The third and final day of Riot Fest began with clear skies and picture-perfect, 80-degree temperatures. A large portion of the crowd arrived early — perhaps fearing a forecast that predicted rain in the evening.
Here’s a look at some of the day’s sets:
The Linda Lindas
One of the great things about Riot Fest is the diversity of genres being performed, and the diversity of the artists. Older statesmen like Lee Ving of Fear, 72; Glenn Danzig of The Original Misfits, 67; and Greg Graffin of Bad Religion, 57, appeal to the older demographic at Riot Fest and give younger fans a chance to see legends that their older siblings may have told them about.
Then there are acts like The Linda Lindas, an all-girl group from Los Angeles whose oldest member, Bela Salazar, is 18.
Salazar’s bandmates include sisters Mila de la Garza, 12, on drums; guitarist Lucia de la Garza, 15, and their 14-year-old cousin Eloise Wong on bass. (Salazar is a family friend to her bandmates).
The girls were discovered playing all-ages shows in L.A.’s Chinatown neighborhood, went on to open for riot girl legends Bikini Kill and eventually were featured in Amy Poehler’s movie “Moxie.” In May 2021 a video of them performing their song “Racist, Sexist Boy” at the Los Angeles Public Library went viral, resulting in praise by respected musicians like Tom Morello and Thurston Moore and a contract from Epitaph Records.
By April 2022, the Lindas released their debut album, “Growing Up,” and the track that got them noticed, “Racist, Sexist Boy,” was nominated for best song at the 2022 Kerrang Awards.
On Sunday, the Linda Lindas walked out to a big cheer and kicked off their set with “Growing Up.” Their innocence was welcomed by the adoring fans, who laughed when Salazar told them that they explored Chicago yesterday, seeing “The Bean” and some “cool, lion statues.”
Before they played “Vote!” they elicited more laughs, saying, “Voting is really important. We’re not able to vote yet [because of their ages] but if you can do it, you can make a difference.”
They played 10 songs in all and even though they played the Bikini Kill classic “Rebel Girl,” which they covered on their album, they bring more to concertgoers than the screeching yells that are prominent in the bands of the Riot Grrrl movement.
They did show their youth in the content of some of their songs — “Monica” and “Nino” are both about their cats — but they also touch on bigger issues with songs like “Racist, Sexist Boy.”
The concertgoers who caught the 30-minute set received a refreshing treat on Sunday.
