Tag Archives: the good left undone

Rise Against and Rancid rock The Forum.

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Rise Against at The Forum–July 11, 2009

Punk rock took center stage Saturday night at The Forum in Inglewood, thanks to political hardcore band Rise Against, and veteran bad boys Rancid.

Rancid warmed up the crowd with an array of tunes spanning their entire sixteen-plus-year career, and although it was a little difficult to hear from up in the colonnade section, fans in the pit seemed to be having the times of their lives, thrusting fists into the air with each kick of the bass drum.  A large projection screen above the stage chronicled the band’s lengthy career with pictures, articles, and slogans the guys have adopted over the years.  Surprisingly, as the hum of guitars faded out over the venue fans scattered, in what seemed to be a mass exodus of people.  I assumed pairing with Rise Against would have eliminated that dreaded group of fans who don’t stick around for the headlining act, but nonetheless, it was quite a spectacle to watch people streaming out into the halls from up in the raisers.  

Rise Against took the stage around 9:30 p.m. and opened their set with “Bricks” which successfully got the whole arena moving. Unfortunately for everyone who wasn’t sitting floor level, the sound in The Forum was horrible. It was virtually impossible to hear what singer Tim McIlrath was singing, and the way the sound was bouncing off the walls of The Forum even made it difficult for someone who was familiar with Rise’s music to decipher which song was being played. Despite the poor sound quality, Rise Against delivered a solid set packed full of old favorites, and newer staples from their latest release, Appeal to Reason. Some of the night’s highlights included “Paper Wings” which inspired one of the largest circle pits I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing, and “Audience of One” to which the entire arena seemed to be singing along to. Of course, Rise played staples like “The Good Left Undone,” “Chamber the Cartridge,” and “Drones,” and then took a minute to collect themselves, while McIlrath played “Hero of War” and another new acoustic tune. New favorites like, “Savior,” and “Long Forgotten Sons” were incredibly well received, and Rise wrapped up their set with one of their most popular singles, “Rooftops.” 

Not only was last night’s show a celebration of all things punk rock, but the intrinsic power of music was front and center in the heart of Inglewood. Although there seemed to be a bit of a disconnect between Rancid and and Rise Against, there was a common theme to the night after all.  In the chaotic simplicity of a massive circle pit, and the swaying fists of hardcore fans the unifying affect of “music with a message” took The Forum by storm. The energy was intense, and it only made the show more entertaining. As a fan of Rise Against I can say they really pulled out all the stop for last night’s show. I just wish The Forum would get their act together, or hire a different sound guy so their seated customers actually get what they’re paying for.

Rise Against Shows Off For Mainstream, Satisfies Hardcore Audience Too

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This week we look at Rise Against’s “Appeal To Reason”.  

With the release of their much anticipated fifth full-length album “Appeal To Reason” Chicago hardcore rockers Rise Against prove they’re more than drum rolls and angry lyrics.  With the help of producer Bill Stevenson, the band manages to push their power-punk roots to the side, trading jagged edges for a shiny pop sheen without blindsiding fans or forgetting where they came from.

Tim McIlrath’s vocals are pristine. Stevenson has finally managed to find a happy medium between the gargling rasp of previous albums and the Nickleback-esque vocals a pop-ier influence would produce.  A perfect example is track 8, “Audience of One.”  Without polishing things up too much, the verses still manage the grit Rise Against is known and loved for.  Then as the hook builds, a more refined Rise Against steps into the spotlight, and Tim sings–not screams, not wails, not howls…sings!–”We ran away.  Now all my friends are gone.  Maybe we’ve outgrown all the things that we once loved.  Run away.  But what are we running from?  A show of hands from those in this audience of one.  Where have they gone?”  As members reach the ripe old age of 30, there’s no doubt this track questions relationships and goals, and how they change and evolve over the years.  Everyone has a point in their life when they look around and realize they’re not surrounded by the people they thought would be there for them.  ”Audience of One” addresses the questions associated with growing up and growing apart.

Other standout tracks from “Appeal to Reason” include “Long Forgotten Sons”–pretty typical Rise Against on this one.  Todays children of divorce will appreciate it most.–and “The Dirt Whispered” which reminds me of “The Sufferer and The Wittness’” “The Good Left Undone.”  This time around, however Rise Against hit the ball out of the park with a much stronger chorus, melodically speaking, and a lyrical story line that’s easy to follow and almost impossible not to relate to.  

In true Rise Against form the band makes a loud statement with their only acoustic release since “Swing Life Away” with the anti-war/pro-soldier anthem “Hero Of War”.  McIlrath wrote this one after hearing first-hand accounts of the war in Iraq from the men and women serving our country.  The song traces a the hypothetical journey of a soldier from enlistment to battle and back home, all the while questioning the idea of a ‘hero of war’.  More than anything else, the emotionally cumbersome track addresses the brutality of war and a question I’m sure every soldier has asked him/herself at one point in time, “Why am I fighting this fight?”  I would argue this is one of Rise Against’s most effective politically-driven songs, and even if you’re not in love with chicago hardcore you need to hear this one!

Personally, my favorite track from “Appeal to Reason” is hidden just after “Hero of War”.  Track 11 is entitled “Savior” and is the classic good-girl-wants-to-save-bad-boy-before-he-self-implodes story.  Instead of allowing himself to be her clay-to-be-molded however, he assures her that he’s “not the answer to the questions [she] still has.”  The chorus is incredibly catchy and the power is back in McIlrath’s vocal after taking a short break during the previous track.  

Overall, old-school fans with enjoy the last half of the album more, but newcomers will definitely appreciate Stevenson’s influence on the first 8 or 9 songs.  With “Appeal to Reason” Rise Against has created a masterpiece worthy of mainstream radio and dare I say it, MTV.  

Check out Rise Against on tour with Alkaline Trio and The Gaslight Anthem in a city near you.  It’ll be a live show to remember!