We've been active in the circus arts community for the past few years as our kids are on CircEsteem's pre-team and are learning aerial arts, Chinese Pole, clowning, juggling, unicycle, and more. We've reviewed numerous circus shows for ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows are avid supporters of as much local Chi-town circus as possible. El Circo Cheapo are some of our favs. Quite a few of our kids' teachers are involved.
Then get out this weekend and see them live, in the big tent. Riverfront Theater--one of our favorite theater spaces in the city--is the now to be permanent tent of Peter Pan and La Soiree Cabaret fame.
El Circo Cheapo at Brilliant Corners!
This Saturday only!
Come check us out in the big tent! Saturday, Sept 22, 5-6
We love performing in tents, and you love when you get to sit in a chair for only $10! That's right...chair seats for $10! Wooo hooo!
Come check out some of the best acts of El Circo Cheapo Cabaret (and Crockett's very last show with us anywhere...sob!), all hosted by the very hilarious Adam Burke! Yes, THAT Adam Burke!
There's really not a lot more to say about it. It's going to be totally awesome, totally fun, and totally early in the day, so set your alarm clocks for 1PM, get some brunch, and head to the Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusement to see some "intents" circus. HA HA HA...get it?
Riverfront Theater is at Chicago Ave and the River. Big white tent. Can't miss it.
"The ability to let go and be enthralled by a Brilliant moment of entertainment or spectacle is at the heart of human experience. At every Corner of the globe, people come together to enjoy the most Popular and more obscure forms of human Amusements."
Don't miss the Putterbaugh Sisters, doing alate night comedy set at the Festival, Friday night!
Gogol Bordello HIGHLY recommended--Playing today (Sunday) at 7:25 on the Roots Stage. ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows has shot them from the pit at North Coast Music Fest 2011 and Summer Camp Music Fest 2012. They are one of our favorites and a must see live. Come check out these gypsy punks. You'll be glad you did! They're the real deal.
We had a rockin' good time at Riot Fest in Humboldt Park yesterday. It was the 8th year for the fest but the first day as a party in the park. It was a genius move to take the bulk of the fest outdoors and we hope it's a permanent move. We shot over 600 photos and video footage Saturday alone, which we'll be editing and posting here soon. For now, we've got a fest to cover, so you'll just have to wait.
We've got loads of great Gwar blood shots....of the band and the slimed freaks in the audience, too. And we have some sweet pit photos of A Wilhelm Scream and Chi-Town's own Deals Gone Bad.
Plenty of families were out with the punk kin. UPPERkase Stilt Crew, the Environmental Encroachment marching band and fire spinners were fun for all ages and lent a welcome circus punk atmosphere to the fest. The carnival strip was a colorful diversion, too.
Recommendations
There are so many truly great bands playing Sunday, so tough choices will have to be made. Here's where we're leaning for sure. We'll have to see how mid day plays out. We may get around and do a mini sampler
Reverend Horton Heat--
first half set playing 1-1:40
Fishbone--1:15-2pm
The Jesus and Mary Chain 4:40-5:25
Elvis Costello 5:25-6:25
Alkaline Trio 6:25-7:25
Gogol Bordello 7:25-8:25
Iggy and The Stooges 8:25-9:25
Can't wait to see Iggy again. Caught him last at Lollapalooza with the kids a few years back and he's still got it. Our husky rescue dog is even named Iggy Pup. Check out our past Iggy coverage here.
**Also noteworthy:
Bands we dig are in bold. Click on their names to hear tracks, see videos and learn more.
KICKS-OFF AT HUMBOLDT PARK AND CONGRESS THEATER 8TH ANNUAL FEST FEATURES MORE THAN 30 MUSIC ACTS:
RISE AGAINST, IGGY AND THE STOOGES, ELVIS COSTELLO, DESCENDENTS, THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, THE OFFSPRING, NOFX, A DAY TO REMEMBER, THE PROMISE RING, DROPKICK MURPHYS, ALKALINE TRIO, THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM, CHIODOS, AWOLNATION AND MANY MORE
ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows will be there with the kids-Sagezilla & Du-Jay-shooting all 3 days. Last night we shot The Offspring and Congress Theater was raging. We got some sweet pit shots we'll have up shortly! Then we hit up the Naked Raygun after party at Sub T. Two words...Wonder Beer! A few years back, they played a Riot Fest Congress show and brought all their respective kids out on stage to say hey. Punk kin rock!
The eighth annual RIOT FEST--the music festival which celebrates rock, indie, punk and underground artists from every era--storms into its home base of Chicago.
On Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16, the festival is expanding for the first time ever into an outdoor music event and carnival in Humboldt Park which boasts rolling green fields and a majestic view of the Chicago skyline.
The RIOT FEST & Carnival features a wide mix of artists ranging from Alkaline Trio, Built To Spill, Gogol Bordello, Neon Trees, Fishbone, Hot Water Music, Minus The Bear, Frank Turner, Coheed and Cambria, Less Than Jake, Japanther, A Wilhelm Scream, NoBunny and many more.
Beginning in 2005, Riot Fest, Chicago’s and perhaps the US’ premiere punk festival, has grown both in size and reputation since its inception. After six increasingly successful years, Riot Fest Chicago expanded to Philadelphia in 2011. With the subsequent success of the additional city, promoters once again expanded the festival for 2012.
With a lineup that includes acts such as the Descendents, Iggy and the Stooges, Rise Against, and Elvis Costello, Riot Fest stands poised to continue setting new trends and raising the festival bar.
Consequence of Sound caught up with Mike Petryshyn, one of Riot Fest’s promoters, to discuss Riot Fest’s changes this year, both in Chicago and elsewhere, Petryshyn’s “philosophy” of dropping the politics and just having a good time, as well as what it’s like standing just off-stage while the Descendents perform.
Riot Fest is considered one of, if not the, premiere punk festivals. This year includes The Stooges, Rise Against, and Elvis Costello. You’ve earned a reputation for quality lineups that has subsequently attracted higher profile artists each season. Without bringing up names, Riot Fest seems to have partially filled a void left by another once prominent punk fest. What was the impetus behind starting Riot Fest, and do you have a mission statement that keeps you true?
Wow. That’s loaded. I’ve got to be honest with you, when we started doing it in 2005, there wasn’t any reason to do it outside of me being bored and wanting some of my favorite bands to play together. I had a normal, 9-to-5 job, I was going to school, everything like that. It was a couple years down the line where it took on a life of its own. And now, fast forward, it’s going to be our eighth festival. It still is what it is. Implying that we’re filling a void, I guess we are, whether it’s in punk rock, or rock n’ roll, or what have you. I guess we are, but I really don’t view it like that. We just like to put on shows with music we like. If that’s filling a void, so be it. Cool.
Lineups aside, another thing people note about your festival relative to other festivals is the affordability.
Yeah. Listen, these things aren’t cheap to put on. If I look at Lollapalooza or Coachella, I get it, and they have some heavy hitters on there. You’re essentially building a venue outside, so the cost associated with production, all the little things that no one thinks of, whether it be catering, or rentals of port-o-potties, fencing…There’s a million things and stuff’s expensive. But our mindset was that we understand Lollapalooza charging $90 a day or whatever it is, is fine. We get it.
But there is other ways of keeping your festival in the black without making tickets that expensive. It’s not like we’re planning on making millions of dollars or anything like that. That’s not our goal. Our goal is to put on a cool festival. Our tickets, at most, will be $45 a day. It’s completely worth it. Some of these bands charge more just being by themselves. We’re more about volume than just doing a show for X amount of people. We went for the volume side of it and it’s worked.
Speaking of volume, this year the festival is expanding to three days in Chicago. Why this year?
It used to be five, but it was all indoors, so it’s a little bit different. Apples and oranges. We’re doing two days outside on a Saturday and a Sunday, and then we have our opening night at the Congress Theater.
Why this year? What was so big about the eighth year?
Sean [McKeough], my partner in Riot Fest, and I, we’d been talking about this for a couple of years now. Back in the day, I was dead set against it. I kind of liked the hub-less folk feel we had of multiple venues and stuff like that. But that carries its own amount of headaches and you start to really cannibalize your crowd a little bit when you have competing shows, like three or four competing shows at the same time. When we started talking about it a couple of years ago, we were like, “if we’re going to do it, we should do it a little bit differently, not like everybody else.” Not to say that we’re reinventing the wheel or anything like that, but we just want to have a different feel than say, any other festival that goes on in Chicago. I think we achieved that.
So, when last year was really successful, we knew we could have done more. So, last year, our four big shows at the Congress, we treated them like stages. This was all in one day. We’d have Social D close one stage, we’d have Danzig doing Samhain closing one stage, we had the Descendents close one stage, and we had Weezer close one stage. And that was how we treated it last year, and it just seemed that last year was so successful that this was the year to do it.
So, will the expansion be permanent or do you have wait and see how successful this is?
It’s permanent. We’re staying outside.
Last year, the festival expanded to Philadelphia, and this year you added Brooklyn, Toronto, and Dallas. How were those cities chosen and why haven’t you chosen anything out west?
Brooklyn’s Brooklyn. I thought it was important to do something in New York. Same thing with Dallas. Dallas is a really large market, like the fourth largest market in the US right now, but it seems that it’s overlooked by the stuff that we do. We met up with some people from those cities and that’s how it came about. Everybody’s behind, everybody believes in what we’re doing. Toronto, out of all of them, is probably the most special to me, because as a kid, I grew up in Buffalo, and I’d go to shows in Toronto. I’d go to Canada all the time. That’s the one, out of all the cities, I’m excited about all of them obviously, but Toronto’s a special one for me.
Do you think you’ll move out west and do something in California or Washington?
I don’t know. People have talked to us about it, but nothing I see in the foreseeable future.
With the festival branching to other cities and many artists like the Descendents appearing on multiple bills, is Riot Fest evolving to become a traveling festival like the original Lollapalooza?
No. Never say never, but it’s definitely not in the plans. I think back then when Lolla and Warped were in their burgeoning years, what they were doing made a ton of sense. And I still think Warped tour for the new generation of kids makes a ton of sense. It’s still really successful. I know they killed it this year. But for us to be traveling just like Lolla did it…nah. It’s not in the cards. The climate’s changed. At least in my eyes, it’s a little bit more special when you pick cities and embrace those cities, do stuff on the weekends and have the community involved. They’re a part of something. That’s kind of our ethos here and it’s one reason why we’re successful in Chicago. We have this grassroots feel. There’s not that many people working on the Fest. There’s a handful of people, but we dedicate our lives to this stuff.
On behalf of all the fans, I want to thank you for doing it. I look at the lineup of Riot Fest and it makes me yearn for the punk bands of yesterday. I like today’s punk, don’t get me wrong. I like a lot of contemporary punk, but seeing some of these old bands again on tour like the Descendents just really excites me.
Yeah. Listen, I’m 34 years old, so my bread-and-butter is always going to be Descendents, Rancid, that kind of stuff. Look at any Riot Fest in the past. [Naked] Raygun and Screeching Weasel, that’s the stuff I grew up as a kid listening to. But if some kid is listening to the bands that play Warped and considering that the new hardcore, who am I as a 34-year old guy to say no to him. I’m not going to be that guy. “That’s not punk rock.” Because that’d be like the kids that were older than me when I got into the [Mighty Mighty] Bosstones. “That’s not ska. the Specials are ska. Bosstones aren’t ska.” I’m not that guy. There’s no reason to fight it. This is the music that means a lot to people. The Descendents or any of those older bands, they hold a very special place in our hearts because we listened to them during our most influential years. And kids now are listening to A Day To Remember, Chiodos, All-Time Low, and even going back a little bit further with Taking Back Sunday and stuff like that. That’s what speaks to them and I’m not going to argue with that, because when I was a 16-year old kid, the Exploited spoke to me.
Our goal internally is to drop all the politics, all the bullshit that comes with scene points. That stuff drives me bonkers. I’ve always hated it. The music we deal with sometimes has a tendency to be very secluded and not welcoming for whatever reasons. We don’t believe in any of that stuff. Good music’s good music. There’s going to be people rocking out to Elvis [Costello], there’s going to be people rocking out to A Day To Remember. That’s awesome and great. I don’t know if it’s going to be the template for more festivals to come or whatnot because it’s successful. But I just think, drop the politics, everybody have a good time.
That’s a good mantra. When you look at the lineup, it’s almost a history of the genre and you can go and get a grasp of what it’s all about.
Yeah, and that’s something we’ve always done. It’s not like we’re historians of the music, but we listen to a lot of music, we all have our different backgrounds, and I just see a line between all the bands that connects them all. And if other people can’t see that, that’s fine. But we think that if we get to play around with 35 years of music, that’s awesome. That opens up a lot of possibilities for booking some really great acts. We’re not limited like the electronic scene. That’s pretty much the last five years of bands. And that’s why every electronic fest in the US looks exactly the same. I don’t think there’s another fest in the US that looks like Riot Fest Chicago. We just want to be a little bit unique and we’re very passionate about the music too, obviously.
You could probably answer this from personal experience: have the Descendents even aged? They seem like they just continued from where they left off before he [Milo Aukerman, singer] went to college.
Nah, man. They’re awesome, they’re so good. Stephen [Eggerton, guitar] looks exactly the same as he did 25 years ago. Bill [Stevenson] hits the drums just like he did 25 years ago, and Milo, even though he’s a little grayer, once he gets to that unique posture thing he does, where he slams the mic up to his lips, it’s like “holy shit, that’s Milo.” (laughs) And the funny thing is, I did two shows with them last year and at each one the backstage just cleared because every single band, every single staff member was onstage watching them. They’re a band’s band. Everybody loves the Descendents. I’ve never heard anybody say, “fuck those guys, they’re terrible.”
They’re amazing. Everybody has their favorite song, whether it’s “Bikeage”, “Suburban Home”, or “Hope”, or whatever. People just associate with that band. They’re a perfect Riot Fest band because there’s no politics about them. For Christ’s sake, they write love songs that people mosh to. I love it. It’s a great irony about that band, they’re fantastic.
Check back with ChiIL Mama/ChiIL Live Shows like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often. We'll have full blown, photo and video filled Riot Fest coverage all 3 days! Follow our Facebook Pages and Twitter Feeds for all the latest music coverage, original pit photos, original band video interviews, free downloads, give aways and more.
We're 80's punks at heart and it's time again for one of our all time favorite annual music fests. We've been there every year and watched you grow up, baby! This year we're invading Humbolt Park for two days of excellent tunes, carnival rides, and anarchy.
We'll be bringing you band features, must see lists (don't tell me what to do), photo filled features and more.
Friday:
First up, tonight we'll be shooting at Congress Theater
At least they're easing us in. Tonight there are 4 rockin' bands playing in sequence--not simultaneously. And there are no tough choices to be made. So go already. Tickets are sold out again, so if you have a 3 day band or tickets we'll see you out there. If not, rest up and we'll party in the park with you tomorrow.
Got PUNK KIN? Remember, Congress shows and the whole lineup Sat and Sun outside at Humboldt are all ages shows and free to kids under 5 years old with a paying adult. Check the tickets page for other venues age requirements.
ChiIL Live Shows original photos--Rubblebucket LIVE at Lincoln Hall Co-Headlining With Reptar
We've had the great pleasure of shooting Rubblebucket in action 3 times now--at Double Door in January of 2010, at North Coast Music Fest in August of 2011, and at Lincoln Hall on 9/11/2012.
They put on a rockin' show, complete with a giant robot puppet who wended through the crowd while they covered Blondie. We particularly dug their rockin'covers of Rapture and Heart of Glass over what sounded like a Big Audio Dynomite beat!
The mood was festive as this Lincoln Hall Show fell on Oversaturated EP release day and kicked off their current tour.
They played a few excellent track off their brand new EP and loads of old favs. We highly recommend checking them out live.
If you're familiar with our photography, you'll know we not only shoot faces, but feet as well. It's fascinating to see who plays barefoot and what musicians choose for shoes. We dig seeing where people get grounded and connect to the earth.
Their new material is danceable and fun, but they seem to be leaning ever closer to the synth/ house craze and away from the unique instruments of old, sousaphone, and jazz riffs. The crowd still went nuts for the vocal jazz scat bits.
The horns were excellent as always, although the lead singer, Kalmia, played less sax this time around than she used to, and some of her sax parts were actually sampled and played through the keyboards.
The band got up close and personal with the audience as Frontwoman Kalmia Traver first waded into the crowd and sang from their midst and later bandleader/trumpeter Alex Toth dove in for a bit of crowd surfing.
The show culminated in a big dance party on stage as Rubblebucket pulled eager fans out of the audience and up on stage. Catch them if you can. Highly recommended. Rubblebucket defy easy classification and are an utterly unique melding of musical styles that truly shine live. When Rubblebucket comes to town, you'd better put on your war paint and your party pants and get ready to rock!
Click here for more current tour dates, Oversaturated EP info, and our past photo filled coverage. Rubblebucket's Official Bio Off Their Site Led by the musical couple of front woman Kalmia Traver and bandleader/trumpeter Alex Toth, Rubblebucket has spent the last four years building a reputation as a band that blurs the lines between psychedelic indie rock, upbeat dance, and radiant, left-field arrangements. The Brooklyn, NY by way of Boston and Vermont band has evolved into something that is "utterly post-genre—horns, synth, guitars, harmonies—a smile-inducing point on the tangent that connects Björk and Broken Social Scene", which is to say that you never know what you'll see or hear next.
2012 has been a banner year for Rubblebucket, seeing the outfit grace the stages of Bonnaroo (with a surprise guest appearance with Foster the People) among countless other festivals, collaborate with heroes tUnE-yArDs and ?love for a Fela Kuti compilation, bring their raucous live show, along with giant robot puppets and love-tunnels, to larger and larger crowds across the US and receive love and affection from Paste, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, Wall Street Journal, Daytrotter and so many more. Now, on July 18th, the band will make their debut late night TV appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The band will release a new EP in September 11, 2012, recorded at Bear Creek Studios in Seattle, WA (home to Fleet Foxes' two gorgeous albums) with producer Ryan Hadlock (Ra Ra Riot, The Gossip, Blonde Redhead). This EP takes Brooklyn's freshest octet to a new level; between Kalmia Traver's unmistakable voice and the band's hip shaking, off-kilter arrangements, this EP highlights everything that makes Rubblebucket so special.
The band's 2011 album Omega La La marked a milestone for Rubblebucket. Recorded last year at Plantain/DFA Studios with Producer Eric Broucek (LCD Soundsystem, Cut Copy, Hercules and Love Affair) at the helm, the record was their most ambitious yet, with the band dipping into everything from dancey indie-pop arrangements to Fela-Kuti inspired afro-beat stomps. The record has earned a wealth of praise, with Stereogum hailing the record’s “tricky arrangements, whistle solos, and disco guitar leads” and Paste Magazine calling the album “instrumentally rich but catchy enough to ass-kick Katy Perry off the pop charts (in a just world)—mega-melodic without sacrificing an ounce of atmosphere or creativity.”
ChiIL Live Shows caught Reptar Co-Headlining with Rubblebucket at Chi-Town's own Lincoln Hall on 9/11/12. They're touring in support of their debut full length album, Body Faucet, released in May via Vagrant. Produced by Ben Allen (Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley, Washed Out), the new record is the follow up to the group’s debut EP Oblangle Fizz Y’all.
"The ability to let go and be enthralled by a Brilliant moment of entertainment or spectacle is at the heart of human experience. At every Corner of the globe, people come together to enjoy the most Popular and more obscure forms of human Amusements."
