Review: No Parents @ Riot Fest 2019

Caroline Fisher | Posted on September 30, 2019

West Coast rockers tear up Chicago’s favorite punk music festival with a ferocious set

Starting the Weekend Right

Photo by Mathew Stokes

No Parents, the Burger Records punk rock band based in L.A. who are known for their songs about parties and pizza as well as the comedic bits tucked between tracks in their records, graced the Rise Stage on the first day of Riot Fest 2019. They kicked off the weekend with a fun and refreshing set, playing old hits like “Hey Grandma,” “Monkey On My Back,” and sprinkling in a couple of songs from their new EP “Middleground,” all while upholding their reputation with goofy onstage antics and dancing.

Keeping Punk Alive

Photo by Cheryl Georgette

With facetious lyrics like “my Grandma thinks I’m my dead uncle,” No Parents has an onstage presence that’s hard to ignore. They’ve got a tongue-in-cheek nature reminiscent of classic skate-punk songwriting while having a sound that I would say more closely compares to a fast and whiny rendition of classic garage rock coming out of the L.A. DIY scene. Although I myself cannot claim to be their biggest fan, (with only a few of their songs rattling around in my playlists here and there), I would go as far as to say that they were one of the best performances I saw all weekend and after this set I’ll definitely be seeking out more of their material.

Burger Boys

Photo by Leslie Kalohi

Despite playing at a crisp 12:40 pm, and the crowd being pretty dead, they maintained their energy onstage through their entire show and seemed truly grateful and excited to play the fest. I’ll definitely be looking out for their new EP after seeing this show. Their set was something I could really appreciate. Having been on tour with one of Epitaph’s finest, Plague Vendor, this year (see them at Beat Kitchen October 5th!), and being signed to a label overflowing with talent from Bass Drum of Death, Together Pangea, King Tuff, etc. I wasn’t surprised that they surpassed my expectations but I was nonetheless impressed.

No Parents- “Hey Grandma” Music Video

Be sure to check out No Parents’ new EP “Middleground” (available September 27th), and catch them at Beat Kitchen with Plague Vendor October 5th!