photos by Rudy Rubio
Echo & the Bunnymen / Billy Idol / Taking Back Sunday
Some of the best action of the day went down on the smallest stages. I can’t begrudge anyone for focusing on the big names, but I wish more folks had turned up for the ripping sets from younger acts such as Meat Wave and Joyce Manor (the latter of whom had a sizable crowd anyway). Not that the bigger bands weren’t a good time too! Babes in Toyland were fierce. The Damned came out suave and cool while the sun heated things up. System of a Down instantly reminded me why I’d practically glued my copy of Toxicity to my stereo in high school. I’m most thankful for the moments when I forgot I had an agenda except to watch what was right in front of me. [Leor Galil for Chicago Reader]
The 2015 Riot Fest Chicago kicked off on Friday and then continued Saturday with all of the above-mentioned artists, plus Rancid, Iggy Pop, Billy Idol, Drive Like Jehu, Bootsy Collins, Merle Haggard, CIV, Echo and the Bunnymen, Thurston Moore, The Dead Milkmen, Lifetime, Swervedriver, Steve Ignorant, Taking Back Sunday and so many more. Pictures of many of those and more continue below…
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Swervedriver
The Movielife
The Damned
Dead Milkmen
Babes in Toyland
Thurston Moore
Desaparecidos
The Lawrence Arms
Echo and The Bunnymen
Bootsy Collins
Merle Haggard
Billy Idol
Taking Back Sunday
