Rise Against makes exciting debut at Rock in Rio with political show and punk energy

They were the penultimate act on the stage, but they didn't exactly have a crowd of passionate fans. Few knew the lyrics; When asked if they were at their first Rise Against show, many raised their hands (the band has already come to Brazil five other times).

But the group was well received, as vocalist Tim McIlrath felt when he joined the crowd in the second song, “Under The Knife”. At another point, he revealed that the band listened directly to Iron Maiden's recording at Rock in Rio, and that this debut at the festival was exciting for them.

Rise Against is a student rock group that takes the subject seriously. Three of the four members follow the straight edge philosophy: they don't drink alcohol or use drugs, which – oddly enough – is a common movement in punk today.

Sobriety is good for vocal health, to say the least. McIltrath sang the band's hits in good form, accompanied by fast-paced guitars, jumping back and forth. The members accompany him well and everything sounds rounded, even if frantic.

The repertoire included his biggest hits, most with political lyrics. The group is known for its activism, and has been singing about refugees (“Prayer of the Refugee”) and the climate crisis (“Ready To Fall”) since before these were the most moving topics in the world. (If you look closely, they've even given tips against the 6x1 scale, in the hit song “Re-Education Through Labor”).

One of the most enthusiastic moments was “Satellite”, a track about feeling “outside the system”, marginalized. But none of this accompanied major political speeches. Friendly, McIlrath did not touch on controversial subjects and limited himself to declaring himself to the public, the festival and even the Foo Fighters.

They ended with “Savior”, smiling as they saw the audience light up flares: maximum proof that even a correct rock show yields a certain anarchy. Everyone left happy.