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Riot Fest co-founder Sean McKeough dies
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 2 December 2016
Co-founder of the Chicago music festival Riot Fest, Sean McKeough, died on Tuesday, it has been confirmed by the event’s organisers. He was 42.
In a statement, co-founder Michael Petryshyn said: “Sean was Riot Fest’s pillar of strength. I loved him. I admired him. And to lose him is a lonely and barren feeling. I miss my friend immensely. Without Sean and his belief that a little fest could make a positive impact on people’s lives by doing things differently and left of the dial, Riot Fest would have never become such an intimate family”.
“His Herculean-sized heart and volition made that all possible”, he continued. “Anyone lucky enough to have witnessed his kindness and compassion knows Sean’s muddy work boots will never be filled. It’s impossible… he cared when no one else did. He worked when no one else did. And, he believed in Riot Fest when no one else did”.
Founded in Chicago in 2005, and specialising in punk, rock, metal and hip hop, Riot Fest has since expanded with a second event in Denver. The most recent edition took place in Chicago in September.
The cause of McKeough’s death has not been made public.
