After 21 years, Jawbreaker will finally reunite this year to headline Riot Fest 2017. The festival takes place from September 15-17 in Chicago’s Douglas Park. The punk icons broke up in 1996 following a tour in support of their 1995 album Dear You. A representative for Riot Fest clarified to Pitchfork that the reunion is a one-off exclusive, and currently, no further tour dates or appearances have been planned. Murmurings of a reunion over the years have consistently been shot down by the band’s members. Last year, however, drummer Adam Pfahler revealed that they’d gotten together to play a couple songs. “We weren’t sure if we could still do it,” he said. “We could still do it.”
Jawbreaker, which includes guitarist and singer Blake Schwarzenbach, bassist Chris Bauermeister, and Pfahler, formed in 1986. Three years later, they released their debut album Unfun. After a series of increasingly successful albums, Jawbreaker signed to major label DGC and released Dear You. In recent years, Jawbreaker have been reissuing their earlier albums, including their 1992 sophomore LP, Bivouac, and their 1993 follow-up, 24 Hour Revenge.
Jawbreaker will headline Riot Fest alongside Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age. The lineup also includes Bad Brains, M.I.A., a DJ set from Beastie Boys’ Mike D, Prophets of Rage, Wu-Tang Clan, New Order, Paramore, Ministry, Andrew W.K., Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr., X, TV on the Radio, Death From Above 1979, Shabazz Palaces, Action Bronson, Vic Mensa, Liars, GWAR, Beach Slang, Downtown Boys, and more.
Last year, Glenn Danzig reunited with the Misfits at Riot Fest. In 2013, Riot Fest hosted the Replacements’ first reunion shows.
