Rise Against Concerts Setlist

Rise Against is an American punk rock band. They were formed in 1999 in Chicago, Illinois. The founding members were bassist Joe Principe (born in 1974 in Melrose Park, Illinois), and lead guitarist Dan “Mr. Precision” Wleklinski.

The two founders, Wleklinski and Principe, used to play for the punk band “88 Fingers Louie” in Chicago. After that band broke up for a second time in 1999, they decided to put together a brand new punk group. Initially called “Transistor Revolt”, they recruited drummer Tony Tintari and guitarist Kevin White. Lead vocalist Tim McIlrath (formerly of the band “Baxter”) also joined, even dropping out of college for the band. McIlrath had some trouble singing to the band’s fast-paced music at the initial jam sessions. However, after a while, it was all smoothed out, and they put out their first self-produced EP in 2000.

That record garnered quite a bit of traction in the local punk community. As a result, they got signed by NOFX lead singer Fat Mike’s independent label Fat Wreck Chords. At Fat Mike’s suggestion, they changed their name to “Rise Against”. The band’s debut album came out in April 2001, with the title “The Unraveling”. Despite going on an excessive Rise Against concert tour to promote the album and it receiving positive reviews, it failed to gain any significant commercial traction. Co-founder Wleklinski was fired from the band afterwards for unclear reasons, so Kevin White took his place on the lead guitar until Zach Blair joined the band in 2007.

They put out two more albums, one in 2003 and one in 2004 (the latter one was their first to break into Billboard 200 at #136), before hitting it big in 2006. Their 4th album, “The Sufferer & the Witness” from July 2006, reached #10 on Billboard 200 and ended up selling over 1 million copies in the US alone. It is their best selling album to date. Meanwhile, the latest new Rise Against album came out in June 2021, with the title “Nowhere Generation”. It is the ninth installment in their discography.

The biggest hits in the Rise Against setlist to date are “Prayer of the Refugee” (2006), “Savior” (2008), “Hero of War” (also 2008), and “Satellite” (2011). Their current line-up is made up of co-founder and bassist Joe Principe, lead vocalist Tim McIlrath, drummer Brandon Barnes, and lead guitarist Zach Blair. They’re known for their activism, campaigning for causes such as LGBT rights and animal welfare.

They are not to be confused with Rage Against the Machine, a similarly named American punk band who were founded 8 years before them. Check where the next Rise Against concert is playing near you on our page above.