Sept. 13--Kelly McMillan and Ray Kondel, friends from central Michigan, said they could spot Riot Fest attendees miles away from the West Side rock festival, just by one look at their shoes.
"It's a great conversation starter," said Kondel, 36, whose Emerica sneakers were coated in mud Sunday after a rambunctious Rancid concert Saturday night.
Filthy footwear was the norm this weekend as mosh pits turned into mud pits, thanks to another rainy Riot Fest. The three-day festival kicked off its second decade in Chicago on Friday with a new home in Douglas Park and a few hiccups -- from ankle-deep mud in the park to transportation headaches to complaints about a rowdy crowd at System of A Down's set Saturday night. By Sunday, the park was drying out ahead of scheduled headliners Modest Mouse and The Prodigy.
Riot Fest spokeswoman Chris Mather said a landscaper was at the park over the weekend making preparations for grass repairs Monday after storms Friday and Saturday morning led to thick mud, especially by the two stages in the southeast corner of the park. Workers used "several tons" of mulch to address low areas affected by the rain, which was blamed for the hour-and-a-half delay of Riot Fest's opening Friday.
On Saturday, there were deep puddles by the food area on the east side of the park, and a ballfield near the west side of the festival looked almost unrecognizable Sunday caked in mud.
Riot Fest organizers have been criticized in the past for park cleanup after the festival. Ald. Roberto Maldonado, 26th, would not allow Riot Fest to return to Humboldt Park, its home for years, following a public dispute over the condition of the park after last year's rainy festival. Riot Fest organizers paid $182,000 to clean up Humboldt Park last year.
Music fans and Douglas Park neighbors said they were getting used to the new setup of the fest, which was expected to draw about 45,000 concertgoers each day. Festgoers who talked to the Tribune said it was more convenient to use public transportation to get to the festival because Douglas Park is blocks from the Chicago Transit Authority Pink Line while Humboldt Park is farther from a CTA rail stop. Also, the close proximity of the seven stages eased schedule conflicts.
Addison West, 28, said the festival seemed more compact and easier to get around than last year in Humboldt Park. "We skipped out on The Cure last year because they were all the way across the park from where we were," said West, of Ann Arbor, Mich.
West said he and his friends encountered difficulties leaving the park Friday night, as it took them two hours to reach the Northwest Side on the Pink and Blue lines.
The festival layout also appeared to lead to some sound bleeding between the stages, as Friday's headliners, No Doubt, Motorhead and Ice Cube, cranked up the volume. Wind on Friday also seemed to play a role in how clearly acts could be heard.
Crowd activity seemed to be problematic for System of A Down. Social media users who said they attended the concert reported fans pushing into and falling onto each other. Mather said in a statement that "there was crowd movement that, combined with wet conditions, caused some guests to lose their footing." The band stopped playing to make way for additional security and medical personnel, Mather said.
No requests were made to Chicago police for aid during the set, but one fan was transported for medical reasons during the show, Mather said.
Fewer than 10 concertgoers were taken to local hospitals between Friday and Sunday morning, said John Begesha, director of emergency medical services for Dolton-based Daley's Medical Transport. Some festivalgoers suffered twisted ankles from the mud, while others reported bee stings, Begesha said.
At least one business by Douglas Park experienced headaches from the festival. Ruby Walker, site director for the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, which faces the southern border of Douglas Park, said the festival generated traffic and parking concerns Friday from parents who drop their kids off at her day care.
"It's taking a bit of time for parents to get here," Walker said.
Elizabeth Pedersen, marketing and communications manager for St. Anthony Hospital, which also faces the south side of Riot Fest, said the hospital was "working in cooperation" with festival representatives. Hospital officials dropped a lawsuit seeking to block Riot Fest in Douglas Park last week after reaching an agreement with festival officials, who said they would monitor noise inside the hospital and traffic outside the hospital. Music from the stages could be heard inside the hospital's entrance on 19th Street.
Riot Fest did not start off on the best foot Friday. Concertgoers waited for hours outside the festival gates as workers set up signs and barricades at 11 a.m. Friday, when gates should have been open.
There was little communication from festival officials about when the gates would open, and as the morning turned into the afternoon rain soaked the long lines. The crowd, however, seemed to take the delay, and the mud, in stride.
"I'd come again next year, just don't forget the rain boots," said McMillan, 36.
Tribune reporter Kevin Williams contributed.
tswartz@tribpub.com
