Rise Against -The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA 10/14
By: Leslie Elder Rogers
Rise Against has proven it’s worthiness over the years with multiple albums and many brilliantly written and performed songs. The lyrics hit home with a wide variety of issues that are dealt with daily by so many people. People relate to their music. Right down to the bands’ name, they truly do Rise Against to fight for what’s right and help deviate from the bad in the world. I was blown away from the start, right from the first guitar chord struck, the first drum beat, and finally, the first lyric sung. Rise Against knows how to put on a show that arouses and electrifies their fans. Though the guy directly beside me apparently thought the entire concert was being put on just for him, I was able to independently tune him out to make my own assessment of the evening. The band played a variety of hits from their entire 13 plus years together as Rise Against. This was extremely well-received by the crowd; most of whom clearly knew all of the songs without a second thought. The band gathered on stage and began to play the first song, the lights kept dim, teasing those who awaited the first view of what they’d come for. Finally, the lights flickered and fluttered back and forth; the fans screamed wildly at the vision of fluorescent glare over the shadow of each band member. Those who were once sitting in their seats were now on their feet as they sang aloud to “Ready to Fall”, an emotional, roller coaster hit from their 2006 album “The Sufferer & the Witness”. Without pause, we quickly moved into the second song of the set, “Give It All”. The fans (including myself) were now consumed by the brilliance and vigor of this band. I was in for a hell of show and it had only just begun.
I was in awe of the ability of their ability to keep the enthusiasm going throughout the night as if each song was the first of the set. The band controlled the stage, jumping and running past each other without missing a note. There were times the acoustics seemed slightly distorted but the sound overall inside The Tabernacle was outstanding. I couldn’t see an empty seat or an empty area on the floor from where I was standing. Song after song, the crowd got louder and more involved. The band brought with them friendly aggression as they played with power and had sincerity in every lyric sung. The emotion in each song, fast and heavy to slow and tame, drew me deeper into each story being told. Each song was played with such feeling and raw passion. Every song had moments when the band pulled back slightly, just to make the crowd beg…and fucking beg they did. They threw themselves into the notes that followed; fast and rapid, clinging to the blissful look on every face as they created so many ecstatic grins and maybe even some joyful, “holy shit, is this for real” tears. There were crowd favorites, and one of them was “The Good Left Undone”. The floor bounced under the heft of the crowd jumping up and down, screaming intensely, hands clapping, arms waving, fists pumping. There were cell phones everywhere capturing each moment so that it could be replayed, remembered and savored in the memory of so many.
I didn’t think the audience could make any more noise or that the band could play any louder, but the moment that “I Don’t Want to be Here Anymore” from their new album began, I was proven wrong. It was as if the crowd had been on pins and needles all night until this very moment. All of the previous shouts and screams seemed like whispers at this moment. The song played and the curtain portraying the respected fist and heart logo was dropped behind the band exposing “The Black Market” album cover artwork. This unveiling, this song, seemed to breathe new life, more life into the crowd. I’d been waiting to see the reaction of the fans over the new album. There was no disappointment here. “Help is on the Way”, clearly another fan favorite was the next song delivered and delivered with all the strength imaginable. As the night continued, the songs just kept getting stronger and the fans kept getting louder. Crowd surfing had started at the onset of the first song and had continued without pause throughout the entire evening. I witnessed several surfers being carried out as a result of either being too drunk to walk out or getting hurt during the surf. (Note to potential surfers out there: “There is a big chance you may not make it to the front of the stage and you might just get dropped on your fucking head. Now enjoy the show”! Tim’s statement to the crowd “we play for a lot of crazy mother fuckers like yourselves” couldn’t have been any truer. He reminded us that they were all young once, and they wrote some songs that they hadn’t played in a long time, but in his own words were “dusting one off” and playing it for us tonight. “Alive and Well”, is still alive and kicking in The Tabernacle tonight. Tim shared the bands’ appreciation of the people, the fans and the community that come to their shows but acknowledged that not every single one of them is still around. Tonight, as he pulled out his cell phone on stage, he shared a picture with us of a kid named Gabe; a Rise Against fan who was no longer with us. He explained that Gabe’s friends were here tonight, celebrating his memory. He said he never even knew this kid but he felt like he knew him, just like he felt like he knew every single person who walked into the room tonight because we all walk into these rooms for the same reasons. The crowd was lost in his voice, hanging on his every word. Tim announced “Audience of One” as a tribute to Gabe. Everyone felt it. There was irrefutable pain mixed with joy in this moment. Though I was nowhere near Gabe’s friends who were in attendance, I am sure they were raising their hands and breathing that deep breath of gratitude to the men on stage who had just given their friend Gabe, his moment in time; to be never forgotten. These are the things that make a band undeniably respectable. So easily, the fans can be taken for granted, but Rise Against puts that appreciation out there so vividly, continuously.
The last song of the night should’ve been “Satellite”, but as with all great bands, the fans want more, they just don’t get enough. The crowd screamed, stomped, clapped, and whistled, chanting “RISE AGAINST”, “RISE AGAINST”, “RISE AGAINST”, hoping for that stellar encore. Sure enough, it came in the manner of two acoustic versions. The first, “People Live Here”, which is by far my favorite off of the new album, and obviously well on its way to winning over everyone else in attendance as well. The lyrics alone stop me in my tracks and make me think deeply about life and its direction or lack of. “Swing Life Away” was acoustic number two. They brought both a quiet sadness and a beauty to the final stages of the concert. The acoustic duo was amazing. I’m not sure if it had anything to do with the venue itself but the Tabernacle seemed to be the perfect place for the simplicity and purity of lyric and acoustic guitar. There were ear piercing screams heard throughout the acoustic versions which were proof of the fans approval. Back on stage, as a group, the band closed out the night with their last two songs, “Make it Stop (September’s Children) which involved the crowd as much as it did the band, and another favorite in my house, “Savior”. This concert was the total package beginning with the opening bands “Radkey” and “Touche Amore” and continuing until the very end. There was an even blend of subtle and blatant, powerful and commanding. When all is said and done, there is so much I could say about this concert, this band, but the fact remains, if you haven’t heard them, you need to listen. If you haven’t seen them, you need to find a way to attend a concert near you the next time they tour. Rise Against is unmistakably remarkable, hard core, straight edge, and fine-tuned. They rock you with their sound while pulling at your heart and mind in such a manner that you don’t know what just hit you. A badass concert without question. PERFECTION!
Band website: www.riseagainst.com
Follow on Facebook @: https://www.facebook.com/riseagainst
Follow on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/riseagainst
Buy the new album ‘The Black Market” @ https://itun.es/us/hdoc1
By: Leslie Elder Rogers
Rise Against has proven it’s worthiness over the years with multiple albums and many brilliantly written and performed songs. The lyrics hit home with a wide variety of issues that are dealt with daily by so many people. People relate to their music. Right down to the bands’ name, they truly do Rise Against to fight for what’s right and help deviate from the bad in the world. I was blown away from the start, right from the first guitar chord struck, the first drum beat, and finally, the first lyric sung. Rise Against knows how to put on a show that arouses and electrifies their fans. Though the guy directly beside me apparently thought the entire concert was being put on just for him, I was able to independently tune him out to make my own assessment of the evening. The band played a variety of hits from their entire 13 plus years together as Rise Against. This was extremely well-received by the crowd; most of whom clearly knew all of the songs without a second thought. The band gathered on stage and began to play the first song, the lights kept dim, teasing those who awaited the first view of what they’d come for. Finally, the lights flickered and fluttered back and forth; the fans screamed wildly at the vision of fluorescent glare over the shadow of each band member. Those who were once sitting in their seats were now on their feet as they sang aloud to “Ready to Fall”, an emotional, roller coaster hit from their 2006 album “The Sufferer & the Witness”. Without pause, we quickly moved into the second song of the set, “Give It All”. The fans (including myself) were now consumed by the brilliance and vigor of this band. I was in for a hell of show and it had only just begun.
I was in awe of the ability of their ability to keep the enthusiasm going throughout the night as if each song was the first of the set. The band controlled the stage, jumping and running past each other without missing a note. There were times the acoustics seemed slightly distorted but the sound overall inside The Tabernacle was outstanding. I couldn’t see an empty seat or an empty area on the floor from where I was standing. Song after song, the crowd got louder and more involved. The band brought with them friendly aggression as they played with power and had sincerity in every lyric sung. The emotion in each song, fast and heavy to slow and tame, drew me deeper into each story being told. Each song was played with such feeling and raw passion. Every song had moments when the band pulled back slightly, just to make the crowd beg…and fucking beg they did. They threw themselves into the notes that followed; fast and rapid, clinging to the blissful look on every face as they created so many ecstatic grins and maybe even some joyful, “holy shit, is this for real” tears. There were crowd favorites, and one of them was “The Good Left Undone”. The floor bounced under the heft of the crowd jumping up and down, screaming intensely, hands clapping, arms waving, fists pumping. There were cell phones everywhere capturing each moment so that it could be replayed, remembered and savored in the memory of so many.
I didn’t think the audience could make any more noise or that the band could play any louder, but the moment that “I Don’t Want to be Here Anymore” from their new album began, I was proven wrong. It was as if the crowd had been on pins and needles all night until this very moment. All of the previous shouts and screams seemed like whispers at this moment. The song played and the curtain portraying the respected fist and heart logo was dropped behind the band exposing “The Black Market” album cover artwork. This unveiling, this song, seemed to breathe new life, more life into the crowd. I’d been waiting to see the reaction of the fans over the new album. There was no disappointment here. “Help is on the Way”, clearly another fan favorite was the next song delivered and delivered with all the strength imaginable. As the night continued, the songs just kept getting stronger and the fans kept getting louder. Crowd surfing had started at the onset of the first song and had continued without pause throughout the entire evening. I witnessed several surfers being carried out as a result of either being too drunk to walk out or getting hurt during the surf. (Note to potential surfers out there: “There is a big chance you may not make it to the front of the stage and you might just get dropped on your fucking head. Now enjoy the show”! Tim’s statement to the crowd “we play for a lot of crazy mother fuckers like yourselves” couldn’t have been any truer. He reminded us that they were all young once, and they wrote some songs that they hadn’t played in a long time, but in his own words were “dusting one off” and playing it for us tonight. “Alive and Well”, is still alive and kicking in The Tabernacle tonight. Tim shared the bands’ appreciation of the people, the fans and the community that come to their shows but acknowledged that not every single one of them is still around. Tonight, as he pulled out his cell phone on stage, he shared a picture with us of a kid named Gabe; a Rise Against fan who was no longer with us. He explained that Gabe’s friends were here tonight, celebrating his memory. He said he never even knew this kid but he felt like he knew him, just like he felt like he knew every single person who walked into the room tonight because we all walk into these rooms for the same reasons. The crowd was lost in his voice, hanging on his every word. Tim announced “Audience of One” as a tribute to Gabe. Everyone felt it. There was irrefutable pain mixed with joy in this moment. Though I was nowhere near Gabe’s friends who were in attendance, I am sure they were raising their hands and breathing that deep breath of gratitude to the men on stage who had just given their friend Gabe, his moment in time; to be never forgotten. These are the things that make a band undeniably respectable. So easily, the fans can be taken for granted, but Rise Against puts that appreciation out there so vividly, continuously.
The last song of the night should’ve been “Satellite”, but as with all great bands, the fans want more, they just don’t get enough. The crowd screamed, stomped, clapped, and whistled, chanting “RISE AGAINST”, “RISE AGAINST”, “RISE AGAINST”, hoping for that stellar encore. Sure enough, it came in the manner of two acoustic versions. The first, “People Live Here”, which is by far my favorite off of the new album, and obviously well on its way to winning over everyone else in attendance as well. The lyrics alone stop me in my tracks and make me think deeply about life and its direction or lack of. “Swing Life Away” was acoustic number two. They brought both a quiet sadness and a beauty to the final stages of the concert. The acoustic duo was amazing. I’m not sure if it had anything to do with the venue itself but the Tabernacle seemed to be the perfect place for the simplicity and purity of lyric and acoustic guitar. There were ear piercing screams heard throughout the acoustic versions which were proof of the fans approval. Back on stage, as a group, the band closed out the night with their last two songs, “Make it Stop (September’s Children) which involved the crowd as much as it did the band, and another favorite in my house, “Savior”. This concert was the total package beginning with the opening bands “Radkey” and “Touche Amore” and continuing until the very end. There was an even blend of subtle and blatant, powerful and commanding. When all is said and done, there is so much I could say about this concert, this band, but the fact remains, if you haven’t heard them, you need to listen. If you haven’t seen them, you need to find a way to attend a concert near you the next time they tour. Rise Against is unmistakably remarkable, hard core, straight edge, and fine-tuned. They rock you with their sound while pulling at your heart and mind in such a manner that you don’t know what just hit you. A badass concert without question. PERFECTION!
Band website: www.riseagainst.com
Follow on Facebook @: https://www.facebook.com/riseagainst
Follow on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/riseagainst
Buy the new album ‘The Black Market” @ https://itun.es/us/hdoc1
