8 Bands You Absolutely Must Watch At Riot Fest Denver This Weekend

September is finally here, and you know what that means: It’s Riot Fest season! Riot Fest has quickly become the AP staff’s favorite festival of the year, with its insane lineups full of unexpected reunions and legends rubbing shoulders with up-and-comers. All three Riot Fests—Toronto, Chicago and Denver—share some lineup overlap. No matter which one you attend, you’ll have a chance to see the Cure, Taking Back Sunday, Rise Against, Bring Me The Horizon, New Found Glory, City And Colour, Social Distortion and more. But we thought it would be fun to feature some of the acts that are exclusively playing only one Riot Fest, that way you can go see ’em, then rub it into the faces of everyone attending the other Riot Fests that you got something special, maaaan. And isn’t bragging rights what it’s all about?

You can catch the following eight bands exclusively at Riot Fest Denver at Mile High Stadium on Sept. 19-21, so get your tickets now!

3OH!3 (Sunday, 5:15 p.m. @ Byers Country Feed)

I would hope that you already know this, but just in case you don’t: 3OH!3’s name is a play off of the 303 area code, which covers the greater Denver area. What does that mean? Well, this is gonna be as big a hometown show as it can probably get for this electro-hip-hop duo. If you don’t think these guys don’t have some surprises up their tank tops for this Riot Fest set, there’s a bridge in Brooklyn I want to sell you. —Scott Heisel

A DAY TO REMEMBER (Saturday, 10 p.m. @ Byers Country Feed)

It’s an insane experience, seeing A Day To Remember live, especially as they build into “2nd Sucks” and thousands of people collectively scream, “Fight!” Seconds later, everyone screams, “Get the fuck over it!” Only at an ADTR show. The band are at the top of their game right now since dropping the successful Common Courtesy, and not even their strongest detractors can stop them. We’re currently at maximum ADTR, and that’s a great time to see them live at Riot Fest. Who knows, maybe you’ll even see Jeremy McKinnon roll out on the crowd in a giant hamster ball. —Matt Crane

BIG FREEDIA (Friday, 10:30 p.m. @ Revolt Stage)

When I say “Big Freedia,” you say “Queen Diva!” I once had the chance to see New Orleans Bounce-pathmaker Big Freedia at a tiny hipster bar in my college town for free. All my friends who went had a blast, and I still regret not going. So you Riot Fest attendees need to atone for my mistake. Freedia’s set—all about energy, letting loose and proud ass-shaking—is sure to be an exclamation point in the middle of your regularly scheduled rock festival experience. Old-school punk-rock dudes, I especially need you to embrace the booty wobble. Need. Please do this for me. —Cassie Whitt

BRICK + MORTAR (Sunday, 1:30 p.m. @ May Farms)

Brandon Asraf and John Tacon formed Brick + Mortar six years ago after countless attempts to do something meaningful with other musicians were less than encouraging. Keeping it lean and mean has worked for the New Jersey-based duo: Last year, they aligned themselves with Photo Finish Records for the release of Bangs, a six-track mini-LP that isn’t impenetrably experimental as much as it is slightly askew. Distorted keyboards, slamming rhythm tracks and grating samples are couched within fully realized pop songs, topped off by bassist Asraf’s highly expressive vocal melodies. It’s a chemistry that wouldn’t sound out of place on a bill on the Fest or foreshadowing a plotline on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. When they roll up onto the Riot Fest stage, there’s a good chance the smattering of rocker tribes in attendance will find something in Brick + Mortar’s high-spirited set to gravitate toward. —Jason Pettigrew

STRUNG OUT (Saturday, 2:20 p.m. @ Byers General Store)

If you don't catch Strung Out's set at this year's Riot Fest Denver, that's quite possibly one of the most un-punk things you could ever do. Since their conception in 1989, Strung Out have released seven studio albums (their eighth is on the horizon), toured internationally multiple times and continue to boast a genre-molding sound encapsulating everything from genuine punk rock and metal-influenced licks to radio-ready hooks, and everything in between. Just a brief listen through the band's discography will leave any self-respecting alternative music fan wondering, “Is there anything these guys can't do?” And this writer's answer to that is a blatant but firm, “No.” Do yourself a favor: Jump in a circle pit during the band's set next Saturday. It may end up being your favorite moment of the entire weekend. —Tyler Sharp

SUBLIME WITH ROME (Sunday, 7:45 p.m. @ Byers Country Feed)

The chance for many to see Sublime in concert ended almost 20 years ago with the death of frontman Bradley Nowell in 1996. Their long list of unforgettable songs have spawned many cover bands, and while that does give people the chance to hear those tunes live, a cover band is just never the same as the original. Then, in 2009, Sublime With Rome hit the scene. Featuring original bassist Eric Wilson as well as drummer Bud Gaugh and the addition of Rome Ramirez on guitar and vocals, Sublime With Rome offered the closest thing to seeing the original iconic ska/punk band live. Gaugh bowed out of the project in 2011 to spend time with his family, leaving Wilson as the only original member, so if you’re one of the lucky people making it out to Riot Fest, don’t miss your chance to see and hear some of the best songs from the ’90s performed by one of the guys who was actually involved in the making and original performances of them. —Nick Major

TOUCHÉ AMORÉ (Sunday, 4 p.m. @ Byers Country Feed)

Speaking from the experience of only seeing Touché Amoré erupt a college classroom that moonlights as a venue, Riot Festers can expect the band’s energy to be multiplied to the nines. Frontman Jeremy Bolm has his role down pat; He sounds as scathing live as on record, his words need no translation and he's one with the crowd when they need him. Likewise, the band have become a fiercely cohesive live force, shimmering and smashing through favorites from their breakout LP, 2011's Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me and its following chapter, 2013's Is Survived By. —Brian Kraus

TV ON THE RADIO (Sunday, 7:45 p.m. @ May Farms)

The last few years since the release of their 2011 album Nine Types Of Light have been relatively quiet for Brooklyn art rockers TV On The Radio. However, with the forthcoming release of their fifth album, Seeds (due out this November on Harvest Records), the band are back on the festival circuit and ready to showcase some new material. While their sound might not be for everyone, TV On The Radio are an insanely gifted live act, able to transcend genres and conventional song structure. If you're looking for something wholly unique in your Riot Fest experience, and are open to the weirder, funkier, artsier side of indie rock, this might be the band for you. —Philip Obenschain