Riot Fest 2021 day 4 pics: Slipknot, Flaming Lips, DEVO, Thursday, Anthrax, Body Count & more

Devo may have begun in Akron, Ohio, 48 years ago, but the band still sounds like it’s channeling music from the future by way of planet Mars. It had been a lengthy absence from Chicago for the new wave pioneers, having presented their previous seminar on “de-evolution” at the United Center in 2014.

The musicians appeared in matching black suits, with positions lined across the front of the stage in order to make maximum use of a large video screen. Devo were innovators in the unification of music and video, and those skills were displayed during opening number “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” from 2010’s excellent comeback effort “Something for Everybody.” “Don’t tase me bro,” repeated singer Mark Mothersbaugh, recalling the zeitgeist of the early 2000s. The remainder of the set list was drawn from the band’s initial five albums from 1978-1982. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Riot Fest wrapped up its four-day 2021 edition at Chicago's Douglass Park on Sunday (9/19), after kicking off with a smaller "preview party" on Thursday, followed by stacked lineups on Friday and Saturday. The final day was headlined by Slipknot (who replaced Nine Inch Nails), and it also featured The Flaming Lips, DEVO, Thursday, Anthrax, Body Count, The Bled, KennyHoopla, Ratboys, Bleached, HEALTH, Alex G, and more, and pictures of all of those acts are in this post.

Thursday, who have Texas Is The Reason's Norman Brannon on guitar for this tour, played Texas Is The Reason's "If It's Here When Get Back It's Ours" at both Riot Fest and their Riot Fest Late Night show at Cobra Lounge on Saturday (like they also did with Norman during one of their livestreams last year), and they showed off their NJ pride with a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" during both sets. At the late night show, Hether Fortune sang it with them.

Slipknot played at the same time as Machine Gun Kelly, and Stereogum points out that MGK started some beef with Slipknot during his set. "Hey, you all know what I’m really happy that I’m not doing?" MGK asked his crowd. "Being 50 years old, wearing a fuckin’ weird mask on a fuckin’ stage. Fuckin’ shit." He then added, "So anyway, what’s every’s favorite candy? Reese’s Pieces?"

Chicago Sun-Times also reported that before playing "All I Know" (his song which interpolates Operation Ivy, who have still not played Riot Fest) he said, "Turn the lights up. Let me see who chose to be here instead of with all the old weird dudes with masks."

This followed Slipknot's Corey Taylor saying that Machine Gun Kelly "failed in one genre and decided to go rock" earlier this year.

Catch up on our past Riot Fest coverage with pictures of day one, day two, and day three. Riot Fest returns in 2022 from September 16-18 with My Chemical Romance, the Misfits (playing Walk Among Us), and much more TBA.

Video of Thursday's Springsteen cover from Riot Fest and more pictures of Sunday by James Richards IV below.