Rise Against brings The Black Market through Tower Theater in Upper Darby
On October 1st 2014, The Black Market tour made their way through Upper Darby, PA. Rise Against’s headliner with supporting bands Radkey & Touché Amore. This tour is a highly anticipated tour for us since Rise Against haven't been in PA since 2012 when they toured with A Day To Remember. The opening acts were Radkey and Touché Amore, two bands who had okay sets, Radkey was a trio containing three guys, a drummer, and two singers / guitarists with a very different sound compared to Rise Against or Touché Amore they had more of an alternative feel to them rather then punk rock type vibes, their set although was very high energy filled and the crowd seemed to feel it. Touché Amore then taking over the stage with a pop punk filled set, they used up almost every inch of the stage while performing filling the venue with crowd surfers and mosh pits. While both are still maturing its sound, the hardcore mix of metal and punk and alternative that they both displayed was admirable when set before Rise Against.
Rise Against, a hardcore punk band that has been going strong since 1999 and is currently on tour supporting its new album, The Black Market, released July 15th of this year. The band is comprised of vocalist Tim McIlrath, drummer Brandon Barnes, bassist Joe Principe, and guitarist Zach Blair. Sweaty, passionate, and filled with meaning behind their lyrics. This Chicago-based band blew me away with not only the decibel level at which they played, but the sheer power they held over the audience throughout their entire set. Rise Against hit the stage when the tunes of “Ready To Fall” serenaded thru the venue and the huge neon letters spelling out RISE unveiled on the stage. Tim then entering onto the Barricade for their next song “Give It All” to interact with the crowd for a bit, which during this song the crowd was insane jumping, moshing, and crowd surfing. The night held treasures both old and new, the band playing hits and new songs to promote their new music. The music is aggressive and forceful and the fans love it, and you can tell but the energy flowing aggressively throughout the night. On “Behind Closed Doors,” McIlrath’s higher voice soared rather than growled. On “The Good Left Undone” which started with a guitar blast. The music was speedy and aggressive, but also tight and precise and a persistent beat and guitar set apart “Long Forgotten Sons”. Of course, the crowd loved the hits, cheering the first notes of “Prayer of the Refugee” and singing along with the rest of it. But it also was receptive to “I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore,” the first of just two songs Rise Against played from the new disc. Tim’s voice was especially good on the song’s higher range but the surprise delight of the night was the first of two encores. After closing the main set out with the 2011 hit “Satellite”, Tim came out with an acoustic guitar to play the best songs of the night. Rise Against shows their true talent with the acoustic 2 song encore “People Live Here” and ”Swing Life Away” before entering encore number 2 which consisted of two fan favorites “Make It Stop (September’s Children)” and “Savior” which the entire venue then exploded into a roar of cheers as the band exited the stage and the stage faded to black. Rise Against never fails to put on a phenomenal show and is one to get out and see when they come through your city.
