10.07.26 – Photos and review by Jason Rubin
Rise Against, the American punk rock band from Chicago, brought a hefty amount of energy to Vibrant Music Hall in Waukee, Iowa this past Wednesday night. A beautiful, modern venue situated just outside Des Moines, VMH houses just under 3,000 guests and even boasts an intimate VIP lounge, commonly known as The Red Room. I always enjoy capturing shows at this venue.
On tour with Rise Against were punk rock duo Teen Mortgage, composed of vocalist and guitarist James Guile and drummer Ed Barkauskas, as well as punk rock group Alkaline Trio, composed of lead vocalist Matt Skiba, vocalist and bassist Dan Andriano, and drummer Tosh Peterson, who displays such incredible energy while working those percussions!
Rise Against started their Ricochet tour late last month, promoting their tenth studio album, Ricochet, released back in August of 2025. Lead vocalist Tim McIlrath is a powerhouse vocalist and continuously amped up the already lively crowd there at VMH. Flanked on either side of him were lead guitarist Zach Blair and bassist Joe Principe. Tucked behind all of them was their phenomenal drummer Brandon Barnes. Strobes, smoke effects, and a plethora of color dominated the venue, enhancing the concert atmosphere that evening.
Kicking off their set with “Satellite,” from their 2011 album, Endgame, their performance was in full force for just under an hour and a half, making for a full evening of tunes old and new, and a very satisfied audience. Following “Satellite,” they went into another song off the same album, “Make it Stop (September’s Children),” and then broke into an older hit of theirs from 2004, “Give it All,” off of their first album, Siren Song of the Counter Culture.
Not being extremely familiar with the band, I still, however, detected the messages in their songs almost immediately. Their focus on social and political injustices, along with themes like mental health and personal survival resonated with the fans who were truly mesmerized throughout the evening. Present party included!
A favorite of mine from the evening was yet another from the 2011 album, Endgame. Not just the sound of this particular song, but having family and friends affected by certain natural disasters, “Help Is on the Way” hit home for me. After performing another older hit, “Behind Closed Doors,” off their 2006 album The Sufferer & the Witness, they broke into their newest single, “Katy Bar the Door,” released just this past August.
Halfway through their set, the crowd got fired up for their performance of “Nod,” from their newest full length album, Ricochet. This was the one and only track from this album performed that evening, as they often like to favor their older tracks to please the fans, and please them they did!
After performing “Re-Education (Through Labor),” from their 2008 album Appeal to Reason, Mcllrath switched guitars for the acoustic portion of their set. “Hero of War” and “Swing Life Away” slowed things down a bit during this portion of the show and fans had their phone flashlights out, swaying in unison.
“Let’s switch gears,” he said to his fans as he ditched the guitar completely and went right into “Collapse (Post-Amerika),” a wildly fast-paced song from their 2008 album Appeal to Reason, in utter contrast to the acoustic set they just completed. Their final song on the setlist became another new favorite for me; “Prayer of the Refugee,” a track off their 2006 album The Sufferer & the Witness.
No concert would be complete without an encore performance and Rise Against didn’t disappoint! Green and white strobes flashed heavily throughout the venue and smoke dominated the stage once more for their performance of “Survive,” another from their 2006 album The Sufferer & the Witness.
I stood there during the encore thinking that this crowd would be one for mosh pits and/or crowd surfing. I was surprised that none of that had occurred that evening. However, I spoke too soon, as the crowd surfing began and remained in full force during their final number in the encore, “Savior,” from their 2008 album Appeal to Reason.
Rise Against continues their tour throughout the U.S. this month with supporting band Alkaline Trio. They’ll continue the tour overseas in New Zealand and Australia through November with supporting act Dropkick Murphys, finishing the tour on December 4 at the Red Hill Auditorium in Red Hill, Australia. Check out their tour schedule here for more information.
