All The Original Misfits Will Reunite For The First Time In 30 Years To Play Riot Fest

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on May 12, 2016 2:01PM

Glenn Danzig (above) will rejoin The Misfits onstage at Riot Fest this fall, photo via Danzig's Facebook page

For the first time in 30 years, the original classic line-up of The Misfits will appear on the stage at the same time. Riot Fest announced this morning that original singer Glenn Danzig, original bassist Jerry Only, and longtime guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (a.k.a. Doyle) will appear onstage together as The Misfits during the festival this fall.

The Misfits are progenitors of what we know as modern punk rock, and the New Jersey-based band was one of the earliest to start injecting pop hooks in the midst of their hardcore thrash. The band had a distinct visual style, and the members adopted stylistic tropes from horror films and B-movies, resulting in a weird amalgamation of biker goth couture. The Misfits set the stage for countless band that followed in their wake; most bands you see on any given Warped Tour owe The Misfits a heavy debt of gratitude. However the original group burned brightly for a brief time and the classic version of the band was only active from 1977 through 1983.

In the years since, Danzig forged on, first fronting Samhain and then going solo. He is probably best known for his solo hit "Mother," a song destined to become an unlikely favorite choice at karaoke nights everywhere.

Legal battles between Danzig and Only followed in the wake of the group's dissolution, and while numerous incarnations of The Misfits, featuring Only, have toured since the mid-'90s, the prospect of Danzig, Only and Doyle ever appearing onstage together again seemed impossible.

In the last few years, Danzig and Doyle have performed at Riot Fest together, which often led fans to hope that there might be a spontaneous reconciliation and unexpected guest appearance of Only during one of their sets. It was one of those "impossible" reunions that people couldn't help but hold out hope for.

It appears the fans' wait is over, and we'll see that classic trio share the same stage this September in Douglas Park.

Riot Fest is releasing the full line-up for this year's festival next week, but until then let's celebrate The Misfits' reunion with one of their classic songs, "Where Eagles Dare," off a 1979 single from the band.