Bands with suburban roots a big part of annual punk-rock fest

Posted September 29, 2009 11:00 pm

Matt Arado

Riot Fest founder Mike Petryshyn says this year's lineup is the best in the event's five-year history.

Ben Weasel, leader of one of the most influential bands to emerge from the Northwest suburbs, probably won't see many of his old teachers in the crowd when he takes the stage at Riot Fest next week.

Weasel, a native of Prospect Heights, occasionally made life difficult for teachers at St. Viator and John Hersey high schools back in the early 1980s, when he was known as Ben Foster.

"I was asked to leave both places," said Weasel, now a father of twin daughters who lives in Madison, Wis. "Though I did, by some miracle, eventually get my diploma by going to night school at Hersey. I caused my share of trouble in those days."

Fortunately for a generation of discerning rock fans, the young Weasel channeled his teenage angst into Screeching Weasel, a punk band that mixed the fast-and-loud aesthetic of hard core with pop melodies. That combination, along with Ben Weasel's snotty-yet-tuneful vocals, garnered the band a passionate national following and influenced later pop-punk groups like Blink 182 and the Offspring.

Screeching Weasel will be one of roughly three-dozen bands to perform at the fifth annual Riot Fest, which takes place next week over five days at a number of Chicago venues. Punk rock is the prevailing taste of the fest. The lineup represents more than 20 years of American punk history, including a healthy dose of bands from the city and suburbs, groups like Pegboy, Naked Raygun, Alkaline Trio and 88 Fingers Louie.

"I think Chicago gets overlooked in discussions about great punk or underground rock scenes," said Mike Petryshyn, Naked Raygun's manager and founder of the fest. "The bands who came from here in the '80s and '90s are among my favorite bands ever."

Matt Skiba, Alkaline Trio's lead singer and a native of McHenry, said his band can't wait to be part of the fest.

"Just the lineup itself was a huge draw," said Skiba, a graduate of McHenry High School East. "Pegboy and Screeching Weasel were some of my absolute favorite bands growing up. And Chicago is our hometown, a place we always love to play."

Screeching Weasel's appearance at Riot Fest is particularly notable because the band, which has gone through several breakups and lineup changes since being formed in 1986, seemed done for good not that long ago. The current lineup features the return of longtime member Dan Vapid, but it does not include cofounding member John Jughead.

"I'd been wanting to play with the band again for awhile, but some legal issues were in the way," Weasel said, declining to elaborate. "Those have gotten resolved, and we have a revamped lineup with people I enjoy working with."

For the uninitiated, Screeching Weasel specializes in short blasts of melodic punk - many of the band's songs fall short of the two-minute mark - with lyrics that comment on everything from unrequited love to getting drunk to life in the strip-mall world of Chicago's suburbs.

"Growing up in an environment like that, kids are forced to make their own culture," Weasel said. "Something like the local 7-Eleven can become a huge part of your life. All of that definitely informed Screeching Weasel's songs."

Weasel, who famously dislikes going on the road, said the Riot Fest shows probably won't lead to a tour. He couldn't say whether Screeching Weasel will release a new album, though he said he continues to write new songs for his other punk band, the Riverdales.

"There are a couple of Screeching Weasel records that we never really toured behind," he said. "So even longtime fans who show up at Riot Fest will probably see something new."

Petryshyn, who created Riot Fest while a graduate student at Loyola University in Chicago, said he's never been more excited about a fest.

"This lineup was a dream to put together, and I really can't wait," he said. "When I see 15- or 16- or 17-year-old kids at these shows, getting into these great bands that I loved myself, it puts a huge smile on my face."

Prospect Heights native Ben Weasel will bring a revamped Screeching Weasel to Riot Fest next week.

Alkaline Trio, a punk-influenced hard-rock band with members from the far West suburbs, will play at Chicago's Congress Theater as part of the upcoming five-day Riot Fest.

Riot Fest What: The fifth annual punk-rock festival will take place next week at multiple Chicago venues. The lineup includes punk stalwarts like The Dead Milkmen, Butthole Surfers, Screeching Weasel and Naked Raygun. Most shows are all ages. When: Wednesday, Oct. 7, through Sunday, Oct. 11 Where: Congress Theater (all ages), 2135 N. Milwaukee; Subterranean (17 and over), 2011 W. North Ave.; Metro (all ages), 3730 N. Clark St.; and Beat Kitchen (all ages), 2100 W. Belmont. Additional shows and venues will be announced soon. Check riotfest.org for info. Tickets: Can be bought for single shows or as multiday passes. Price varies by venue and package. Info: For complete schedule of shows and ticket information, visit <a href="http://riotfest.org" target="new">riotfest.org</a>.

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