CONCERT REVIEW: Rise Against – Pennywise – Stick To Your Guns: Live at The Worcester Palladium


The Nowhere Generation Tour rolled into Worcester, MA with Pennywise and Stick To Your Guns and I’ve had tickets to see Rise Against four separate times in my life, and every time I’ve had to bail last minute, this show has been a long time coming. This night of the tour was the first of the tour for Jim Lindberg and the rest of the boys in Pennywise and Stick To Your Guns, so needless to say, the energy of the show was through the roof from the jump!

First to the stage were Orange County hardcore outfit, Stick To Your Guns. Rocketing onto the stage full of piss and vinegar with “Nobody” and “Empty Heads” for a quick and viscous 1, 2 punch to the gut to get the energy high and keep it up there. Jesse Barnett took time to speak in between songs to show his appreciation for Rise Against to bring them on the tour not only for the chance to get back on the road but for this tour in particular. We have the heavier side of hardcore and punk with S.T.Y.G, the archetype of punk music with Pennywise, and the modern-day flag carriers of the punk message with Rise Against. It truly was a beautiful thing to see, younger kids coming out for their first hardcore show to old heads seeing their favorite band still kick ass after thirty-four years, and everything else in-between. I love this stuff. Ending their set with the anthemic “Against Them All”, Stick To Your Guns sent a message that reverberated throughout The Palladium… “It’s us against them all and we’ve always got each other.

After Jesse and company left it all on the stage, we get the elder statesmen of punk rock, Pennywise! When you have 34 years of material to work with, you’re going to have an extensive setlist. Which is exactly what they did. Seeing Jim Lindberg again so soon after the Dropkick Murphys’ show was also a pleasure. Running through a 12 song set spanning from the very beginning of their career up until their latest release (Never Gonna Die/Epitaph Records), and even throwing in a Nirvana cover of “Territorial Pissings” it was a punk rock madhouse that could only be contained by the barricade and band themselves. Closing out with their classic “Bro Hymm” was nostalgic and chaotic and the crowd was there to just live in moment and in the music. Ya love to see it!

And now onto the main event, a band that I have been trying to see you live for 15 years now… Rise Against! With the stage looking exactly like the cover of their latest album (Nowhere Generation, Loma Vista Recordings) with stacks of TVs and old news footage playing was the intro to the show, you know exactly what the show is about, standing together and revolution! A mantra that vocalist Tim McIlrath reinstated multiple times throughout the show. Running through a giant 18 song set, including a short acoustic set were we got to hear the classics “Swing Life Away”, “Hero of War”, and even a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Fortunate Son”. Opening up the show with “Prayer of the Refugee” and “The Violence” was a shot old and new-ish for old school fans and newcomers to the band. You could just tell that the band was just having a good time on stage which is exactly what you want to see. Having several moments during the show where Rise Against dedicated songs to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine in support of the men and women fighting over there is exactly what you’d expect from this band and it was met with an immense amount of love and applause. Closing out the night with “Savior” Mr. McIlrath said, “This song is dedicated to the brave men and women over in Ukraine right now who are fighting everyday to protect those that they love…they are their own Saviors”. Hearing that honestly gave me chills. And hearing “Satellites” and “Re-Education (Through Labor)” was a borderline religious experience for me.

Until next time, this is Smallz… signing off. Peace and chicken grease ya’ll!

 

Setlist: via setlist.fm

Prayer of the Refugee

The Violence

Talking to Ourselves

Satellite

Help Is on the Way

Collapse (Post-Amerika)

Ready to Fall

I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore

Re-Education (Through Labor)

The Good Left Undone

Dancing for Rain

Nowhere Generation

 

Set 2

Swing Life Away

Hero of War

Fortunate Son

(Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)

 

Encore

Survive

Give It All

Savior

 

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WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS SMALL