Review by Karen Hain, photos by Gene Schilling and Shane Glenn for HEARmag.com
Rise Against rocked the Night 89X Stole Christmas on Dec. 17 at The Fillmore. The sold out event also featured Taking Back Sunday and AWOLNATION. Turns out, even Santa likes Rise Against enough to take some time off, replace his milk with a beer (or six), and crowd surf. Whether they dressed up for the show or for Detroit Santarchy, the drunk Santas who came in were almost as great as the music itself.
2011 was a big year for Rise Against, with the release of the band’s sixth album, ‘Endgame,’ four singles, and non-stop touring that included South America, the UK with Tom Morello and Polar Bear Club, the US with Bad Religion, Sick of It All in Australia, Flogging Molly in Canada and another tour in the US with the Foo Fighters. Rise Against has never been a band to write meaningless lyrics. ‘Endgame’ addresses war, responsibility, suicide, homophobia, Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast Oil Spill. People who have never seen them play might expect a tired, bored band or a show that was too intense and politically steered to be fun, but the performance was nothing short of amazing.
Red, white and blue lights illuminated the stage as ‘Re-Education (Through Labor)’ opened the set. Guitarist Zach Blair, the newest member of the band, having joined in 2007, was easily the most enthusiastic of the quartet. Frontman Tim McIlrath took a more calm approach, though he did reach over to shake Santa’s hand, but the music was so spot on that it was an active show regardless. Crowd surfers didn’t have to worry about being dropped, no matter how far they were catapulted. Bright lights would take over the whole audience from time to time, and with the band’s encouragement, the person next to you would be screaming songs, whether it was “Shout it out” during ‘The Good Left Undone’ or a simple “Rise, rise, rise” chant.
Gene Schilling for HEARmag.com
The set list included a slew of fast songs that were broken up by the more serious or slower ones. Recent single ‘Make It Stop (September’s Children)’ had a certain flow, one of the best songs played, and was followed by a long pause. It seemed like the band intended for the audience to think about the messages they were trying to get across. Another highlight was when only McIlrath was onstage with his guitar and acoustically performed “Swing Life Away.” Definitely brought out the lighters and nostalgia for fans. Those who’ve been able to see his entirely acoustic shows before are envied. “Audience of One” was a flawless follower after the acoustic song.
Rise Against’s last show of 2011 was graciously spent here in Detroit. In the early months of the new year, they’ll be touring with A Day to Remember and although there aren’t Michigan dates listed, you can see the band in Ohio or Illinois before they head off to a European tour in March.
Live photos by Gene Schilling for HEARmag.com
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- Gene Schilling for HEARmag.com
Photos by Shane Glenn for HEARmag.com
