert, joins a punk rock band and goes on to conquer the world! It’s got skateboarding! It’s got punk rock clubs! It’s got ’90s music! But that’s not all! Pre-order now and we’ll throw in with no extra cost to you: Anxiety! Depression! Band breakups! Loss of self! Suicidal thoughts and ideation! And of course everyone’s favorite: cancer! This shit gets dark.”
Jane's Addiction members Dave Navarro, Eric Avery, and Stephen Perkins have issued their own joint statement on the cancelation of the band's tour:
"Due to a continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell, we have come to the… pic.twitter.com/MzJ9ePQqgV
This weekend, tens of thousands will storm Douglass Park for three days of live music, food, and chaos. Now in their 19th year, Riot Fest will once again why they are the best festival in the world.
You don’t have to spend your entire weekend watching music, but if you want wall-to-wall action, Case the Producer from Brian & Kenzie has you covered. Here it is: his highly-anticipated Path to Greatness.
Friday
Winona Fighter: Cabaret Metro Stage (12:45-1:15)
I’m going to advise you to kick off your weekend with the best named band of the entire weekend. Winona Fighter has been releasing music since 2022, but over the course of the last six months, it feels like something is truly “happening” with this band. The Nashville-based trio have been ripping across the world this weekend playing set after set and picking up new fans at every stop along the way. I feel very safe in my assumption that the next time this band plays in Douglass Park, they’ll be playing much later in the day.
Home Front: Radical Stage (1:40-2:10)
In the spring of this year, I headed to Cobra Lounge for the one-two punch of Home Front and The Chisel (more on them in just a second), both of whom were playing for the first time ever in Chicago. I had high hopes for The Chisel, who by that point had garnered a reputation for being a thrilling live band, and was curious to see how Home Front, who’s 2023 release Games of Power blew me away upon first listen, would translate to a live setting. Home Front, who sound like a cross between Echo & the Bunnymen and The Damned, absolutely destroyed that night. My curiosity and perhaps skepticism about this band becoming a live act turned out to be so foolish. This band is full of rippers. As a live act, they’re a thrilling cacophony of sounds from punk’s bygone eras.
In short, go see Home Front.
The Chisel: Rise Stage (2:15-2:45)
Oi oi, it’s The Chisel. The street punks from London are back in Chicago after a thrilling first outing at Cobra Lounge earlier this year. If you find yourself being excited to see NOFX or Face to Face this weekend, the no-nonsense, uptempo approach of The Chisel is going to be right up your alley. I fully expect these guys to turn a lot of heads this weekend.
Spiritual Cramp: Radical Stage (2:50-3:20)
Listen to me carefully: if you are going to Riot Fest, you need to be at the Radical Stage at 2:50 on Friday. As far as I’m concerned, this is the band to watch this weekend. The Clash-meets-The Hives-meets Bay Area punk collection has been turning heads all year. The began the year opening for Iggy Pop before heading out on the road with Militarie Gun for the Life Under the Gun tour. They’ve spent the summer opening for The Hives and playing every festival imaginable in Europe. I expect big things in the coming years for Spiritual Cramp. I think they’re a brilliant studio band and one of the most engaging live bands I’ve ever seen.
When they opened for The Metz at Metro two years ago, it was one of the coldest nights of the year. The Metro was frozen and dull prior to them coming on stage. Within a song or two, the atmosphere in the room had completely changed. I was in the minority of people that had heard of them before that show, let alone seen them previously, but everyone in the building left that night buzzing about what they had seen from Spiritual Cramp.
I expect the same from those at Riot Fest this weekend.
Drug Church: Radical Stage (4:00-4:40)
You’ll need a Riot Fest Lemonade after seeing Spiritual Cramp. Drink up, eat up, and then get back to the Radical Stage at 4:00 for Drug Church. I fully believe frontman Patrick Kindlon is a genius. Some have even described me as a Full Blown “Kincel”. Whether it be in Drug Church, his experimental punk band Self Defense Family, or the highly underrated S.W.A.T. project, Kindlon has proven himself to be one of the most thoughtful lyricists and one of the most charismatic performers in all of music. Since opening for Alkaline Trio earlier in the spring, Drug Church has unveiled plans for their fifth studio album, “PRUDE”, which will drop on October 4. I say this as someone who has consumed nearly every bit of music Kindlon has ever recorded – lead single “Demolition Man”, which details the pointless experience that is life, are some of his most profound lyrics ever.
Sum 41: Cabaret Metro Stage (6:05-7:05)
I’ve never seen Sum 41 before and I’d like to see Sum 41 before they go away. That’s why they get the edge over The Lawrence Arms or Cypress Hill, both of whom share slight overlap with the Canadian pop punkers. I would go as far to say I’ve never fully understood Sum 41. It’s punk music that misses me. I say all of these put downs for a reason, however – “Landmines” is such an incredible song. I’m almost annoyed that it exists because it’s so good and I can’t believe it took them so long to write a song THAT good. So I guess when I say that I want to see Sum 41, I am really saying that I want to see Sum 41 performing “Landmines”.
The Offspring: AAA Stage (7:10-8:10)
I can guarantee you that I won’t have my fix of The Offspring from their Q101 Pop-Up Performance at the Metro the night before. I adore this band, I adore Smash, and I can’t wait to see them play it in its entirety on Friday night.
Fall Out Boy: Cabaret Metro Stage (8:15-10:00)
Bonus points if they play “Dead on Arrival”.
Saturday
Heart Attack Man: Radical Stage (12:15-12:45)
I’m convinced that Heart Attack Man, despite their years of aggressive touring and pumping out quality music, just haven’t found their audience yet. By this I mean, the masses haven’t heard Heart Attack Man, and that’s the only reason they aren’t huge. For years now, these guys have torn it up on every tour they’ve been out on and I expect them to kill it when they kick off the festivities on Saturday.
Buzzcocks: Cabaret Metro Stage (1:45-2:15)
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that the Buzzcocks were returning to Chicago for the first time since 2017 (when they played that year’s Riot Fest). The Buzzcocks are a defining British punk band who helped pave the way not only for the sound of proto-American punk acts, but countless “new wave” acts that dominated England when Thatcher still ruled with an iron fist. Music would be a lot different if the Buzzcocks had never existed. I will be paying my respects on Saturday.
The Hives: Cabaret Metro Stage (2:55-3:35)
I’m still kicking myself for missing The Hives when they played Bottom Lounge last year. Their most recent record, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, was excellent, which makes sense because after all, it was a Hives record. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about everything they’ve done in this era of the band. This is one my most anticipated sets of the weekend.
Sincere Engineer: Rise Stage (4:10-4:40)
What, are you not going to see the nicest woman in the world play some music? You’d sound like a real jerk if you were saying that. Luckily, if you’re on Q101.com, it’s a guarantee that you’re going to see Sincere Engineer on Saturday.
Basement: Radical Stage (4:45-5:25)
It’s been five years since Basement has played Chicago. Despite not releasing any music and hardly playing any shows since that show at the Metro, they’re a much bigger deal than they were the last time they were here. I say this not to discredit the artistic ability of Basement, but much like Deftones, they happen to have an incredibly friendly sound for TikTok. People love the loud, slow-and-steady approach of the British standouts. An entirely new generation of fans have discovered Basement since they last played Chicago, and they’ll get their chance to celebrate with them on Saturday.
Waxahatchee: Radical Stage (6:15-7:00)
Waxahatchee, the stage name of Katie Crutchfield, put out one of the best records of 2024 with Tigers Blood. While her sound is atypical to what Riot Fest usually brings to the table and a far cry from anything happening on, say, the NOFX stage, she’ll no doubt be a welcomed addition to this lineup.
Bright Eyes: Radical Stage (7:55-8:55)
There are two reasons to see Bright Eyes:
They’re a great band.
If they aren’t great, it’ll mean that someone on-stage (i.e. their singer, Conor Oberst) had a meltdown.
Either way, you’re guaranteed dinner and a show.
Sunday
Sprints: Cabaret Metro Stage (1:20-1:50)
I have to give credit to Crew Member Jess for turning me onto Sprints just a few days ago. She didn’t do it intentionally, but I saw her post on social media about them, listened, and then immediately determined that I liked them. I look forward to checking them out on Sunday.
Fiddlehead: Rise Stage (2:10-2:50)
Fiddlehead is one of the most important bands of my lifetime. Frontman Pat Flynn, who prior to this band was the vocalist for the iconic Have Heart (among others…shout out Sweet Jesus) splits his time between playing in Fiddlehead and teaching history to the future of America. I’ve learned more about myself, and about the world, by listening to Flynn than most other people in my life. I have never missed a Fiddlehead set in Chicago and I don’t plan on doing so anytime soon. In short, if you don’t like Fiddlehead, f*ck you.
GEL: AAA Stage (3:05-3:45)
The only good thing about Suicidal Tendencies getting moved from Sunday to Friday is that it allowed GEL to not overlap with Fiddlehead’s set. I caught the tail-end of GEL’s set at Metro last year when they were opening for Drain (I apologize to GEL for running late) and they absolutely killed. I do not know many bands with better reputations for their live act than GEL. I am pumped to see them again on Sunday.
Slaughter Beach, Dog: Radical Stage (4:15-4:55)
The last time frontman Jake Ewald played Riot Fest, he was doing it with famed DIY-punk outlet Modern Baseball. That was 10 years ago. Since then, Modern Baseball split up and Ewald became this generation’s Townes Van Zandt. A brilliant songwriter and tantalizing guitar player, Ewald has become the most exciting voice in the burgening world of alt-country. I haven’t had a chance to see SBD since the release of their last record, Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling, and I will look to rectify that on Sunday afternoon.
Laura Jane Grace w/ Catbite: NOFX World (5:45-6:30)
Laura Jane Grace is coming to Riot Fest to perform a set of Operation Ivy songs. I couldn’t imagine doing anything better with my time than seeing that.
Oliver Tree: Rise Stage (6:50-7:50)
Olive Tree choked me out the last time that I saw him. I will be checking out this set, but I won’t be enjoying it. Instead, I’ll be plotting out my revenge.
Sublime: Rise Stage (9:00-10:00)
With all due respect to Sublime With Rome, who have trotted around the Chicagoland area with regularity since 2010, this will be the first time that Sublime proper have played Chicago since 1996. Bradley Nowell’s son, Jakob, will of course be manning vocalist duties this time around. I cannot wait.
Fans on The Cure’s mailing list have shared images of a cryptic black postcard that was sent to them from the band. The postcard reads, in scattered letters, “Songs for a Lost World” with the numbers 1, 11 and 24 — assumedly the title of The Cure’s new album and its November 1st release date.
Join the Irish American Heritage Center for their annual Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day. The center hosts three days of live music and Irish dancing, plus a traditional Irish Breakfast.
White Sox host the Athletics (Friday to Sunday)
The White Sox continue their quest to be the worst team in the history of baseball this weekend as they host the Oakland A’s.
Join Q101 for 3 Day Riot Fest Tickets at Logan Arcade (Friday)
Hang out with the Q101 Crew at Logan Arcade from 6pm to 9pm for a chance to win Riot Fest 3 Day Tickets! Winners can also pick up their passes while the crew is onsite. Logan Arcade is located at 2410 W Fullerton Ave. You must be 21+ to attend.
Staind and Breaking Benjamin at Tinley Park (Saturday)
Staind returns to Chicagoland with their friends Breaking Benjamin this Saturday night for what should be a thrilling show in Tinley Park. Tickets are available here.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (Saturday)
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are playing their first show in Chicago since 2019. The band, who wrote the greatest song ever about an eating disorder in “Me and Mia”, will be playing a sold-out show at the Metro on Saturday.
Join Q101 for 3 Day Riot Fest Tickets at Bucket O’ Blood Books and Records (Saturday)
Hang out with the Q101 crew from 10am to 4pm for a chance to win a pair of Riot Fest 3-Day tickets. Winners can also pick up their passes while the crew is onsite. Bucket O’ Blood is located at 3182 N Elston Ave.
Join Lauren O’Neil for the Out of the Darkness Walk (Saturday)
Join team Q101 at Montrose Harbor for a Chicagoland walk acknowledging how suicide and mental health conditions impact day to day lives. The walk begins at 9am, with an opening ceremony at 10:30am. The walk starts at 11am.
Berwyn Brew Fest (Saturday)
Make your way to the suburbs for the annual Berwyn Brew Fest. Enjoy live music, food, and a selection of craft beers for sampling.
Chicago FC vs. New York Red Bulls (Saturday)
This Saturday at 7:30pm head to Soldier field to watch Chicago FC play the New York Red Bulls. Enjoy a fan experience of games, food and a live DJ before the game.
Lakeview East Festival of the Arts (Saturday and Sunday)
Enjoy a variety of food, live music and works from over 150 juried artists this weekend. The event is located along Broadway from Belmont to Hawthorne, and goes until 7pm.
El Grito Fest (Saturday and Sunday)
Celebrate Mexican Independence Day this weekend at Butler Field in Grant Park. Enjoy live musical performances, folk dances and a variety of traditional food. The Festival runs each day from 2pm to 10pm.
Ravenswood ArtWalk (Saturday and Sunday)
Walk down Ravenswood Avenue and indulge in a mix of art, live music and theater from 11am to 6pm. Local venues and artists will be showcased in this neighborhood’s 22nd annual event.
Oaktober Fest (Saturday and Sunday)
Enjoy a weekend of live music and a selection of craft drinks for Oak Park’s Oktoberfest. Kids can also enjoy activities such as train rides and balloon twisting.
Bryn Mawr Block Party (Sunday)
From 10am-6pm enjoy a day of family friendly activities including live music and face painting. The event takes place between Kimball and Kedzie.
Mexican Independence Day Parade (Sunday): Kick off the annual Mexican Independence Day celebration at noon in the historic Little Village. The parade takes place on 26th Street and Albany Avenue and will feature a variety of folk dancers and other participants.
ESPN Personality Shannon Sharpe made headlines yesterday when he accidentally went live on Instagram in the midst of a passionate round of sexual intercourse. The live stream drew comments from thousands of users, all confused as to why “Unc” had gone live at that specific time.
23 years ago, the fabric of our country changed forever. At 8:46 a.m., a commercial jet crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Twenty minutes later, a second plane crashed into the South Tower and whatever confusion there was was quickly erased from the minds of Americans. We were under attack. 2,996 people lost their lives in a senseless attack that altered the mindset of every American going forward.
As the towers fell, America rose up together as one. Two decades later, as our country battles division amongst one another, it is crucial that we remember the sense of community that we felt immediately following the attacks. Going forward, let us never forget the attacks on our country, and let us remember the sense of unity and pride that we carried with us in the immediate aftermath.
Q101 remembers all of the lives lost on September 11, 2001.
Hey hey you you, I think you should check out Avril Lavigne while she is currently on her greatest hits tour which for any kid growing up in the early 2000’s would know this is probably one of the most nostalgic tours ever! Everyone knows the Pop-Punk Princess from her catchy songs and just one-of-a-kind performances plus who could forget those iconic music videos back in the day! As someone who grew up with Avril, listening to “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi” on repeat, plus many of her other amazing hits that she wrote that came out later, is she truly is a one-of-a-kind singer who I am so lucky to have been able to see! Let me tell you about some of my favorite parts of seeing Avril’s set and why you want to see her on this tour!
Avril played for a full hour and a half set here in Chicago on a Tuesday night! One of my favorite parts about seeing her though was not only her incredible set of throw back songs but also seeing the fans who arrived early and dressed like her back in the early 2000s! Which honestly made my day! I truly love it when fans come to a show, and dress up like the artist but love it even more when the artist acknowledges it and sells merch for it! Avril played seventeen songs, one was a cover with Simple Plan which who can ask for more from two super iconic punk Canadian artists! Avril also had an incredible LED screen playing old music videos of hers to go with the song she was singing on stage! It was so cool and definitely made me feel kind of old! She also gave little fun speeches about certain songs like for Complicated, she talked about how 22 years ago, this was her first single and is what truly jump-started her career, and boy oh boy did fans go nuts!
If you wondering if seeing this iconic Pop-Punk Princess is worth seeing this tour, I would 100 percent say yes! Now if you are wondering if this show is all-ages friendly, once again yes! I saw so many kids at the Chicago sold-out show and they were just having a blast rocking out with whoever brought to the show! It was truly so neat to see the newest of fans rock out with the older fans who have watched Avril from day one 22 years ago! Overall, I had a great time, shed some tears, and would 100 percent see Avril again! Was probably one of my favorite and most nostalgic sets I have seen in a good while!
One of the most iconic voices in history sadly passed away yesterday. James Earl Jones, who could be heard voicing Darth Vader and Mufasa from The Lion King, among other characters, left us at age 93 yesterday. Jones leaves behind an iconic portfolio of work with his voice and on the screen, as he had featured roles in films such as Coming to America and Field of Dreams.
Something I have been noticing recently is bands doing reunions or making a comeback or as one band may call it, doing an encore performance. What I mean by this is that Pulp is currently on tour and it’s called “This is What We Do for an Encore” which I think is a genius way of saying a reunion tour or ending a hiatus. In case you didn’t know, Pulp has not played in the United States since 2012 Coachella! It’s been nearly a decade if not longer since they have even played Chicago so this is a huge deal! To say this show wasn’t magical is an understatement!
Pulp started their set/on the first night of their tour with a beautiful moon graphic on the stage. It began with Good Evening and then started with a few facts, like how this is Pulp 552nd show they have ever played! Then it went on to the tour name and getting fans to cheer and scream as loud as they can because it’s an Encore performance! Pulp did play 19 songs during this opening night with a few songs that have never been played live and did not one but two encores to make this night more memorable! Something that did get the crowd a little in their feelings was when Pulp played “Something’s Changed” where they dedicated the song to Steve Albini and of course their late bassist Steve Mackey who passed away in 2023. It was a very touching moment for everyone in the sold-out audience. A fun surprise however was when Pulp played “Spike Island” which had never ever been played live before so it had people so excited that they were dancing and singing along with the band!
Overall, without giving too much away on the setlist but with other fun surprises, Pulp was phenomenal live and a band you should see if you can since they’re doing super limited dates here in the United States! Truly this felt like to me at least, one of those once-in-a-lifetime feelings. Especially being able to see and hear this band live for the first time! The band has 8 more dates, and 3 cities to try and catch them in if you can! The cities include Toronto, New York, and California. Hands down though, it was a phenomenal show and I hope I have the chance to see them again if they decide to tour the states again or even do a music festival in the states again!
While the conversation for the greatest show of all-time rolls on, Rolling Stone has unveiled a new list that is bound to stir up some controversy. A collection of TV critics put together a list of the best TV episodes of all-time, which included The Office’s “Dundees” at #40, The Bear’s “Forks” at #38, and at #1, Breaking Bad’s “Ozymandias”.
What is the greatest TV episode you’ve ever seen? The conversation lives on Facebook.
Pre-order Blue 30 CD & Vinyl box sets https://t.co/7LaRP9HTTb (out 11/1). You get a full disc of unreleased early recordings, a full disc of unreleased early live recordings, The Kitchen Tape in its fully realized album format (as the band hoped would be possible back in '92, but… pic.twitter.com/SxloKXOZwd
A leaked memo on the Spongebob Reddit revealed that coming in October in collaboration with the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob, Wendy’s is set to produce a Krabby Patty.
The sandwich will be part of a Krabby Patty meal, with the concoction being detailed as “a premium cheeseburger with Wendy’s fresh, never frozen beef, topped with fresh produce and a secret Krabby Patty sauce, capturing the magic of the iconic fictional sandwich for SpongeBob fans,” according to the report.
Leonard Riggio, the founder of Barnes & Noble, has passed away at the age of 83. Under the leadership of Riggio, Barnes & Noble became a bookstore giant, one that expanded across the country and outlasted competitors like Borders. While initially criticized for putting mom & pop retailers out of business, in recent years, Barnes & Noble has been looked at as a savior of brick-and-mortar retailers in the fight against Amazon and e-commerce.
