Riot Fest is still a few months out, but the party starts and ends in Indy! HI‑FI & HI‑FI Annex are happy to host some of these killer Riot Fest acts ahead and after the festival. The pre/post-fest gigs are the perfect chance to experience an intimate show with your favorite artist. Mark the calendar, grab your crew, and check out some of these Riot Fest bands without leaving Fountain Square.
Smoking Popes- April 27th, HI-FI
With Special Guest: Off With Their Heads
Smoking Popes exploded out of Chicago’s punk scene in 1991 with a singular recipe: crooning, Sinatra‑style vocals riding buzz‑saw guitars and break‑neck rhythms—“hyperkinetic tear‑jerkers,” as the LA Times put it. Their bittersweet power‑pop albums became cult classics, inspiring a wave of bands that followed. Now reunited with original drummer Mike Felumlee, the Popes sound sharper than ever, ready to pen the next song you didn’t know was already your favorite.
Dehd- May 3rd, HI-FI
Support: sweat.fm, Merlin Brando
On their vivid fifth album Poetry, Chicago trio Dehd spin 14 sunset‑hued tracks about love, hope, and the inevitability of endings. Written on a cross‑country DIY road trip—from an off‑grid New Mexico Earthship to a tide‑timed cabin on Puget Sound—the record drips with cinematic detail: motorcycle chrome, fake Gucci shades, and nervous hands before a kiss. Fresh off 2022’s Blue Skies, Dehd dive even deeper, channeling restless wanderlust into their most raw, romantic songs yet.
LOW TICKET ALERT: GET TICKETS
Chase Petra- June 26, HI-FI Annex
Supporting: Origami Angel
Long Beach trio, Chase Petra call their sound “quarter‑life‑crisis pop,” and their second album, Lullabies for Dogs, proves why. Jumping between gut‑punch ballads (“Two Nights in New York,” “Icarus”) and frenetic blasts (“Centrifugal Force,” “Bread and Circus”), the record tracks the awkward tug‑of‑war between who you are and who the world expects you to be. It’s emo for anyone stumbling through adulthood’s mess—raw, melodic, and figuring life out in real time.
Inhaler- September 24th, HI-FI Annex
Open Wide finds Dublin’s Inhaler leveling up with confidence and range. Guided by Grammy‑winner Kid Harpoon, the album blends glam‑pop sparkle, ’80s synth grooves, art‑rock twists, and garage punch—nodding to T. Rex, Prince, early MGMT, and Depeche Mode while staying true to their indie roots. From the slow‑burn opener “Eddie in the Darkness” to the sprawling title track at the album’s center, every cut feels deliberate, controlled, and refreshingly un‑bombastic—proof the quartet now fully trusts its own artistic instincts.
Shonen Knife- October 5th, HI-FI
Support: The Pack a.d.
Japanese power‑pop legends Shonen Knife hit the road this fall for their “Everyone Happy U.S. Tour,” rolling through North America from late September. Expect a career‑spanning set—classic fan faves plus fresh cuts off their new album Our Best Place (Good Charamel Records). Stops include NYC, LA, San Diego, and a headline slot at Buffalo’s Music is Art Festival.