As with most festival or multiple-stage concerts, you’re forced to make choices. And that’s the exciting part of squeezing in as much music as you can in a single weekend. That means it’s a great lineup and you are always consuming music…great music.

Riot Fest Chicago is no exception to this rule. This year, for its 10th year running, the organizers of the festival went hard. The lineup is, again, unforgettable. Whether it be with anniversary sets, legendary headliners, a pure saturation of music, or some damn good food and entertainment, Riot Fest literally brings out the big guns.

Being one of the most prolific lineups of this decade, there is immense planning that must go into each minute spent at Humboldt Park this weekend. So to help you plan accordingly, below we’ve walked you through some of the biggest schedule conflicts of the festival; a list of some of the various reasons why you won’t have time to sit down the entire weekend. Check them out by clicking the “Read More” button and let us know in the comments what your biggest schedule battle is for Riot Fest.

FRIDAY: NOFX vs. From Indian Lakes vs. We Came As Romans vs. Radkey

This might be easy for some people, and if you jumped from stage to stage, you could see them all. But this hour and a half on Friday is jam-packed with big names and up-and-comers that need to be seen. If not, you’ll regret it down the line. Each band is either a heavy-hitter or quickly turning into one. Move fast and you can catch ’em all like Pokémon.

SATURDAY: Wu-tang Clan vs. The Get Up Kids vs. Dashboard Confessional

Let’s be real here: You have a legendary rap group finally completely reunited and performing on a Saturday night in Chicago. You then have a quintessential emo group performing their biggest album and fan-favorite in its entirety. Then alternative/emo’s sweetheart of the 2000s finally back in his original outfit. How are you legitimately supposed to pick between the three? Well, we wish you luck, or you could try to hit up all three within the hour and fifteen minute timeframe in which they’ll all be performing. Let us know how that goes.

SUNDAY: The Whigs vs. Kurt Vile vs. PUP vs. The Hold Steady vs. Silverstein

From approximately 1:40 to 3:00 p.m. all of these bands play. And it’s on Sunday, no less. Better prepare for a sprint this weekend. You’re going to need the stamina on Sunday. To top it off, Andrew W.K. is going to want to party immediately afterwards.

Weezer vs. The Cure

So, you’ve hypothetically survived and made it to Sunday night. Well, don’t worry, prepare to stress yourself out over this one, too. But it’s okay. You can’t really make a bad choice here. Weezer will play all of their beloved Blue Album and The Cure could possibly be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Best of both worlds? Catch the first hour of The Cure’s set then make your way over to the Rebel Stage to catch the second half of Weezer’s. You’ll surely miss “My Name Is Jonas” and maybe up to “Buddy Holly” unfortunately, but you’ll at least get that strong second half with “Undone – The Sweater Song,” “Surf Wax America,” and “Say It Ain’t So.” Literally couldn’t get a better way to close the 10th anniversary of Riot Fest.

The Food:

Have you seen the list of vendors? And the beer? If you get a minute or two between sets (and let’s be real, you’ll have to make time), get a little taste of Chicago while you’re enjoying the lovely festival that will be filled with riot.

The After Parties:

After the grounds close for the night, you have an incredible selection of after party shows where you can go see bands you might have missed out on during the day. There are even some bands playing that aren’t on the lineup. The likes of Into It. Over It., The Get Up Kids, Rise Against, Mineral, Andrew W.K. and Primus are all playing after shows. Get on those quick, as some have already sold out.

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Corey From

Corey From, from Kansas City, MO, when not thinking about or listening to music, obsessively thinks about Royals baseball, a platter of ribs (or BBQ in general) and cold beer. Nothing special really.

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