Mourning in Amerika Tour
The name Mourning in Amerika Tour was a little misleading, because as far as I can tell, Rise Against never actually played “Mourning in Amerika” at any of the shows. Oh well.
Rise Against toured with Anti-Flag and AFI. What a lineup. I caught three shows: Philly, Denver, and the Bay Area.
Festival Pier, Philadelphia 8/4/18
Rise Against is one of those bands that I have to see with my crew. They’re one of Anna’s favorites, and Cram’s, so I had to head to the East Coast. Cram picked me up in Newark and drove me the rest of the way to Philly to Anna and Peter’s.
We got to the Festival Pier a little late, so we missed Anti-Flag. Whoops.
This is the same venue, same band, and same people as the Rise Against show last year, just a slightly smaller group this time.
We met an older dude at the show in a Rise Against shirt who talked to us about concerts being a drug. We all felt that. Cram decided he’s going to be him when he grows up.
We also met a dude with an 11 year old kid. I think they said it’s the kid’s second show? Cute.
AFI
I didn’t know most of their music, but honestly I was a little surprised at how much of it sounded familiar. Anna gave me a hard time for only knowing “Miss Murder.”
“It’s their ‘Welcome Home.'”
I listened to their Blood Album when it came out a year ago, but wasn’t super into it. But my crew told me I’d probably like their first few albums because they were more punk.
Frontman Davey Havok swung the mic once.
Peter: “Does he think he’s Adam?”
Girl’s Not Grey
17 Crimes
Of Greetings and Goodbyes
Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings)
Beautiful Thieves
Summer Shudder
Snow Cats
No Poetic Device
I Hope You Suffer
Miss Murder
Rise Against
We got close to the pit but not in it. It’s a big venue and I was only with three friends this time, so I was afraid if I crowdsurfed I’d never find them again, so I didn’t. We just kinda chilled.
Cram was being weird and like… guarding me from the pit the way he would if I was on the barricade? Like you know I can handle myself, dude. Anna pulled me away at one point and I wasn’t sure if it was to dance or because she could tell I thought it was weird.
The Violence
Satellite
Survive
I Don’t Wanna Be Here Anymore
House on Fire
Ready to Fall
Help Is On the Way
Megaphone
I was really excited to see them play this live. Tim literally brought out a megaphone, which was great.
Give It All
Blood Red White and Blue
Re-Education Through Labor
Savior
Acoustic:
Voices Off Camera
AHHHHH this was beautiful and amazing and I can’t believe they played this.
People Live Here
Hero of War
Swing Life Away
Encore:
Make It Stop
Like the Angel
Tim: “If you know the words, you’re aging yourself.”
And I’m damn proud of it, okay.
Prayer of the Refugee
I feel like they switched “Savior” and “Prayer of the Refugee” from where they normally put them in a setlist.
It was such a good show, as always. I love this band. Frontman Tim McIlrath was giving us a number to text from onstage at one point during the show, and I didn’t do it because I was afraid it was PETA. We definitely saw a guy yelling at PETA as we left the venue. I knew they’d be there.
The four of us went to a food truck place after the show, which was super cute.
The next day, Peter, Anna, and I were all flying to Denver for Coheed and Taking Back Sunday.
Weirdly enough, the next time I saw Rise Against was also in Denver, but not on this trip.
Red Rocks, Denver 9/15/18
I went to Denver by myself to see Rise Against play Red Rocks for my 26th birthday. One of my favorite bands in one of the most gorgeous venues in the country sounds like the perfect way to celebrate.
Apparently Red Rocks isn’t like actually in Denver, so I had to take a party bus from the city to the venue. It was literally just a school bus with a stereo propped up in it blasting Rise Against the whole way. What a birthday. It’s like high school but better.
Red Rocks is BEAUTIFUL. The sunflowers near where the bus parked were my favorite. I regret not grabbing a few to stick in my hair, but it didn’t even cross my mind at the time.
It was a HIKE to get to the venue. Literally. It was absolutely gorgeous, so it was definitely worth it, but I’ve never been so out of breath before the first opener before.
After hiking to the venue, I made it a point to climb all the way to the top to see the view from there. There was food for sale at the top, so I got mac’n’cheese and ate up there to watch the sun set. It was so pretty.
I was very happy with the house music playing at Red Rocks. “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Bastards of Young,” “I Don’t Wanna Know If You’re Lonely,” Rancid, etc. etc. It was just a great playlist.
Anti-Flag
Apparently I didn’t understand what my “GA” ticket meant. Red Rocks is 100% seated, and my ticket didn’t have a seat assignment on it, so I went down to the front for Anti-Flag.
This was really my first time seeing/hearing them, but Anti-Flag was AWESOME. I was very impressed and actually messaged Cram during their set to ask which album I should start with. He said Die for the Government, which was the song I had JUST finished recording. I’m about it.
They had great energy and the music was great. Their set was just super fun.
“Mother Nature may have stolen our circle pit tonight, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fuckin’ fun.”
They also covered The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” Love it. They talked about how when people think Red Rocks, some think the Beatles, but they think the Clash.
After their set, a guy came by and checked tickets. He told me “GA” meant I had to be above row 30. Lame.
I sat through AFI this time until “Miss Murder.” I kinda didn’t care so much. The guy next to me was telling me how they were big when he was… I don’t remember how old, but he said he just turned 37. I told him I’m turning 26.
Rise Against
The Violence
Satellite
Survive
I Don’t Wanna Be Here Anymore
Ready to Fall
Help Is On the Way
Tim talked about writing this one during Hurricane Katrina and about how there have been so many more disasters since.
Collapse (Post-Amerika)
Give It All
Blood Red White and Blue
Re-Education Through Labor
Savior
Acoustic:
Voices Off Camera
Tim came out into the crowd to sing this one and had everyone take their phone lights out. It was SO GORGEOUS.
House on Fire
They brought out live strings for this one and the rest of the acoustic set. Oh my god it was AMAZING. So cool. And I loved seeing this song acoustic.
Like the Angel
Far From Perfect
Ugh so good.
Hero of War
This song always makes me sad, so I sat down for it. Obviously I was still singing along the whole time regardless.
Encore:
Make It Stop
Wolves
I loved all the colors lighting up the venue. It looked like the album art. So cool.
Prayer of the Refugee
Honestly I was kinda glad for the change in setlist. They dropped “Swing Life Away” and “People Live Here” and I was totes okay with it.
It was weird being so far away, and really weird there not being a pit at all. I seriously thought about crowdsurfing down at one point, but then I realized if I got dropped, I could LITERALLY die. It’s probably not the worst way to go, but maybe not the best either.
Some dudes in front of me attempted to mosh, but it was a mess and they were all falling and getting injured and it was bad. They eventually got kicked out. Whoops.
And there was a girl on the other side of me not too far who was REAL loud and I’m assuming REAL drunk.
By the end of their set, I had pretty much this entire little area to myself. I have no idea why everyone around me was leaving early, but I was okay with it.
I took the party bus back to Denver at the end of the night. “Bohemian Rhapsody” blasting out of the speakers with a singalong of drunk people was GREAT.
The trip was definitely worth it, but I couldn’t help but feel like it would’ve been better if I wasn’t there alone. I’ve always gone to shows alone because I don’t want the fact that I’m alone to keep me from doing what I want to do, but I’m slowly learning that it’s so much better with friends. Especially trips like this.
Concord Pavilion, Bay Area 9/28/18
The Concord Pavilion is really nice because they have an option for a Fast Pass to skip the line and basically ensure yourself barricade. It’s only like an extra $5. So duh, I bought one.
But even the Fast Pass line was already incredibly long by the time I got there. I guess the secret got out about it. Luckily I saw my friend Synthia a good bit ahead of me in line, so she let me jump up there with her.
I’m so lucky I know people. Where would I be without shows friends, honestly.
So we both got barricade. Far left side, and it wasn’t too crazy behind us, even though there was a HUGE circle pit going for a while during the show. A girl behind us in the pit was from Florida (like me!) and wearing a Coheed shirt (fuck yes!) so I tried to be her friend, because things in common. I pretty much immediately outed myself as a crazy person.
Me: “Ahhh Coheed! I’m going to their secret show next week!”
Her: “What show?”
Me: “In Times Square… Nevermind…”
Synthia vouched that I’m nuts. It’s fine.
Then the two of us kinda kept to ourselves for a while before the show started. I know her mostly through Green Day, so we talked about them, and about being loved by our favorite bands and their crews. It’s a weird thing.
By this show, Anti-Flag was definitely growing on me. I’m all about their energy and music. Two of the guys got in the crowd to play at one point. It was pretty epic.
I thought about napping during AFI because I was extremely exhausted, but then Davey Havok got right up in my face to sing, so I stayed awake.
They’re growing on me too, I guess. It also helped that Synthia was next to me going nuts their whole set. I enjoyed it.
She got a setlist.
Davey was kinda going crazy with the mic. He like legit dropped it after their set before walking offstage, and I was concerned. I don’t think all mics can take a beating like that. Hopefully that one could.
Rise Against
I was sick at this show, unfortunately, so at times I was singing so hard I was literally coughing my lungs up.
I think every time Rise Against plays in the Bay, Tim talks about how Fat Wreck Chords gave them their first chance. Cute.
The Violence
Satellite
Survive
I Don’t Wanna Be Here Anymore
House on Fire
Ready to Fall
Help Is On the Way
Chamber the Cartridge
We had a “Rise” chant going before they started this song, which was pretty cool. And oh my goddddd I love that they played this song. So good.
Give It All
Tim crouched down directly in front of me to sing. I panicked and forgot the words but it was a nice moment. I noticed that he has two different color eyes. We were that close.
Then he gets on top of the barricade in the middle of the crowd for the end of the song.
Blood Red White and Blue
Re-Education Through Labor
Savior
Acoustic:
Voices Off Camera
Like the Angel
Hero of War
Swing Life Away
Encore:
Make It Stop
Wolves
Prayer of the Refugee
I love that they slightly changed up the setlist every show I saw them at this tour. It wasn’t a huge difference, but it was enough.
After their set ended, I realized I was FREEZING and didn’t have a jacket, so I ran like hell back to my car to blast the heater. I didn’t really say bye to Synthia or stick around to check out merch like I told msyelf I would. I just booked it out of there. And proceeded to fall asleep in my car with the heat on until the parking lot emptied out.
