Riot Fest is a mecca for fans of rock & roll, hip-hop and all things punk in the City of Chicago. Its 2017 lineup features everyone from industrial legends to new wave pioneers to groundbreaking rappers, all of whom are geared up to deliver unforgettable sets at Douglas Park Sept. 15-17. Here’s a look at just a few of the Rebelle acts we are looking forward to seeing at this year’s event.
M.I.A.
The artist known as M.I.A. flies like paper, gets high like planes every time she takes the stage – she has even been known to climb the rafters at festival performances. With five studio albums and a slew of EPs and mix tapes to her name, the English/Sri Lankan rapper is fully loaded with an arsenal of politically-charged bangers to incite Riot Fest fans to mosh the day away.
Alice Bag
Punk pioneer and feminist bad ass Alice Bag is set to teach festival-goers how to truly rock at Riot Fest 2017. Along with her work with the Bags, she recently released her debut, self-titled album full of blistering tracks like “No Means No,” “Little Hypocrite” and the tongue and cheek 50s throwback, “He’s So Sorry.” When it comes to rebelle rock, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Kitten Forever
Minneapolis trio Kitten Forever have an uncanny knack for intertwining pop and punk with growling guitars and infectious melodies. The all-female rock band are known for putting on heavy-hitting live performances, as Laura Larson explained in a 2016 interview with Rebellious Magazine. “We write our songs based off of performing them live. We’re a live band. We all switch instruments when we play and we have really high energy. And we’re having fun, so we hope that the people watching us have fun too,” she said.
Peaches
Time will tell what the teaches of Peaches will reveal at Riot Fest, but her empowering, gender-blurring, sexually charged messages will surely connect with fans across Douglas Park. Her set is poised to become a no-holds-barred performance art celebration of raw, synth-pop at its best.
Paramore
Paramore has reached heroic heights in the past decade thanks in no small part to the versatile punk pop vocals of front woman Hayley Williams. Her colorful personality and unstoppable energy have helped the Tennessee rocker to become a global phenomenon. Their Riot Fest 2017 performance has all the makings of a history-making set.
Riot Fest takes place in Chicago’s Douglas Park on Sept. 15-17. Other notable performers include Nine Inch Nails, New Order, Gogol Bordello and the reunited Jawbreaker. Click here to pick up tickets to the event and head over to RiotFest.org to view the full 2017 lineup.
