RADKEY, TOUCHE AMORE + RISE AGAINST ROCK SOLD OUT SHOW

It was a sold out show at NYC’s Best Buy Theater on September 26^th. Fans got there as early as 3:30 to wait in line for the doors to open at 6:30, ensuring them a coveted rail spot to see popular punk rock band Rise Against.

Radkey was the first opener of the night. While barely anyone in the audience knew who they were, everyone was giving their full attention once they hit the stage. With so many sub-genres and categories of music today, Radkey is a true punk rock band. They’re fast, wild, and loud. They have a garage rock sound that I haven’t heard in a long time.

The band consists of three brothers who are sure to leave their mark on every stage they step on. Solomon is on drums, Dee on lead guitar and vocals, and Isaiah on bass and vocals. Upon talking to Isaiah briefly after the show, he said his biggest influences have been The Ramones and Led Zeppelin. Radkey played Cat & Mouse, and Start Freaking Out during their set.Their EP Devil Fruit is out now.

These guys command your full attention when they play. Isaiah dropped to the floor towards the end of the set, still successfully strumming his bass and bouncing his knees up and down while on his back. Then he leapt across the stage, him and Dee exchanging energy with each other. These Missouri natives are a force to be reckoned with if you’re a fan of punk rock. They do the genre serious justice.

Touché Amoré stepped on stage next. This hardcore band puts on a show that looks as though it takes everything its members have out of them. Singer Jeremy Bolm puts his heart out on stage, just as he puts it into his meaningful lyrics. The way his ethereal vocals and body movements on stage compliment the music makes you want to break down with him, your entire body leaping up and slamming down to the floor, accentuating the last chords of a verse the way he does.

To their misfortune, much of the audience had never heard of Touché Amoré before. There was, however, a loyal group of fans clustered together on one side of the stage singing their hearts out to every song. Bolm climbed out to the group of fans singing every word along with him towards the end of the opening track on their second album, Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me.

Midset, Bolm thanked the crowd for being so great and stated that this was the best response they’ve had on this tour. The set-list included Pathfinder, Home Away From Here, Art Official, Uppers/Downers, The Great Repetition, Amends, Adieux, Just Exist, Praise/Love, Anyone/Anything, Harbor, and Is Survived By. Touché Amoré’s latest album, Is Survived By is available now. They’ll be finishing out their tour with Rise Against on October 5^th before heading abroad for some additional touring.

Longstanding Chicago punk rock band and headliner Rise Against never fails to put on rowdy show. The chaos that ensues at their shows never fails either. From the very first note played the crowd was a swaying mass of jumping moshers and screaming crowd surfers. The pent up excitement and anticipation of the crowd was released all at once during the opener Ready To Fall. They moved right into the second song of the night, Give It All, and the pandemonium was only accelerated with another fast paced song. As a matter of fact, the crowd’s exhilaration didn’t weaken once throughout the entire show, lasting over an hour.Lead singer and guitarist Tim McIlrath came down to the front row of the crowd for the end of Give It All and let fans sing, or scream, along with him before high-fiving as many as he could and jumping back on stage.

McIlrath’s vocal style is a mixture of raspy throat yelling that makes Rise Against’s music easily recognizable, and more subdued singing over a fast paced tempo. He performs an acoustic version of a song at just about every live show, offering the band and everyone else a chance to breathe. In almost every song there is a distinct moment of silence before the drums kick into high gear and the guitars break into the chorus. That’s the point at which the crowd knows just how to react, and the floor is an explosion of frenzied passion. Nothing in the room is still. At one point McIlrath stopped to ask if everyone was alright out there. The crowd responded with a booming cheer, indicating they were fine. Fans sang every single note in unison with him as the band moved from one song to the next without hesitation.

Rise Against is known for their progressive lyrics and public activism. The band has partnered with and advocated for many organizations to help causes around the world. Their passion for such work is reflected in their music. The set-list included Re-Education (Through Labor), Behind Closed Doors, Long Forgotten Sons, Good Left Undone, Like the Angel, I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore, Swing Life Away (acoustic), People Live Here (acoustic), Make It Stop, and Savior among several other songs. Rise Against has released seven studio albums since 2001. This tour is promoting their most recent album, The Black Market, which was released on July 15, 2014.

Article by: Ashley Rodriguez