The Cure
Say what you want about the Cure, but whether you like them or not, they are without a doubt one of rock music’s biggest names. With dozens and dozens of hits, it only makes sense that these U.K legends are headlining the entire festival. For so-called non-Cure supporters, we dare you to watch the first three or four songs of their set and try not to sing along. We bet you can’t.
Primus
If for some strange reason you are questioning whether or not you should see Primus live at Riot Fest, there are two words you should remember, Les Claypool. This man has single handedly changed the way people view and play the bass guitar. He is a legend and you will be doing yourself a disservice by not seeing him play.
Weezer
Joining the likes of the Offspring and NOFX, nerd rock aficionados, Weezer, will also be playing one of their classic records in-full. The album they chose? How about possibly their best album, their debut 1994 self-titled record. Also known as “The Blue Album,” this fan-favorite disc boasts such classics as “My Name is Jonas,” “Buddy Holly,” “Undone (The Sweater Song)” and “Say It Ain’t So.” If that’s not enough reason to see these guys, then we don’t know what is.
Bring Me the Horizon
If you’re curious as to why we think you should see Bring Me the Horizon at Riot Fest, go take a trip to YouTube and search their name. Don’t worry, we’ll wait…. yeah, you see all those views? Most of those are for videos released last year. “Go To Hell, For Heaven’s Sake,” for example, was released September of 2013. At the time of this write up, it has accumulated almost 7,500,000 views. Yeah, they’re kind of a big deal.
Social Distortion
Continuing the general theme behind seeing most these acts, Social Distortion is way too legendary not to see. These punk rock icons have been releasing hit after hit since ’83 for God’s sake. So, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to some Social D. Plus, if you don’t see them, Mike Ness will probably kick your ass.
Notable Mentions: Dropkick Murphys, New Found Glory, Motion City Soundtrack, Andrew W.K, Bouncing Souls, La Dispute, The Menzingers, The Front Bottoms, Silverstein, Modern Baseball, I Am the Avalanche, Cerebral Ballzy, PUP, Dads
