Hot Mulligan (Riot Fest Aftershow) @ Metro - Chicago

September 21st, 2024: Hot Mulligan @ Metro - Chicago, IL

Hot Mulligan | Photos Courtesy of: Allie Loven

Hot Mulligan visited Chicago, Illinois for Riot Fest weekend 2024. The Lansing-based band started their weekend by playing on the Cabaret Metro Stage on Friday evening. It finished off with a bang Saturday night, September 21, 2024, with a sold-out after-show held at Metro Chicago supported by fellow Midwest locals, New Age Thief. Pulling up to the venue, there was a line full of fans, waiting in suspense for the doors to open, wrapping around the building into the alley. Hot Mulligan has remained a Chicago pop-punk favorite over the past decade, so this was no surprise. 

Up-and-coming opening pop-punk band, New Age Thief, definitely brought the surprise factor though. The duo Gino Savarino and Brady Corcoran are well-known in the Midwest as well from former music, but New Age Thief is the most recent and growing project he has been a part of. These members had the perfect way of setting the tone for Hot Mulligan’s performance. It is safe to say New Age Thief is already established in Chicago and seemingly more growth is coming each day, especially after their opening set on Saturday. By the end of New Age Thief, the crowd was non-stop moving and ready for Hot Mulligan.

Once Hot Mulligan was ready to take the stage, the room quickly started to pack in even tighter. Some fans travelled over 1,000 miles for this show specifically. For a band who has been non-stop touring and doing festivals, there was impressively no lack of energy to be found. From the front of the barricade to the balcony viewing, fans filled the room screaming along to a variety of Hot Mulligan songs. The band started with three of their songs from their 2016 Album Opportunities and continued on the night with 16 more of their top hits including: “Digging In,” “SPS,” “ *Equip Sunglasses*,” and many more. Hot Mulligan never fails to provide their following with lively, upbeat performances every time they touch the stage.

New Age Thief