My Chemical Romance had pulled out of Riot Fest 2021 when they postponed their reunion tour for 2022, but they’ll be making it up by headlining Riot Fest 2022 instead. The Original Misfits will also be headlining the 2022 festival, and are set to play their official debut album Walk Among Us in full.

The 2022 edition of the festival will take place on September 16-18 at Chicago’s Douglas Park, with the rest of the lineup and additional information yet to be announced. It will be following up 2021’s event, which is set for September 17-19 this year, featuring Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins and Run the Jewels as headliners. Other acts on the lineup include Pixies, Faith No More, Devo, Mr. Bungle, Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday, NOFX, Circle Jerks, Dinosaur Jr., Motion City Soundtrack, Thrice, Circa Survive and more.

The Original Misfits isn’t quite the band’s actual original lineup, but features their iconic founding vocalist Glenn Danzig, who resumed his position as their lead singer in 2016, founding bassist Jerry Only, who remains Misfits’ only permanent member, and guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, who missed their formation by three years but played with the band for their Walk Among Us period, as well as from 1995-2001.

Drummer Arthur Googy is the only member of their Walk Among Us lineup missing from The Original Misfits. The album was recorded between 1981-1982 and came out in 1982. Although it was technically their debut LP, The Misfits had released several highly successful EPs and singles before then, many of which were later compiled on Static Age in 1997 and 12 Hits From Hell in 2001. Among the 13 tracks on Walk Among Us are some of the band’s signature songs, including “Night of the Living Dead” and “Astro Zombies.”

The Original Misfits first reunited for Riot Fest 2016, featuring former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo behind the kit. In the years following their Riot Fest appearances, they played some loose dates in locations like Hollywood, Las Vegas, New Jersey and Chicago. Some more recent appearances include a concert at Los Angeles’ Banc of California Stadium, Psycho Vegas 2019 and Madison Square Garden. They had also been announced as headliners for Domination Festival 2020, although that was stopped by COVID-19. The Original Misfits are also set to headline Aftershock 2021, having replaced My Chemical Romance on that lineup following their tour rescheduling. 

My Chemical Romance have yet to tour since 2013, but they rescheduled their massive reunion tour for May-October, 2022. It’s a world tour with dates in New Zealand, Russia, Europe and a North American leg that begins next August. Some of the venues they’ll be playing include Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, Toyota Center in Houston, TX, Oakland Arena in Oakland, CA, and a four-date residency at The Forum in Inglewood, CA.

Another way My Chemical Romance have crossed paths is through MCR guitarist Frank Lero’s contribution to a cover of Misfits’ “Earth A.D.” for Two Minutes to Late Night last August. Although frontman Gerard Way has also continued to release music as a solo artist, My Chemical Romance haven’t released any new music together since reuniting in 2019. Their last album was 2010’s Danger Days. 

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat