Stamos-Gate has come to an end. On Saturday, Riot Fest finally welcomed to its stages the object of their affection after 12 years of stalking Uncle Jesse.
The musician and actor joined The Beach Boys for the band’s set on the Riot Stage.
A longtime fan of The Beach Boys, Stamos’ mission has been to introduce the music of the legendary band to a younger generation, often putting their music in his various shows.
“When discord is at an all-time high and decency at an all-time low, at least we have music of The Beach Boys,” he told the crowd.
Day two of the festival, now in its 20th year, also included Weezer, Jack White and more.
Here are a few highlights Saturday from Riot’s stages.
Weezer
Weezer took one last voyage to the Blue Planet on Saturday night and took Chicago with them during their headlining set at Riot Fest.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the band’s landmark 1994 self-titled debut album, known as “The Blue Album,” Weezer embarked on the Voyage to the Blue Planet tour. The show starts with a breaking news report about how the Blue Planet is dying and the citizens have requested help from Weezer, who have to travel 30 light years to save the planet. Before they get there, they have to navigate the treacherous Pinkerton Asteroid Belt. When they finally arrive at their destination, Weezer needs to play the entirety of “The Blue Album” to save the planet.
It’s a campy concept with the outer space visuals and over-the-top plot, but the band’s commitment to the act makes it well worth the ride. And Riot Fast was the final destination.
“Tonight was the last night we play this show so thank you for sharing it with us,” singer and guitarist Rivers Cuomo told the crowd. —Dorothy Hernandez
Jack White
Jack White really knows how to put on a special Chicago show.
In 2022, it was that surprise set at Empty Bottle. In 2024, it was that intimate gig at Metro. And in 2025, it was a blazing performance at Riot Fest that made you wonder why he didn’t get the night’s headlining spot.
Carrying on the lessons from his “No Name” Tour — which logged two other memorable shows at Salt Shed in April — White’s Riot Fest set continued to set a precedent that an explosive rock ‘n’ roll show doesn’t need any frills. No props, no fireworks, no costume changes, no parody bits. Not even a tour name. That is the Jack White Way and it pulls from the early rock/punk godfathers and blues gods he holds dear, from The Stooges to Son House.
“Chicago, you know this kind of rock ‘n’ roll can only be made in the Midwest,” the proud Detroit native shared, while introducing his neighborhood crew including keyboardist Bobby Emmett and bassist Dominic Davis (also from Detroit) and drummer Patrick Keeler (from Indiana) who were so dynamic and so in sync with each other on songs like “Icky Thump,” “Lazaretto” and “That’s How I’m Feeling,” they came off like the four cardinal directions of music, pointing everything in the right direction.
With White now checkmarking the box of playing Riot Fest for the first time, in the event’s next 20 years, we just need The White Stripes for one of those special reunions. —Selena Fragassi
The Beach Boys
At 6:20 pm Saturday, John Stamos finally entered the world of Riot Fest.
“How about it, after all these years, John Stamos is here?” singer Mike Love asked an exalted crowd, taking the words out of everyone’s mouth. First appearing on guitar, wearing his signature black leather jacket and pompadour hair, John Stamos was the apple of the camera’s eye, eliciting hearty cheers every time it panned over him.
A longtime fan of The Beach Boys, Stamos’ mission has been to introduce the music of the legendary band to a younger generation, often putting their music in his various shows, like “Forever,” the song his Full House character Jesse Katsopolis used to woo his paramour Aunt Becky (Lori Loughlin). Stamos came to the mic to take that one on at Riot Fest, dedicating the song to the late Bob Saget and his widow, Kelly Rizzo, who was in the crowd, he said. This all took place while footage of the sitcom played on screens in the background.
“I’m so grateful to all of you for showing up and ribbing me all these years,” Stamos shared, referring to the fest he long has called Riot Fart. By this point, he’d shed his leather, revealing the special Riot Fest tee made in his honor.
“You’ve kept me humble and the best part is I get to stand here with the greatest band in history,” he added. “When discord is at an all-time high and decency at an all-time low, at least we have music of The Beach Boys.” —Selena Fragassi
James
UK band James offered the calm before the storm.
As the Manchester rock vets took the Riot Stage — part of its first U.S. tour in 15 years — large clouds started forming overhead, threatening the festival’s prime-time hour. But the calm was also metaphysical, a beautiful symphonic respite for anyone needing a break from the circle pits and voluminous punk anthems that had been the soundtrack in the preceding hours.
Though the band didn’t perform its landmark 1993 album “Laid” in full as the group did on previous dates this tour, James’ Riot set felt even more groundbreaking and apropos.
“If you don’t know us, we change the set all the time. We like that uncertainty, it seems more human to f— up all the time and get away with it,” singer Tim Booth shared with the crowd.
A defining moment in the set came with “Born of Frustration” (the band’s first big hit in the U.S.) as Booth jumped into the crowd, hitting his mouth to make the organic vocal noises that start the song and inviting the fans circling around him to become part of the intimate communal exchange.
“That woke us up. That’s all we needed, a bit of connection,” Booth declared.
It wasn’t just that he looked like a shaman; his unifying nature also made this set downright spiritual.
Another high point came with James’ 2018 track “Heads,” which became a rally cry of us versus them.
“I’m an American citizen,” Booth shared before making a statement. “And what I see is democracies are not for the people; they’re for the corporations and billionaires. It’s the problem everywhere. This song is a prayer, a harmony for the land of the free.”
With the tribal percussion (amazingly delivered by several-months pregnant drummer Deborah Knox-Hewson) and ominous cello and horns, coupled with Booth’s thrash dancing, it felt like witnessing a spell cast on the world.
The band ended with its most well-known hit “Laid,” inviting guests in the stage wings to come dance on stage but only if they put their phones away and lived in the moment. Everyone happily obliged — not that it was hard to be present with a band like James. —Selena Fragassi
GWAR
GWAR was out for more blood on Saturday, with some new targets making it on the shock rockers’ 2025 hit list as they rained fake blood on the crowd after making their sacrifices.
Not long after plugging in with their 2017 rager “F— This Place,” an “ICE agent” invaded the stage — GWAR’s nemesis Sawborg Destructo apparently got a new gig as an “Intergalactic Citizenship Enforcer” who was ready to deport the band for being “illegal aliens here on Earth without green cards.” An uproarious amount of boos rang out from the crowd, and Destructo didn’t last long.
While GWAR marks 40 years this year, the band’s latest strikes may be some of their most outrageous, particularly given the widely criticized consequences that have befallen other contrarian voices in recent months, weeks and days. Not that GWAR or the band’s fans care.
As a huge swell of people gathered at the Rebel Stage, T-shirts of all political flavors could be seen milling about: “Ctrl alt-right delete,” read one. Another person wore a Bob Vylan T-shirt, making a statement about the UK band that was effectively yanked from festival lineups, had visas revoked and were dropped by their management company after their comments about the IDF during a set at Glastonbury this summer.
It wasn’t all politically motivated, though. GWAR also took aim at a pregnant “Taylor Swift” donning a Travis Kelce jersey (a repeat target from last year), then dedicated a song to John Stamos and another new one, “Lot Lizard” to the “long haul truckers that keep America running.”
Having played Riot Fest nearly every year since the inception, GWAR is the band that keeps on giving. —Selena Fragassi
Feral Tact
If Friday was all about 2000s lore with the Blink-182 and Rilo Kiley nostalgia, Riot Fest traveled back a decade further Saturday with “I Love the ‘90s” vibes.
Gen X has been buzzing about the arrival of John Stamos, and early arrivals put on their best ‘90s-core with T-shirts celebrating Jesse & The Rippers, Weezer’s “Blue Album” and “Boy Meets World’s” Topanga.
Local act Feral Tact also fit the bill as one of the earlier bands to open the day on the Rebel Stage. The duo is a quasi-offshoot of Chicago’s beloved ‘90s punk rockers Sludgeworth. For some background, Feral Tact’s young teen drummer Max McQuaid is the son of Sludgeworth drummer Brian “Vermin” McQuaid (and has sometimes filled in for his dad) while singer Mike Ramsey has worked as Sludgeworth’s guitar tech.
As the story goes, McQuaid and Ramsey used to hole up at Sludgeworth’s rehearsal spot to work on material that begat Feral Tact, officially establishing the band in 2023. While Feral Tact has logged time at venerable punk venues around Chicago like Cobra Lounge and Reggies, performing at Riot was clearly a “pinch me” moment.
“It’s the best f—ing festival in the world,” said McQuaid, giving a shoutout to Riot Mike. “There is some magic to this festival every year and to be part of it is crazy.”
In its 20th anniversary year, Riot Fest has really tapped into and acknowledged its local roots, bringing out some of Chicago’s finest, also including The Effigies, Pegboy, Dehd, Alkaline Trio and Smoking Popes. Though, what was notable about Feral Tact — in addition to its voluminous sound that belies the fact it’s a two-man crew — was its ability to merge veteran punks and a new generation. Not just the band itself but also evident in the circle pit where kids and adults clashed in the best way possible. —Selena Fragassi