Weezer, Slayer, Jane’s Addiction to Perform Full Albums at Riot Fest
Weezer, Slayer, Jane’s Addiction and several other groups will be playing albums from their respective catalogs in full at the Chicago edition of Riot Fest this summer, with one more unannounced band set to round out the festival’s “10 Years. 10 Essential Albums” program. The fest’s headliners this year include the Cure, Wu-Tang Clan, the National and the Flaming Lips.
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The albums that their respective bands will be revisiting in Chicago this year include: Weezer‘s Weezer (Blue Album), Slayer‘s Reign in Blood, Jane’s Addiction’s Nothing’s Shocking, the Glenn Danzig–fronted group Samhain’s Initium, the Offspring‘s Smash, NOFX‘s Punk in Drublic, the Descendents’ Milo Goes to College, Naked Raygun’s Throb Throb and the Get Up Kids’ Something to Write Home About. Weezer, Slayer and NOFX will also perform their albums front to back at the Denver offshoot.
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While nine bands have been announced as part of the series, organizers have hinted that one more major announcement is on the way. “During last year’s Violent Femmes’ set at Riot, where they performed Violent Femmes unannounced in its entirety, it dawned on me that if we ever did an album play thing at Riot, we should make it something that the fans would remember years from now,” said Riot Fest partner Michael Petryshyn. “I was walking back to my trailer after their set and it hit me… ’10 Years. 10 Essential Albums’ and it grew from there.”
Now in its 10th year, Riot Fest will once again take place in three cities at different times this year, each with a unique circus-style theme (last year’s Chicago date included Lucha Libre wrestling and a Ferris wheel). Toronto’s Riot Fest & Expo will take place on September 6th and 7th at Downsview Park, Chicago’s Riot Fest & Carnival will happen between September 12th and 14th in Humboldt Park and Denver’s Riot Fest & Sideshow is slated for September 19th – 21st at May Farms.
The Chicago edition of the festival will be the first time Gwar perform since the death of frontman Dave Brockie, who portrayed the character Oderus Urungus. Pussy Riot’s two freed members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, will also take part in an interactive panel with other Russian artists and once-imprisoned activists.
Tickets are available for all three festivals at Ticketfly.