Riot Fest Announces Daily Schedules, Panel Discussion With Pussy Riot
By Casey Moffitt in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 5, 2014 7:00PM
Riot Fest has released the daily schedules of performers, as well as another addition to the annual rock 'n' roll carnival Sept. 12 -14 in Humboldt Park called Riot Fest Speaks featuring members of Pussy Riot.
Riot Fest Speaks is the realization of founder Micheal Petryshyn's long-held idea to stage a socio-political discussion at the festival. As a person of Ukrainian descent, Petryshyn felt a panel discussion with members of Pussy Riot would be an ideal way to launch the Riot Fest Speaks stage.
Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alekhina of Pussy Riot made headlines worldwide when they were arrested and convicted on charges of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" in their native Russia in 2012. They spent two years in prison.
Since their release, they have started their own news agency, MediaZona, with Russian political journalist Sergey Smirmov as editor-in-chief. MediaZona will focus coverage of the court system, police station, law enforcement and the prison system.
They will be joined on the panel by Bad Religion singer Greg Graffin, Rise Against singer Tim McIlrath, writer/activist Marcelle Karp and Petryshyn. The panel will be moderated by Henry Rollins, and is scheduled to start at 5:45 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12.
Of course if you want to attend the discussion, you'll miss out on some rocking acts, so choose wisely.
Riot Fest's Friday schedule is chock full of ass kickers, starting early with All taking the Rock Stage at 4 o'clock that afternoon. Friday features headliners Slayer on the Rebel Stage, Rise Against on the Rock Stage and Jane's Addiction on the Riot Stage. Other notables include early sets by Failure, Clutch and Mastodon, as well as a post-Dave Brockie GWAR.
Saturday is a bit less intense, but still a nice lineup with headliners The National on the Riot Stage, Taking Back Sunday on the Rock Stage and an hour-long set from Samhain on the Rebel Stage. Get to the festival early if you want to catch locals The Orwells at 1:05 p.m. on the Riot Stage. Other early acts include Anti-Flag, The Buzzcocks, 7 Seconds and The Dandy Warhols. The later afternoon hours feature Paul Weller, Wu Tang Clan and The Flaming Lips.
The festival will conclude Sunday with a two-hour, 15-minute set by The Cure on the Riot Stage. Other headliners include Weezer on the Rebel Stage and Bring Me The Horizon on the Rock Stage. Again, there are going to be great acts hitting the stage early, including Superchunck, Billy Bragg, Andrew W.K., The Hold Steady and Naked Raygun. Early evening performers feature Patti Smith, Mudhoney, Primus and Cheap Trick.
Tickets for Riot Fest are still available.