Riot Fest 2022 - Is Eve 6 x We Are The Union Cover A Clue?

Eve 6's frontman Max Collins has been busy on Twitter for months. Part of his appeal is that, for a man who was once arrested for frolicking through a hotel in the nude, he seems incredibly down to earth.

He discusses, well, anything. Most of it isn't promotional, or even marketing, he just blurts out whatever random little thought or observation he wants to share. It's free of that self-aggrandizing, patronizing nuisance posting celebrities seem to be known for lately. Collins is sometimes woke, sometimes witty, sometimes just weird, but always entertaining.

So it wasn't particularly off-brand (if he even has a brand) when Collins tweeted a picture of himself in a Crazy Town t-shirt with eyeliner deliberately streaked down his face, asking "how we looking fam?" (It turns out this must have been the day he filmed a new music video, but we'll get to that).

That day (September 25) was the first clue that something was up, however. To add to it, a photographer associated with We Are The Union replies, "best make-up job I've ever done lmao" - but again, the Eve 6 Twitter is so riddled with jokes like this that it's hard to detect.

Eve 6 Throws Shade On Riot Fest

A couple of days later, Collins provokes Riot Fest with "it's really funny to me that there's a festival called riot fest where most of the headliners are in their 50's." The social manager for Riot Fest snaps back, "What's even funnier is that...you still haven't been invited." This back and forth bantering goes on for days.

Collins will later claim that 'the other guy started it' but we got the receipts right here. This boils nicely for a few days on Twitter - some people support Eve 6, some people support Riot Fest. You might be surprised how many people can't tell it's just a joke. Or maybe not. The internet's weird, guys.

The Ban Is Decreed

A few days later, Riot Fest issues this "ban." I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this is a nod to the list of rules given (and then broken) in the video:

Another hidden video reference, as these drinks are featured prominently in the video. And it's obviously the set where the video was filmed.

Now It Gets Weird

Okay, this is the part where you have to bear with my insufferable conspiracy theories. I'm either about to descend into total madness or amaze everyone with my prescience. History declares the victors.

The very specific call here that Eve 6 will never play Chicago again means, clearly, the exact opposite. Eve 6 will play in Chicago at Riot Fest. This is too deliberate as a plant:

The evidence grows, as Riot Fest comes right out and snarks that "it would be funny to book Eve6 at Riot Fest next year." He delivers it like a dunk, but I think it's a thinly concealed promise. Or threat, I guess. Take it how you want.

And as I've suggested before, is Eve 6 coming to do their Operation Ivy cover? It keeps coming up, that Operation Ivy is expected to turn them down, but Eve 6 might still be booked.

Also, does Collins actually run both accounts? It's a joking accusation, or is it? I feel like now I'm taking a deep-dive into real nutcase territory, but it's possible...

Is It Gonna Be A Cover Band?

And here we are, at the thesis of my argument. I present to you my irrefutable proof that Eve 6 will be doing a set of Operation Ivy covers at Riot Fest 2022. I mean, they come right out and say it...sort of.

Okay, not really. And this is the random conjecturing of a guy who spent the first week of October spinning the tired "Wake Me Up When September Ends" joke on at least 7 different bands (but never actually hitting the right target of Green Day). Not to mention attempting to proposition Hillary Clinton. So I can concede that maybe I'm reading too much into this.

Of course, maybe Operation Ivy really is coming?

I doubt it, but we've had a really crappy couple of years, and maybe it's enough penance that mankind actually deserves this reunion. I just struggle to believe they'll actually pull it off.

For the first time, We Are The Union enters the fray. They gripe that they "just want one day on the timeline without seeing anything about eve 6, riot fest, and operation ivy." Way to divert everyone's attention of you, you sneaks.

Counting Down To The Big Reveal

At this point, hints start being dropped left and right that something's about to happen. No one knows what yet, but the moment is coming. Whatever this bizarre pseudo-Twitter feud is about, is nearly at a conclusion:

Then Collins gives a specific time for the premiere, tweeting that "tomorrow morning at 8am i'm gonna wake up turn my box on bust the shades let the sun in." This is a verbatim line from Operation Ivy's "Sound System," the brilliant cover that we're about to see.

He gives one final count down at the 30-minute mark, retweeting someone's (amazingly accurate) take that the only thing that can unify ska and Eve 6 is the band We Are The Union.

The Moment We've Been Waiting For

The next morning, as promised, Riot Fest's social manager debuts the video that I don't think anyone really saw coming. It's glorious, even though the man behind the account continues to play along with his complaints about Eve 6.

The End...Or Is It?

I'm going out on a limb here that might not be sturdy enough to hold me. But I'm still going to theorize that there might still be more shenanigans coming. Namely, that Eve 6 will be doing an Operation Ivy cover at Riot Fest 2022.

The only names currently billed are My Chemical Romance and the original Misfits, leaving lots of space for acts still to be announced. Laura Jane Grace, best known as the lead singer of Against Me! hints that there's still more to it:

As far as I'm concerned, the only big question left is whether the announcement is that Eve 6 is playing, or whether or not Grace's personal campaign to reunite Operation Ivy was miraculously successful.

It could go either way and the only reason I say that is this one last mysterious post. Riot Fest's social account declares, "Honestly once a band breaks up that should be it. You had your chance and you gave up."

Of course, through this entire thing, Riot Fest has really always said the opposite of what they mean just to stir up Twitter drama. But then they add, "I don't care if your band broke up in 1989 or 2004." These dates aren't random - 1989 is when Operation Ivy broke up, while 2004 is when Eve 6 ended things (they reunited years later).

I'm still not entirely sure how to interpret this last, final egg. But I have a feeling it will be made very clear in a day or two. All I really know is that if Operation Ivy actually makes it to Riot Fest in 2022, my kids sure are going to miss me that September weekend.

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Jamie Dixon is a contributing writer here at The Pyrrhic. She's a content writer by profession, but this is more fun. She's also working on her first novel in her spare time.

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