Rise Against Gallery
Photos by Kate Scott

Chicago’s own Rise Against came back home to the new House of Vans on April 21, and they were met with mosh pits and crowd surfers galore. The hardcore band formed in 1999 and took off after their 2004 album, Siren Song of the Counter Culture. It’s rare to see them in any setting other than arenas or massive music festivals; however, for about 800 diehard fans, April 21 was a completely incredible experience. The House of Vans opened in Chicago in early February and has been showcasing a variety of music and local events since.

Direct Hit!, a punk band from Milwaukee, opened the night up and had a circle pit going by the fourth song. Both bands were amped to be so close to the crowd and interacted with fans during most of their songs. Rise Against’s lead singer Tim McIlrath told the crowd: “We haven’t done a show like this in a long time, and damn it feels good!”

Rise Against are set to travel to South America for nearly a month of touring in May before coming back to Chicago on June 9.

Direct Hit

Rise Against