Who expected the tiny eastern Colorado town of Byers to host one of 2013’s most-anticipated music festivals?
Itap fair to say this weekend’s is a surprise to everybody.
As the third and final Riot Fest stop of 2013, this weekend’s bash in Byers (an hour east of Denver) has been marked on our calendars for a while. So here are five reasons fans will be breathing fresh country air on Sept. 21-22. See the full
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1. The ’Mats: Rock fans have been waiting for Paul Westerberg to announce a reunion for years. The influential rock act reintroduced itself to audiences at all three Riot Fests this year. (Sept. 21)
2. Pop-punk fantasy: If you’re a fan of ’90s/’00s pop-punk, Riot Fest is your wonderland. The line-up includes , , , (Sept. 21), Rancid and Bad Religion (Sept. 22).
3. A check on your rock ’n’ roll bucketlist: When you’ve lived life like , you’ve lived a full life. And rock fans haven’t truly lived until they’ve seen the Stooges frontman live and in the flesh — fronting the band he’s best known for, even. (Sept. 21)
4. The indie connection: Riot Fest Denver isn’t just for the pop-punk at heart. Despite the rowdy name, the music fest also features a number of calmer indie acts. Maybe your more of a mellow person, or maybe you need to cool down from all the mosh pits, but be sure to catch , , , and Superchunk.
5. Teenage fantasy: Teens who were the die hard fans in the band’s “Take Off Your Pants and Jacket” days are finally 23. Now, there are no parents telling them they can’t go to the show (hopefully), and they’re old enough to drink at a Blink-182 show. Childhood dream realized!
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Ricardo Baca is the founder and executive editor of , the co-founder of and an award-winning critic and editor at The Denver Post.
