My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, dressed in a coat and headband, energetically performs onstage as the crowd roars with excitement.
Despite protests from Douglass Park residents in the days leading up to the festival, in sometimes sweltering heat and long lines for food and drinks, tempers were high as more than 100,000 fans gathered over three days and nearly 100 performers They took to the stages, thrilling the crowd. at this year’s Riot Fest.
A mix of classic and emerging artists from a variety of genres offered something for everyone at one of Chicago’s largest annual music festivals September 16-18.
The three-day festival riled up the crowd and excited the performers as well.
“Every time I come to a rock ‘n’ roll festival in the US, I feel at home again,” said British singer-songwriter YUNGBLUD.
On Saturday, YUNGBLUD performed select songs from their new self-titled album for the Riot Fest crowd. He was jumping around the stage with a lot of energy, even with a bleeding knee.
“It’s my most personal album so far,” said YUNGBLUD. “I went places and dug very deep. This album, more than anything, is a preparation for what is to come, for the rest of my life. I opened a door that could not be closed.
YUNGBLUD said that he he believes that art should not be categorized or formulated and considers that studying music at university is a valid path like any other. He said he wishes he’d gone to college for art because “the best thing about art is being surrounded by other artists.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re big or small, that doesn’t define you as iconic,” said YUNGBLUD. “I always say the Cramps are as iconic as David Bowie, but one played stadiums and one played clubs. Success does not define art. Authenticity defines art, so make something real, and that’s when it’s iconic.”
Jake Hill, an American rapper and songwriter, shared that performing at festivals like Riot Fest has a huge impact on his mental health and makes his anxiety worse.
“When it’s my own shows [anxiety is] it’s not that bad,” Hill said. “When it’s festivals and no one really knows who I am, and I get on stage in front of a bunch of people who are waiting for the next act or just looking at me, I’m like, ‘Okay, f—, I have to show them who I am, I have to show them who I am. to make sure I’m okay on stage. There’s added pressure to be remembered.”
He described the last month as “the hardest point of my life” and said he is dealing with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety.
Hill said that in these negative experiences he finds inspiration to make music, but creates an unhealthy mindset and hopes to write more positive songs in the future.
“If I can write a song about what I’m going through, and someone else texts me and says they’re going through the same thing, that helps me know I’m not alone, just like it helps other people know they are.” . You are not alone,” Hill said. “Maybe it’s not the healthiest thing to write about all the time, but I’m good at it because I know what it’s like and I live it.”
Hill said that to help improve her mental health, she recently started doing guided meditation, eating healthier, taking vitamin D, and doing talk therapy. “Being mentally good is my highest version of success because right now I’m so stressed out,” Hill said.
Mannequin lead singer Pussy, Marisa “Missy” Dabice said she can enjoy enjoyment a couple of drinks at the artists’ open bar after his performance at Riot Fest on Saturday. But for her, it’s kind of weird; Dabice shared that on tour it is easy to start drinking, and it took her a lot of time and discipline to realize that it only puts her in a state of depression.
“[I] make touring as much work as possible and have as little fun as possible. You just have to not drink, stretch every day, do vocal warm-ups, drink lots of water and try to eat as healthy as you can,” Dabice said. “There are a lot of restrictions and you need to take care of your body in a very focused way so that you can have that energy every night.”
but dabice said Tours and festivals aren’t just about discipline, they also allow you to express yourself through clothing in a way you can’t outside of this context. On Saturday, Dabice wore heart-shaped sunglasses, black leather boots, and a see-through black dress, with nothing underneath apart from star stickers on her nipples.
“At festivals and shows you experience a completely different kind of freedom to dress and express yourself,” Dabice said. “We have worked very hard to build a place where we are safe to make music and express it with other people. You can’t just walk down the street, being very exposed and respected at the same time.”
Singer and composer CarolesDaughter said that before beginning her musical journey, she never went to shows or festivals and instead spent most of her time doing what she enjoys: writing. But after music became her profession, she said that he began to feel more like an influencer than an artist.
“It seems like 5% of my time is actually writing and making music, it’s very little of my time,” Carolesdaughter said. “[The majority] is dedicated to touring, promoting and creating content. It feels like you’re just creating throwaway content that isn’t long-lasting. They are not works of art; it’s like something to click on and something to get views, that don’t even translate to actual streams, and people who go to your shows and actually love you and relate to you, so it’s all useless and the world is terrible.
Caroledaughter said no I believe that a college education is necessary for artists, and while people can learn interesting and technical things in college, no one can teach them how to make art. she added that there are a lot of “nepo babies” in the arts, referring to people who profit from nepotism.
“If people already have that innate gift, and they go to an art school or whatever to study that, and hone in on the technical side because there is so much to learn that can be taught,” Carolesdaughter said. “But the real soul has to be there already.”
