Riot Fest 2025 Day 2: Chicago band Feral Tact kicks off the day, uniting veteran and young punks

Will Stamos-Gate finally end? After 12 years of stalking Uncle Jesse, Riot Fest looks to make history Saturday as the Greek god is expected to finally set foot at the festival.

Organizers have upheld their end of the deal, meeting nearly all the demands the actor stipulated a month ago to guarantee his presence — Riot Mike got his tattoo, several local pizzerias have created Greek-style pizzas and on-site, a look-alike contest was held inside RiotLand and there's some special merch for sale, including some terrifying Stamos masks with hollowed-out eyes.

Stamos is scheduled to take the Riot Stage with The Beach Boys at 6:20 p.m. and, if you’re going, you’ll likely want to go early to snag a spot if the massive crowds seen at “Weird Al” and Blink-182 Friday are any indication of the fandom this year. We are officially on Stamos Watch — stay tuned to the Sun-Times for more.

Feral Tact

If Friday was all about 2000s lore with the Blink-182 and Rilo Kiley nostalgia, Riot Fest traveled back a decade further Saturday with “I Love the ‘90s” vibes.

Gen X has been buzzing about the arrival of John Stamos, and early arrivals put on their best ‘90s-core with T-shirts celebrating Jesse & The Rippers, Weezer’s “Blue Album” and "Boy Meets World’s" Topanga.

Local act Feral Tact also fit the bill to open the day on the Rebel Stage. The duo is a quasi-offshoot of Chicago’s beloved ‘90s punk rockers Sludgeworth. For some background, Feral Tact’s young teen drummer Max McQuaid is the son of Sludgeworth drummer Brian “Vermin” McQuaid (and has sometimes filled in for his dad) while singer Mike Ramsey has worked as Sludgeworth’s guitar tech.

As the story goes, McQuaid and Ramsey used to hole up at Sludgeworth's rehearsal spot to work on material that begat Feral Tact, officially establishing the band in 2023. While Feral Tact has logged time at venerable punk venues around Chicago like Cobra Lounge and Reggies, performing at Riot was clearly a “pinch me” moment.

“It’s the best f---ing festival in the world,” said McQuaid, giving a shoutout to Riot Mike. “There is some magic to this festival every year and to be part of it is crazy.”

In its 20th anniversary year, Riot Fest has really tapped into and acknowledged its local roots, bringing out some of Chicago’s finest, also including The Effigies, Pegboy, Dehd, Alkaline Trio and Smoking Popes. Though, what was notable about Feral Tact — in addition to its voluminous sound that belies the fact it's a two-man crew — was its ability to merge veteran punks and a new generation. Not just the band itself but also evident in the circle pit where kids and adults clashed in the best way possible.