NOFX was formed in 1983 and has released 15 studio albums over the 41 year career. The band has played Riot Fest here in Chicago many many times, so many that 3 of the band’s 6 final shows were played during the 3 day punk festival in Douglas Park. NOFX officially retired as of last night’s final show in California marking a spectacular end to one of punk’s most legendary mainstays.
I got into NOFX sometime in the mid 2000’s. I’d primarily listened to various radio rock bands and didn’t truly knew what genre of music I liked best. It wasn’t until a friend and I started exchanging CDs to beef up our brand new iTunes accounts that I discovered a plethora of punk bands that would make me fall in love with the genre. Misfits, Bad Religion, Descendents, the Cramps, NOFX and the Stooges soon filled what felt like a giant hole in my heart musically. NOFX always stood out to me for being such a blend of various different genres. No two NOFX songs are quite the same. Sometimes there’s horns like a ska and, sometimes there’s ripping solos, and hardcore drums that take over the song. NOFX holds the record for the second longest punk song with 1999’s 18 minute and 23 second monster, “The Decline.” Since then NOFX is one of the bands that’s always in my rotation, whether it’s for a drive or satisfying the need for some heavy anti-authority punk music to bang my head to.
Riot Fest 2024 was truly something special for me. For one I finally had the freedom to see whomever I wanted when I wanted, and for the first time ever everything I wanted to see was in one place the entire 3 days. Pair that with great fest companions and getting a Deluxe Plus upgrade by winning a online contest (thank you Beth for making me enter nearly a hundred contests) it was truly one of the best Riot Fest experiences I’ve ever had! So where did I spend nearly all of Riot Fest 2024? NOFX-World of course, a rebranded stage that ended each day with NOFX’s final 3 shows in Chicago. It was truly an experience to see the crowds for the main stages start to clear out as what I assume was mostly the fest’s punk population descending on NOFX-World by the end of the day. It felt like this crowd was bigger than the crowds for the main acts and had a bit more invigorated then a bunch of folks standing around watching the likes of Beck.
Photo Credits: Riot Fest
All great things must come to an end and Sunday, September 22nd I saw NOFX for the last time. I had seen NOFX in one way or another nearly every year in my life since 2008-2009. So as the encores started after what was the 3rd amazing set in 3 days reality started to set in that this was it. I would never see NOFX live again. From the bottom of this punker’s heart thank you NOFX for kickstarting one of the biggest parts of my life musically which is my absolute admiration and obsession with all thinks punk. There seems to be a NOFX song for everything! Getting to see 3 of the final 6 shows will forever be an unforgettable memory.
NOFX 1983-2024