Yet again, I am here to serve as your Expert In Bands At The Bottom Of The Poster. That role has since spiraled into A Case For, an interview series that began at Riot Fest 2023 that highlights bands that are embedded in the alternative community, but don’t find their music being played on Q101. With the announcement of the 2026 Riot Fest lineup, I am here to put seven Riot Fest bands on your radar that you need to hear right now. -Case Lowe, Executive Producer of Brian & Kenzie
Algernon Cadwallader
If you’ve ever dated a toxic man, there’s a good chance that the words “emo revival” have spilled out of their mouths at some point. Algernon Cadwallader are mostly to thank for that. Coming to prominence after the mid-2000’s boom of eyeliner-laced mainstream emo bands, this group took emo back in the direction of the “second wave” bands like The Promise Ring and Rainer Maria. The Pennsylvania quartet were basement band that were beloved my the DIY community and in-the-trenches music bloggers at the start of the 2010s before taking a hiatus while bands like Modern Baseball, Mom Jeans, and Free Throw, all of whom owe them a great deal, began to blow up. The band returned in 2022 and have been a constant touring presence ever since. They even found time to record the long-awaited follow-up to 2011’s What It Is with 2025’s Trying Not to Have A Thought. If you are searching for frantic shrieks of raw emotion throughout the weekend, Algernon Cadwallader might be your best bet.
Arm’s Length
I’ve often struggled with bands from Canada. I’m not a Rush guy, I don’t care about The Tragically Hip, and Arcade Fire always came across like massive dorks to me, especially when scene contemporaries Band of Horses completely blow them out of the water from a talent perspective. I finally found a connection with our friends North of the Border in PUP, who blew me away upon first hearing them in 2016. My latest Canadian obsession, however, is Arm’s Length, the stunning quartet out of Ontario, who at press time, just headlined House of Blues in Chicago a week ago. No band is better at embodying heart-on-your-sleeve emo in 2026 than this group. They stole the show as the opener’s on last winter’s Hot Mulligan & Drug Church tour and as a headlining act, they proved to be nothing short of extraordinary. They are, without question, a can’t-miss act at this year’s Riot Fest.
Cardinals
Whereas I am often at odds with Canada, I find that I am typically in love with all things Irish (The Cranberries, Saoirse Ronan, the general concept of potatoes, etc.) and Cardinals are the latest, greatest Irish export. The band, who was featured as one of Stereogum’s Bands To Watch in February, are a slight sonic outlier on this year’s lineup. If there were still a Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, this band would fit like a glove in that environment. Nevertheless, I welcome them with open arms to Douglass Park this year. If you like what’s happening Chicago currently with the likes of Friko or the grossly underrated Runner and Bobby, invest some stock in Cardinals.
Haywire
Is Haywire the best band on Earth? The better question might be if Haywire is the best band since The Beatles. Haywire first caught my attention when they announced a US tour last year with a staggering amount of dates. They ended up doing all 50 states and Washington D.C. in six months with the addition of bonus shows all across the country, including a matinee set in Chicago where they covered Hatebreed extensively. I was in the room for that evening’s show at the Beat Kitchen and it was one of the most impacted nights of my life. Not that I needed a reminder, but everything about that evening reminded me why I owe the hardcore scene for everything good in my life. The energy and the sense of community in that room that evening was something that I’ll never forget. The band would later catch the attention of Dicky Barrett, the former frontman of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who played a version of “The Impression That I Get” with the band when they made their triumphant return to Boston late last year.
I say this with my chest: if you see one band at Riot Fest this year, make sure that it’s Haywire. Do not miss this, whatever you do.
Pretty Girls Make Graves
I have never had the honor of seeing one of the most underrated emo bands of all-time, and that’s going to change at Riot Fest this year. Pretty Girls Make Graves, the Smiths-inspired noise machine out of Seattle, did not exist for very long during their first run. They put out three records from 2002 to 2006 before breaking up in 2007. Their legacy loomed large, however. In 2024, they were brought back together by the When We Were Young Festival, and now, after years away from Chicago, they’re finally back. “Something Bigger, Something Brighter” is an impossibly great song that will sound electric as it blares throughout Douglass Park. Without question, this is one of my most anticipated sets of the weekend.
Remember Sports
Remember Sports dropped All of Something in 2015 and it hit me like a ton of bricks. That’s the type of record that can throw off your emotional equilibrium if you aren’t prepared to go on the journey that it takes you on. Since then, I’ve always had them in my back pocket as a “forever underrated” band. They fall into the same category as a Signals Midwest or a Radiator Hospital of bands that I just can’t believe aren’t bigger. Remember Sports does everything well and they have for many years now. 2026’s The Refrigerator has served as a stark reminder for what this band is capable of. If you are giddy at the idea of bands like The Beths or Twin Peaks playing Riot, you should also be looking in the direction of Remember Sports.
saturdays at your place
I’d like to personally thank Kalamazoo, Michigan for existing so that in turn, saturdays at your place can exist. The twinkly-emo quarter who cites the likes of Oso Oso and Tigers Jaw as crucial influences, tore the house down at Bottom Lounge two nights ago last November. I was in the building for their second of two shows at the venue and I was floored at just how ravenous their fans, many of whom are younger than me (27), were for the band and their songs off of 2025’s these things happen. Don’t let the clean guitars and persistent use of capos fool you: this band packs a punch. 2023’s standout track “Tarot Cards” was the perfect table-setter for what was to come on that record, which I thought was one of the best releases of 2025. God willing this band plays on Saturday, just for the fun of it all.
Teen Mortgage
My official introduction to Teen Mortgage was in March at The Salt Shed when the band performed on the same bill as Joyce Manor and Militarie Gun. Historically speaking, if you’re good enough for Joyce Manor and Militarie Gun, you’re good enough for me. Teen Mortgage proved that theory to remain true. Raw, unapologetic, and frenetic, the D.C-based duo blew me away with how hard they played in front of a mostly unassuming crowd. The next time Teen Mortgage plays Riot Fest, they’re going to be much, much higher up on the bill. Catch them early in the day before it’s not possible.
This Is Lorelei
By law, I am required to write that Nate Amos, the visionary behind This Is Lorelei (and Water From Your Eyes, who will be at Lollapalooza 2026) is your favorite songwriter’s favorite songwriter. Like many others, This Is Lorelei first came on my radar after I heard stunning covers of his songs “Where’s Your Love Now?” and “Dancing in the Club”, performed by Waxahatchee and MJ Lenderman, respectively. While those covers act as great stamps of approval, Amos, on his own, has proven to be a brilliant performer in his own right. If 2023’s co-headliners Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service were the highlight of that weekend for you, This Is Lorelei might end up being your next favorite band.
Whispers
The emergence of Australia’s Speed kicked open the doors for an influx of international hardcore that has taken the US by storm. Whispers, who are based out of Thailand, have existed since 2014, but in recent years have started to gain a considerable amount of traction around the globe. They are unrelenting in their approach. Every vocal track is unforgiving, every guitar tone is punishing, and every kick drum hits at an ungodly level. Whispers will likely win the coveted award of “Riot Fest 2026’s most violent pit” when the weekend is all said and done. I continue to be stunned every time that I hear this band. If you are someone that was taken by Turnstile’s live energy post-GLOWN ON and are looking for bands that offer a similar, intense live show, I cannot recommend Whispers enough.
