FESTIVAL REVIEW: Riot Fest 2024 Part 2 Live at Douglass Park


The heat raged on, and so did Riot Fest. After night one’s stellar lineup, Riot Fest’s second day continued to showcase the exciting and diverse lineup that the festival had in store. With alternative music icon Beck as Saturday night’s headliner, the day was infused with alternative rock, pop, and everything in between.Continue reading


FESTIVAL REVIEW: Riot Fest 2024 Part 1 Live at Douglas Park


Benjamin Franklin said nothing in this world is certain except for war, death, and taxes. If he were around today, there’s no question he might consider adding Riot Fest to that list of definitive certainties.

Once again, Chicago held its very own Riot Fest – one of music’s most renowned Punk music festivals – in Douglass Park. Despite original plans to move the festival to the suburbs in Bridgeview, a month before the fest was to take place it was announced that Riot Fest would once again be held in Douglass Park as usual.Continue reading


Riot Fest Announces its Return to Chicago’s Douglass Park After an Initial Move


After deliberations with the Mayor of Chicago’s office, the Chicago Park District’s leadership, and Alderwoman Monique L. Scott, Riot Fest has decided to relocate the festival from the SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview back to its original home at Chicago’s Douglass Park. This is effective immediately for the 2024 festival! Continue reading


GIVEAWAY: Last Chance to Win Passes to Riot Fest to See The Return of Slayer, with Rob Zombie, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Suicidal Tendencies, Offspring, NOFX and More


For the second time this summer, we are giving fans a chance to attend Riot Fest 2024, the iconic annual punk rock and alternative music festival! Well known as a festival home to Punk, Hardcore, legendary Alternative Rock is going particularly Metal this year! Home to the exclusive and very first reunion show from Slayer, the fest will also host Rob Zombie, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Suicidal Tendencies, Clutch, GWAR, Drug Church, HEALTH, Brutus, Sunami, GEL, Lord of The Lost, Poison The Well, Pixel Grip, and more!  In addition to the recent announcement of the daily lineups, the fest has announced shuttle service, a community band contest in the Lawndale & Little Village neighborhoods and more! This year’s festival will take place at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, from September 20-22nd, featuring 90+ bands over 3-days, and will feature RiotLand, an immersive “Choose Your Own Adventure” world that promises to elevate the festival experience to new heights. Riot Fest, while reluctant to leave its longtime home in Chicago, made the difficult decision to relocate due to issues with the Park District, which paved the way for RiotLand, a 3-day version of which will be explorable on the Riot Fest website starting tomorrow. Fans can double tap their way through the various locations in this punk rock town. The giveaway ends in a few days, so enter to win now!Continue reading


GIVEAWAY: Riot Fest Announces Single Day Band Lineup, Shuttle Service to RiotLand and the Community Band Contest


Beck @ Chbm89 dreamstime_s_51047408

UPDATED: Win another pair of tickets to Riot Fest from Ghost Cult below!

Riot Fest, the iconic annual punk rock and alternative music festival, is excited to announce its 2024 daily lineup, shuttle service, a community band contest in the Lawndale & Little Village neighborhoods and more! This year’s festival will take place at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, from September 20-22nd, featuring 90+ bands over 3-days, and will feature RiotLand, an immersive “Choose Your Own Adventure” world that promises to elevate the festival experience to new heights. Riot Fest, while reluctant to leave its longtime home in Chicago, made the difficult decision to relocate due to issues with the Park District, which paved the way for RiotLand, a 3-day version of which will be explorable on the Riot Fest website starting tomorrow. Fans can double tap their way through the various locations in this punk rock town.Continue reading


Riot Fest 2024 Books Fall Out Boy, Beck, Slayer, Pavement, St. Vincent, NOFX, Rob Zombie, Bright Eyes, Sublime, The Offspring, GWAR, Dr. Dog, Mastodon, Suicidal Tendencies, Laura Jane Grace, and More


Riot Fest, the iconic annual punk rock and alternative music festival, is excited to announce its 2024 lineup, along with the introduction of an innovative new world, and a venue change, now with parking! This year’s festival will take place at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, from September 20-22nd, featuring 90+ bands over 3-days, and will feature RiotLand, an immersive “Choose Your Own Adventure” world that promises to elevate the festival experience to new heights.Continue reading


Van Halen Releases “Van Halen II” Forty Years Ago


Forty years ago today Van Halen dropped their second album less than a year after their debut Van Halen set the music world on fire. In just a year, the band had become a household name, and headliner nationally, and Eddie Van Halen, in particular, had graced the cover of many magazines for his sweet shred skills. Wanting to strike while the iron was hot, the band came right back with  Van Halen II (Warner Bros.), made up of their infamous pre-record deal demos made with Gene Simmons and Ted Templeman, and a few new songs. Van Halen II had the unenviable task of following one of the greatest debut albums ever.Continue reading


Randy Rampage, Former Member Of Annihilator And D.O.A., Dead At 58


The reaper has struck again as metal and hardcore legend Randall Desmond Archibald, a.k.a. Randy Rampage has passed away. He was 58 years old. Randy came to fame as the lead singer on Annihilator’s debut album, Alice In Hell, He was also a founding member, bassist and sometime vocalist for hardcore band D.O.A. The news of Randy’s passing was confirmed by the Facebook page of the documentary “Bloodied But UnBowed”, a historical look at the evolution of punk rock on the West coast of North America during the 1978-1983 timeframe. Randy made an appearance in the documentary, which was narrated by Billy Hopeless (formerly of The Black Halos) and released in 2010. We send our condolences out to Randy’s family, friends, and family at this time. Continue reading


Amnesia Rockfest Books Blink-182, Rise Against, Jane’s Addiction, Limp Bizkit and Ice Cube


Amnesia Rockfest 2016 admat ghostcultmag

Back for an 11th year in a row, Amnesia Rockfest near Quebec, in Montebello Canada will host mega bands such as Blink-182, Rise Against, Jane’s Addiction, Limp Bizkit and Ice Cube among the 125 bands who are slated to perform. Other bands scheduled to appear include Korn, Ontario punks Billy Talent and Sum 41, Bring Me The Horizon, Florida’s A Day To Remember, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Twisted Sister (farewell tour and last show in Canada), Puscifer, NOFX (performing their album Punk In Drublic), The Used (performing their album In Love and Death), At The Drive-In (reunion show), Underoath (reunion show), Blink-182’s Travis Barker (solo show), NOFX’s Fat Mike performing as Cokie The Clown (world-exclusive solo show), Lagwagon (performing their album Hoss), Millencolin, Streetlight Manifesto, Against Me!, Strung Out, Guttermouth, No Use For A Name (special tribute), Leftover Crack, Wizo, Flag, The Adicts, Misfits, Dead Kennedys, Steve Ignorant of Crass, D.O.A., Turbonegro and GG Allin (special tribute), Sepultura, Sodom (first show in Canada in 10 years), D.R.I. (first show in Canada in 20 years), Cannibal Corpse, Korpiklaani, Max & Igor Cavalera Back To ‘Roots’ (performing Sepultura’s Roots album), Corrosion Of Conformity, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Faceless and Poison The Well (reunion show) and many more. Some defunct Quebec bands will temporarily reunite exclusively for Amnesia Rockfest, including Vulgaires Machins, Kermess, Raid, Démence and Yelo Molo. Festival regulars Grimskunk, Despised Icon, The Sainte Catherines (performing Dancing for Decadence), Voivod, Anonymus and BARF will be back this year. In addition, Québec Redneck Bluegrass Project, Bob Bissonnette, Gorguts and WD-40, alt rock legends Ludwig Von 88 (reunion show and only Canadian date) and Les Ramoneurs de Menhirs, Bérurier Noir’s Loran’s group.

Tickets are now on sale at www.amnesiarockfest.com and at Amnesia stores. Once again this year, festival weekend passes will be sold at very reasonable rates: $120 (plus fees and taxes), which comes out to less than a dollar per band! New this year: festival-goers can pay for their order in five instalments. VIP packages are also available.

For the 2016 edition of the festival, the VIP campground will be totally revamped to offer a unique experience to festival-goers. Again this year, several public transit options will be available, as well as an area for RV camping.