Rise Against take over the Tower Theatre

Rise Against, Touche Amore, and Radkey

Tower Threater, Upper Darby

Walking into the Tower Theatre for the first time had me in awe.  Of all the venues I’ve been inside, this one has been by far the nicest.  The vintage theatre design of the lobby was like walking back in time… minus the radio station and merch tables.

As soon as the first act, Radkey, took the stage, I became aware that the Tower Theatre had something else I had not heard in a venue for a long time, a good sound crew.  Far too often I find myself as concerts where all you can hear are drums and bass with mumbling vocals on top.  So far I was impressed.

The second act of the night was Touche Amore, a post-hardcore band from Burbank, California.  Prior to the show I had little to no idea of what this band was like or how their music sounded.  I was incredibly impress with them.  Despite not know any of their songs I still felt a connection to the crowd.  They brought back an energy and angst  to the show that I forgot I was missing.  They brought me back to a time when rock and roll was everything and this was the kind of feeling I lived for. If anyone reading this has not yet heard Touche Amore and you are into old punk bands like me, give them a listen because they are worth every second of your time.

Finally, Rise Against played their set and left me in tears at the end of the night.  I have been a Rise Against fan for a couple of years now but have never gotten to opportunity to see them live before.  The more famous songs such as Re-Education (Through Labor) and Prayer of the Refuge got the biggest reactions from the crowd but every single person in the venue was singing along to every song.  That kind of unity is what makes me feel most at home during rock concerts.

Rise Against finished up the night with a small acoustic encore.  This is where I started to tear up, their acoustic album is my person favorite.  Hearing Swing Life Away reminded me of all the times I spent with friends and how much I miss them all.  All in all I had one of the best concert experiences of my life. The next time Rise Against comes to town and you’ve got tickets, I’m sure you’ll see me there too.

Article and Photo’s by Katie Bailey

Edited by Sami Cojocariu