Four Year Strong- Donald Wagenblast
Four Year Strong were on this tour during an interesting time during the band's career: they are smack dab in the middle of writing a new album (and actually played a song off of that album), and the band have recently become a four-piece, as they parted ways with keyboardist/screamer Josh Lyford. No matter what was going on with the band behind the scenes, however, was completely ignored as Four Year Strong woke the sold-out crowd up in a big way. Despite being the lowest band on the card, Four Year Strong garnered a decently-sized crowd, and actually had some of the biggest pits of the night, if not the biggest. Songs like "What the Hell is a Gigawatt" and "It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong Right Now" showed no signs of Lyford's absence being felt, and the bookends of the set "Tonight We Feel Alive (On a Saturday)" and "Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)" were placed perfectly in the set. However, it would have been nice to have seen more songs off of Rise or Die Trying in the set (they only played one song), but considering how Enemy of the World was one of my favorite albums of 2011, its a very small complaint from an otherwise great set from one of the best upcoming acts in today's scene.
Overall Grade: B+
Setlist:
1. Tonight We Feel Alive (On a Saturday)
2. What the Hell is a Gigawatt?
3. Maniac (R.O.D.)
4. Enemy of the World
5. Falling on You (NEW song!)
6. It Must Really Suck to be Four Year Strong Right Now
7. Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)
Bad Religion- Tom Taylor
Seeing Bad Religion opening up for Rise Against was a very weird thing, considering the fact that Rise Against opened for Bad Religion a few years back. Bad Religion, for a group a guys who have been together for 30 years, put on an awesome performance on stage. While they didn't have the same intensity as Four Year Strong did, Greg Graffin and the rest of Bad Religion show why after 30 years, they still rock. The crowd was absolutely pumped to see Bad Religion. I still think the coolest part about the whole night was that there were people there that were old enough to be my father and they were rocking out to Bad Religion, since most of them were rocking out to Bad Religion when they were younger.
Bad Religion put on quite the eclectic setlist, playing mainly songs from their later albums, but throwing in some fun songs that everyone has known for years like "21st Century Digital Boy" and "Infected." I think the best part of their set was when they were having some technical difficulties and they needed to kill some time, so Graffin was talking about how much it meant to him how Rise Against took them under their wing, just like how they had done earlier, to show off their talents to a new group of music lovers. I also greatly enjoyed Graffin's little speech about how Rise Against is paving the way for other punk rockers to make it through the ranks, unlike another band they know that "has a show on Broadway." Then Brett Gurewitz, the guitarist, breaks out the opening chords from "When I Come Around" (BURN).
Bad Religion was a great opening act to see. The crowd was so into it, they actually started chanting "ONE MORE SONG" (rarely have I heard the crowd chant that for an opening act). If you have never seen Bad Religion, as an opening act or a headliner, I would recommend seeing them. Bad Religion rocks.
Overall Grade: A-
Setlist:
1. The Day the Earth Stalled
2. Wrong Way Kids
3. American Jesus
4. Before You Die
5. Anesthesia
6. The Resist Stance
7. Cyanide
8. I Want to Conquer the World
9. 21st Century Digital Boy
10. New Dark Ages
11. Dearly Beloved
12. Infected
13. Fuck Armageddon, This is Hell
14. Los Angeles is Burning
15. Sorrow
Rise Against- Mike Leatherwood
Once I heard Rise Against would be headlining a show with Bad Religion and Four Year Strong, I knew I had to be there. Let me say this: they did not disappoint.
Rise Against lead off the set with a bang, a high-energy performance of "Chamber the Cartridge", the lead track off their 2006 album Sufferer and the Witness. Then they went into one of the best songs (in my opinion) from their brand new record Endgame, "Satellite". Every single song was played with tons of energy. Guitarist Zach Blair and Bassist Joe Principe constantly ran across the stage, encouraging the audience to sing every word. One of the highlights of the set was Appeal to Reason lead single "Re-Education (Through Labor)". After the heavy opening guitar riff, singer Tim McIlrath let the crowd sing the first line "To the sound of a heartbeat pounding away!", with the entire crowd screaming the line.
There was one thing about the show that still puzzled me, and that was the setlist. I'm not saying it was a bad set, it was just not what I was expecting. Rise Against played a surprising 7 songs from Sufferer and the Witness and 6 tracks off 2008 album Appeal to Reason, all out of a 20 song set. At the same time, they just played the two big singles from breakout record Siren Song of the Counter Culture (Swing Life Away, Give It All). I really would have liked to have seen a couple more from that album, such as "Life Less Frightening" or "Paper Wings". The order of the set was also somewhat unexpected. Figuring they would save it for the end, we all were shocked to hear massive Guitar Hero hit "Prayer of the Refugee" in the middle of the set. Overall it was not a bad set at all ("Under the Knife" was a nice surprise), but it definitely was not what I was expecting.
In the end, Rise Against put on a spectacular show. They aren't the type of band to just get up on stage and play 20 songs. They are proud of their personal beliefs and they are not afraid to show it during the performance. Tim McIlrath even spoke out about the killing of Osama Bin Laden (calling it a victory for America) just before perrforming "Hero of War". They incorporate so much originality and energy into their sets, it makes for yet another amazing show. If you have not seen them yet, you are missing out.
Overall Grade: A-
Setlist:
1. Chamber the Cartridge
2. Satellite
3. The Good Left Undone
4. Behind Closed Doors
5. Re-Education (Through Labor)
6. Survive
7. Make it Stop (September's Children)
8. The Dirt Whispered
9. Help is On the Way
10. Under the Knife
11. Prayer of the Refugee
12. Swing Life Away
13. Hero of War
14. Audience of One
15. Architects
16. Ready to Fall
Encore:
17. Entertainment
18. Built to Last (Sick Of It All Cover) (with Lou Koller)
19. Savior
20. Give It All
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