Punk rock officially took over Red Rocks Amphitheater on Sept. 13 with Denver radio station Channel 93.3’s Bill of Rights tour.
The concert got underway at 7 p.m. in the midst of brisk fall-like weather. Buzzing with excitement, early concertgoers witnessed Manitoba’s own, Comeback Kid.
This opening act was followed by a kinetic performance by Burlington, Ontario, natives Silverstein. Named after children’s author, Shel Silverstein, the band seemed a bit out of place without a massive mosh pit ebbing to their screamo sound.
The final opening act of the evening was preceded by a brief interlude during which Channel 93.3 DJ, Nerf invited members of the American Civil Liberties Union on stage to lecture audience members about their rights. While it is important to appreciate their attempt to interest the crowd about this matter, it seemed more like the concert was a ruse to promote the Clear Channel Communications affiliate’s agenda.
After this, veteran punk band Sum 41, also of Ontario, took the stage. Sum 41 played a plethora of hits, varying between both their pop-punk and metal-reminiscent styles of music.
Songs like “Fat Lip” and “We’re All to Blame” were intermingled with hits from the band’s new CD Underclass Hero. Intent on putting on a show, Sum 41 and, more specifically front man Deryck Whibley, tried with some success to get the crowd to participate.
At 10 p.m., headliner Rise Against snuck onto the stage under a veil of darkness and introductory sounds before blasting right into their energy packed set. Lead singer and guitar player Tim McIlrath, sporting a flowing yet flat Mohawk, had the crowd bouncing to songs like “State of the Union,” “Black Masks and Gasoline,” as well as new tunes such as “Prayer of the Refugee.”
Rise Against played for over an hour, often pausing to admire the sight of Red Rocks teeming with screaming, enthused fans. Keeping in tune with mixing up the band’s performances – McIlrath played an acoustic version of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s progeny “Ohio” on his last visit to Denver – the band invited two violinists and a cellist on stage for the song “Roadside” and the intro to “Dancing for Rain”.
