Morrissey, SUGAR, Angine De Poitrine Highlight Rainy Day At Riot Fest

Morrissey performs on stage on day two at Riot Fest. Saturday, September 19, 2026 at Douglass Park in Chicago, Illinois

Photo by Ethan Chivari

“The rain, the mud, the thunder, the lightning…” mused Morrissey in his inimitable deadpan style Saturday afternoon on stage on day two at Riot Fest 2026. “We’re all gonna die.”

While it would get even worse come Sunday, the threat of rain and storms loomed over Riot Fest as day two got underway in Chicago’s Douglass Park Saturday afternoon.

“You know this is the last place I’d ever expected to be at any point in my career,” said a notably moved Tom Skilling as he took to the stage to deliver a weather report to the festival faithful. “I can’t get over this crowd – absolutely amazing!” said the TV meteorologist.

For nearly 50 years, Skilling reported the weather on Chicago’s WGN television, finding greater notoriety outside the Windy City thanks to a well-received cameo in the FX on Hulu restaurant drama sitcom The Bear earlier this summer.

Friday and Saturday, Skilling appeared live on stage, keeping fans up to speed on the Windy City’s notoriously tricky weather (with his absence on Sunday perhaps a harbinger of things to come).

“We’re looking at lightning circa 7:30. So, we’re wrapping up early,” said Skilling on stage. “Updated info is on the screen and on the app. Morrissey is coming up next!”

Acting fast, Riot Fest shortened Saturday sets, ending the festival a few hours early while squeezing in most performances in an abbreviated fashion (with the exception of a Saturday evening performance by rapper Afroman, which was cancelled).

“My goodness, what a nice little festival here today. Bright Eyes, Morrissey, who knows?” said Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon with a smile early in a solo performance backed by the Painkillers. “We’ve been talking about it all week. Will he? Won’t he?” he joked, mocking Morrissey’s reputation for cancelling or arriving late to many a performance. “Who cares?!”

While Morrissey’s attendance at any scheduled concert performance these days tends to be in flux right up to showtime, the threat of torrential weather seemed to be a motivating force Saturday, with Moz arriving not only right on time but tearing through a shortened 45 minutes in impressive fashion.

“Welcome to our soundcheck,” said Morrissey dryly, setting up “The Youngest Was the Most Loved.” “Is it disgusting?” he asked of the crowd regarding the grounds on the rain-shortened day. “Surprised,” he said with a glare in response, his sense of humor spot on and hilarious throughout.

Disgusting would be reserved for Sunday’s muddy conditions. But, on Saturday, Morrissey was in fine form despite the rain. Drummer and Chicago area native Matt Walker performed from behind a kit bearing the Chicago flag as the group opened with “Billy Budd.”

“Thank you, thank you. I’m pleased to be here,” said Morrissey introducing “First of the Gang to Die.” “I’m pleased to be alive. It’s a miracle,” he said with a sigh.

A pulsing bassline gave way to incisive guitar during “The Youngest Was the Most Loved,” with actor and martial artist Bruce Lee appearing on screen as the group ripped into The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?”

“We have been warned that we have to be very quick tonight,” said Morrissey, highlighting an amended Saturday schedule due to weather which found most bands performing for somewhere between 20 and 45 minutes. “Otherwise, I get my face kicked in. Which I’m used to.”

Ska punks Less Than Jake plowed through an exhilaratingly fast half hour on the Rise stage, the first act of the day impacted by the weather via a shortened set.

Sax and slide trombone shined despite the issues as the band offered up “Sugar in Your Gas Tank” to start their Saturday afternoon performance.

“Holy s–t!” said singer Chris DeMakes in response to the impassioned response to the band’s opening as crowd surfers spilled rapidly over the guardrail and into the photo pit directly in front of the stage. “How we doin’ today, Chicago Riot Fest? Let me see your f–in’ hands!” he continued, as the band offered up one of its biggest early hits in “Johnny Quest Thinks We’re Sellouts” second in their set.

French Canadian art rock duo Angine de Poitrine, in their guise as band du jour, amassed a substantial early afternoon crowd, making the most of their 30 minutes on the Riot stage.

Forming in the province of Québec in 2019, the pair has released two albums since 2024, going viral earlier this year. Both members (Khn de Poitrine on guitar/bass and Klek de Poitrine on drums) stay anonymous, performing beneath masks and with pseudonyms.

The duo’s unique sound puts an almost jazz-like spin on garage rock, conjuring up the mental image of acts like Primus in the process, with the mosh pit throwing fuzzy dice into the air throughout the brisk performance.

“You f–ing Riot Festives!” said John Lydon, addressing the fans on stage Saturday at Riot Fest. “You see what you’ve missed?” asked the provocateur rhetorically.

While 30 minutes of Angine de Poitrine felt quick, Public Image Ltd’s set flew by even faster, with Lydon and company offered just 20 minutes to make a statement during the Chicago stop of their first U.S. tour in almost a decade, one evening removed from a Johnny Rotten-less performance by his former bandmates the Sex Pistols on the Riot Fest stage.

While they squeezed only three songs into their set, Lydon was nevertheless in top form, affable, engaging, quotable and funny throughout his Riot Fest debut.

“Public Image” doubled as a ripping mission statement to open the set with “Death Disco” following.

“Sing along with Johnny now!” said Lydon, setting up a prolonged but spectacular take on “Rise” from the group’s aptly-titled fifth studio album Album in 1986.

At 70 years old, Lydon may be reciting the lyrics from an on stage lectern but nevertheless remains a polarizing and entertaining figure on stage, backed during this run by a potent three piece PiL, wrapping up an all too brief festival experience that left many fans wanting a whole lot more.

“How’s it goin’? We are Sugar!” declared incendiary guitarist Bob Mould, taking the stage with SUGAR bandmates David Barbe (bass) and Malcolm Travis (drums) during a stop on the group’s first tour together since 1995.

If Mould was frustrated by the shortened set, he appeared to be taking it out on his guitar in spectacular fashion, attacking it with frenetic precision while spinning a whirling dervish, diving into the trio’s 1992 debut Copper Blue.

Banter was kept to a minimum as Mould and company tore into “The Act We Act” followed by “A Good Idea” and “Changes,” knocking out Copper Blue’s first three tracks in order before following with “Hoover Dam.”

Barbe supplied the backing vocal to “Changes” with Mould soon laying waste to a raucously blistering solo that cut through Travis’ propulsive fills during a wonderful live take on “Tilted,” a highlight on day two at Riot Fest 2026.

Mould was performing on the Riot Fest Chicago stage for the fourth time Saturday, making the most of the abbreviated set as the trio moved forward via “Helpless,” ultimately wrapping up with “If I Can’t Change Your Mind.”

“Thank you so much. We are Sugar and we’ve got one more for ya,” Mould declared, setting up “If I Can’t Change Your Mind.” “And then? Who the hell knows who’s comin’ on next?” he continued, properly summing up a taxing day for artists on a largely rained out Riot Fest stage.