Twenty years after Naked Raygun's celebrated Chicago comeback, their 2006 Riot Fest performance gets the vinyl treatment on Loud Pizza Records. We discover what all the fuss was about…
How does a band become an institution in its hometown, influence generations of punk musicians and still manage to escape your attention for forty-odd years? That’s the question I’m asking myself after encountering Chicago’s Naked Raygun via ‘Live at Riot Fest‘ for the first time.
I’ve heard the name, naturally. Usually mentioned with considerable reverence by people whose musical judgement I trust. They were even the first band young proto–Punk Dave Grohl ever saw live, at Chicago’s Cubby Bear in 1983 – and a big influence. Quite an endorsement. Yet somehow, not a single Naked Raygun record had found its way onto my turntable, until now.
Time to find out what I’ve been missing.
So, let’s travel back to Chicago. November 5th, 2006, to the slightly dilapidated Congress Theatre. It’s only the second year of Riot Fest, a fledgling festival destined to become a fixture of the city’s music calendar.
Naked Raygun are back, fourteen years after calling it a day, much to the delight of the assembled local punk rockers. Formed in 1980, they never achieved the international notoriety of Black Flag or Dead Kennedys. But in Chicago, they were an institution.
Twenty years later, Loud Pizza Records has released the performance as a double live album, documenting a significant night for both band and festival.
‘Home of the Brave‘ opens proceedings with a baying crowd and the band at full tilt. Bill Stephens‘ abrasive guitar cuts across Pierre Kezdy‘s driving bass, while drummer Eric Spicer maintains the momentum. Out front, Jeff Pezzati delivers his vocals with the urgency of someone who’s waited fourteen years to get something off his chest.
The first surprise to a new listener is the songwriting. I’d expected the relentless velocity of American hardcore. Instead, there’s a distinctive combination of aggression, melody and arrangements that don’t always follow the obvious route. Stephens’ guitar work is particularly effective, alternating between jagged riffs and melodic passages without sacrificing momentum.
Pezzati’s vocals take some getting used to. Upfront in the mix, somewhere between singing, shouting and addressing a particularly unruly public meeting, his delivery is unconventional, occasionally eccentric and instantly recognisable. Technically limited perhaps but entirely suited to the material.
By the time ‘Dog at Large‘, ‘Peacemaker‘, ‘Treason‘ and ‘Vanilla Blue‘ come around, it’s apparent that Naked Raygun developed a sound considerably more varied than their hardcore credentials might suggest.
There’s clearly a strong British influence here too. At times, the muscular attack of American punk meets the anthemic sensibilities of the British art school first wave. Later in the show, Pezzati acknowledges his own punk influences; an illuminating selection that helps explain Naked Raygun’s musical DNA. Buzzcocks‘ melodic urgency, The Stranglers‘ darker edge and Wire‘s willingness to experiment provide useful reference points,
As with any live album, the recording isn’t without its limitations. Listening to the show unfolding track by track, the crowd’s enthusiasm is unmistakable, but my hunch is that the balance between recording what’s on stage and audience reaction doesn’t always convey the full scale of the occasion.
Fortunately, with Pezzati’s vocals cutting through, and Kezdy’s melodic bass lines frequently providing as much forward momentum as Stephens’ guitar, it prevents the performance and recording from becoming entirely one-dimensional. Kezdy’s death in 2020 lends this recording additional poignancy, although it’s the quality of his playing that demands attention.
The band rarely pause as they charge through two records’ worth of greatest hits set list, however, there is a surprise when Stiff Little Fingers frontman Jake Burns joins them for a cover of ‘Suspect Device‘. It’s a fitting collaboration, bringing a little Belfast ’78 to Chicago, and underlining the shared musical territory between the two bands.
Elsewhere, ‘Managua‘, ‘Rat Patrol‘ and ‘New Dreams‘ demonstrate the depth of the catalogue, and by the time we get to record two, side two and the encore of ‘Rat Patrol’, ‘I Lie’ and ‘New Dreams’, we totally get it!
Across double album format and with over an hour of live music, the track after track delivery can get a touch repetitive for the uninitiated. A little more contrast would have served the at-home listening experience, even if it might have interrupted the momentum of the gig itself.
That distinction matters. Because this is a true historical record (in more ways than one) of a band cementing their status, and after all, what works brilliantly in a packed theatre doesn’t always translate with equal force to a record played at home.
But there’s little of the self-indulgence that can accompany reunion performances. No elaborate reinterpretations or attempts to demonstrate musical maturity. The band concentrates on the songs rather than its own mythology.
Listening to it on vinyl the overriding sense is, “I wish I’d been there”.
In retrospect, the concert marked an important chapter in Naked Raygun‘s history, introducing their music to another generation as Riot Fest began its journey towards becoming one of America’s major alternative music festivals.
This recording, released two decades later, does exactly the same thing and the anniversary edition arrives on Raygun Infra-Red vinyl, accompanied by a twelve-page commemorative zine, photographs and memorabilia to give you all the background you need, as well as providing a substantial package for collectors and devotees – although of course it’s the performance that remains the principal attraction.
So, twenty years on, ‘Live at Riot Fest‘ captures a band whose reputation rests on more than just local loyalty, and while newcomers might find the original studio albums a clearer introduction to the finer points of the Naked Raygun sound, the musicianship, quality of the material and extraordinary relationship with their audience makes this an absorbing historical document.
Coming to Naked Raygun for the first time, I can understand Chicago’s affection for them. More importantly, I’ve discovered a band whose back catalogue now demands further investigation.
Forty-six years after they formed, I’ve finally discovered Naked Raygun. Better late than never, I suppose!
The album contains 21 live tracks, recorded at Chicago’s Congress Theater on 5 November 2006. Out on 6th November 2026, order your copy from HERE or listen on streaming services (links below)
Main Photo Credit / All Live Photos: MIKE VINIKOUR
- Home of the Brave
- Metastasis
- Hips Swingin’
- Cold Bringer
- Dog at Large
- Surf Combat
- Roller Queen
- Treason
- Peacemaker
- Vanilla Blue
- Gear
- Walk in Cold
- Knock Me Down
- Suspect Device (feat. Jake Burns)
- Entrapment
- The Strip
- Managua
- I Don’t Know
- Rat Patrol
- I Lie
- New Dreams
Follow Naked Raygun on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
EP review: Year Zero – ‘Apocalypse Hotel’
You may already know who Year Zero are, I reviewed their last EP ‘The Louder You Scream’ back in 2024. From the West Midlands, UK,
Album review: Descendents – ‘Bonus Fat’
Well, the Descendents certainly need no introduction from us! The Californian quartet helped lay the foundations for much of what could be termed pop-punk, with
Omega Tribe urge us to download and purchase their new charity track ‘Music And Love’ in aid of TransActual
In brand-new song ‘Music And Love’ we have a tune that Omega Tribe are especially proud of. The proceeds made from digital downloads of this
Rocket From The Crypt, London Electric Ballroom, 7th Nov 2026
Ooooh boy, this one has ‘special’ written all over it. Crash your car into a giant beehive and you wouldn’t create half the buzz that
Album review: SWAMPFOOT unleash their self-titled debut
Brace yourselves, folks, because this record is HUGE. No, not in terms of popularity – not yet, anyway – but it sounds as intimidating and
Punk Rock Creatives Podcast Season 3: New Voices and More DIY Chaos!
From Kitchencore and orchestral Punk to international guests, charity compilations and recording podcasts in the car, we continue to celebrate the wonderfully unpredictable world of
Writer, lyricist, and guitarist with The Viral Breakdowns, radio presenter and passionate protagonist of Punk! From teenage rocker in the seventies, to playing my own original music in far flung parts of the world, I have a love for fast, loud, short sharp tunes with attitude and edge. Based in Chelmsford, you can find me out and about on the Essex and London music scene or rooting through the racks of record fairs, markets and car boot sales, looking for hidden punk rock treasures.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
