Anyone here like The Misfits? (photo by Jamie Ludwig)

Best Performances:

“@Manbque #godfather #rickythumbs #Larryandhisflask is so fucking good I am sorry you are missing the show. Even of you are watching #cromags” (@Manbquemusic 10/8/2011 4:48PM, Congress Theater)

Larry and His Flask, a six-piece band fromOregon, went gangbusters on the crowd at the Congress Theater on Saturday afternoon. The six-piece band mixes bluegrass, punk, country, often played at perilously fast paces. Members flew on and off the stage with their instruments in hand, danced in the pit, and generally had the frenzied audience eating out of their hand. One of the most fun, original, and engaging new (to me) punk bands I’ve seen in a very long time. I’m already excited to see them next time around.

Other highlights included X at the Bottom Lounge on Wednesday night, where the legendary L.A.rockers delivered a seamless performance of its seminal album Los Angeles (“I think they’re all my favorite track…” (@Manbquemusic, 10/5/11, 9:47PM, Cobra Lounge), a not-so-secret “secret show” by New York Hardcore pioneers Cro-mags at the Cobra Lounge Saturday night, and a joint effort by Chicago pop-punks Dan Vapid and the Cheats and hardcore mainstays 7 Seconds to close out the festival on Sunday night.

Worst Performances:

Social Distortion’s set wasn’t so much bad as it was depressing. It’s hard to watch what was one of the best punk bands of a generation turn into a Vegas-style show that even my grandmother would think was lame.

Memorable Musical Moment:

“The sound of 3500 people singing, ‘whoa-o-oa’” (@Manbquemusic 10/7/11, 11:56PM Congress Theater)

Danzig Legacy was a total blast. The crowd went wild during the Misfits set, turning even the grumpiest old rockers into the ultimate crowd of fan boys-and-girls. Any musical discrepancies or muddy Congress-theater sound was masked by the crowd singing along to every track. The excitement and anticipation of the crowd made it quite possibly the most fun I’ve ever had at a concert of that size. I’m smiling thinking about it now. My only regret was believing that the show was over when the house lights came up and missing “Skulls.”

Memorable Non-Music Moment:

Hanging out with the ManBQue crew and friends at Danzig Legacy, and at the Cobra Lounge, amped up for what turned out to be a colossally heavy Cro-Mags set.

Overall Opinions of Riot Fest 2011:

At this year’s Riot Fest, my eyes were re-opened to a number of punk styles that I don’t listen to often, and I was often blown away by the talent and dedication of many of the performing bands. It also feels great to spend a weekend surrounded by punk fans of all types. (Except that one chick with the huge “White Pride” tattoo on her back. I could do without her. And the kid in the Grateful Dead T-shirt)

That being said, for as many great performances there were this year, there were also a number of unmemorable pop-punk bands (many of whom also had to contend with the Congress’ tinny sound) that started to blend together in my head, as well as groups that seemed rather out of place at a punk fest, the most obvious example being Sunday night’s Congress Theater “alt-rock party” featuring Weezer, Urge Overkill, and White Mystery. It also seemed strange that out of five nights of bands in venues across the city, I could count the number of female performers on one hand.

I would prefer to see Riot Fest continue to branch out to include even more styles of punk rock–anything from lo-fi garage punk to d-beat, noise, dance punk, grindcore, etc. There is still so much more awesome stuff they could do within the context of the festival that is what makes it unique and unlike Lollapalooza, Warped Tour, etc.

Predictions for Riot Fest 2012:

I predict that Riot Fest will continue to grow and expand, possibly even into a third and fourth city, after the success of Riot Fest East in addition to the regularChicagoshow. Google “punk albums 2012″ and you’ll get a hint of potential headliners and support bands, but additionally, I’d love to see sets from legendary bands like Discharge and Suicide. Maybe they could talk Rocket from the Crypt, Nausea, or Frightwig into reunion shows or bring Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, et. al for a round of Birthday Party songs (a girl can dream, can’t she?).