Review + Photos
Rise Against have returned to the road for their 2021 Nowhere Generation Tour. The trek marks the bands first batch of live shows since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the music industry to a year and a half ago. Now – along with Spanish Love Songs and punk idols Descendents – Rise Against are back on stage and their fans couldn’t be happier.
Spanish Love Songs released their latest album Brave Faces Everyone in February 2020, just as the pandemic came on full force. Despite not being able to support the album on tour, it peaked at No. 61 on the Billboard 200. Now, the band are finally getting to showcase their newest songs on stage for their fans and they are taking full advantage.
The band’s short but sweet 7-song set came entirely from the new record. The closed with the album’s title track. These songs are finally seeing the light of day, and the response from fans was overwhelmingly positive. The band was tight, and the songs sounded fantastic live. It will be very exciting to see what Spanish Love Songs can do with a post-pandemic push for this album.
Descendents looked a bit weathered, but their performance was anything but. Fontman Milo Aukerman wore eyeglasses and had a water cooler slung over his shoulder to stay hydrated, but he and his Descendents bandmates managed to get a circle pit going during their set. Rockstars are humans and they get old just like us regular folks do. Descendents are proving they can still kick ass and hold their own with the likes of a Rise Against. Aging gracefully may be one of the most punk rock things a band can do.
The band’s new album 9th & Walnut is hot off the presses, released on July 23 via Epitaph Records. The band started writing the record back in 2002 and finished it up during the pandemic. With a perfectly-timed release date, the band are unleashing the songs live on their first tour in a long time. The album is a statement piece that proves their legacy, and the next generation is getting to experience it first-hand.
Rise Against unveiled their ninth studio album Nowhere Generation back on June 4 via Loma Vista Recordings. It is the band’s first LP since 2017’s Wolves. The new album performed well commercially out of the gate, peaking at No. 39 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on Billboard Top Rock Albums, and No. 2 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums chart.
Last night at the Mann Center in the shadow of Philadelphia, thunderstorms held off just long enough for Rise Against to perform for their Philly faithful for the first time in a long time.
Rise Against are known for their ever-energetic live shows, and this new tour is no exception. The band played a balanced set, running through songs from six of their studio albums. Highlights included “Satellite,” “Re-Education (Through Labor),” “The Violence,” “I Don’t Wanna Be Here Anymore,” “Under The Knife,” and more. The band broke out four tracks from their new LP including the title track “Nowhere Generation.”
After a solid 11-song set, frontman Tim McIlrath took the stage for a solo stint. The acoustic set included beautiful renditions of “Forfeit,” “Make It Stop (September’s Children),” “Prayer of the Refugee,” and the platinum smash “Swing Life Away.”
The rest of the band rejoined McIlrath for a three-song encore. They cranked out “Survive” and “Worth Dying For,” ending with their seminal hit “Savior.”
Rise Against’s Nowhere Generation Tour continues at the MECU Pavilion in Baltimore, MD on August 3.
Rise Against – Live Photo Gallery:
Descendents – Live Photo Gallery:
Spanish Love Songs – Live Photo Gallery:
