Rage Against the Machine: Here’s What They Played at Their First Gig in 11 Years

2022-07-11

Tom Morello (pictured) of Rage Against the Machine performing live at Louder than Life festival.

Tom Morello – Story and photo by Anne Erickson

Here’s the set list for Rage Against the Machine’s first reunion gig on their 2022 North American tour

After years of waiting, Rage Against the Machine finally reunited Saturday night (July 9) for their first time as a live touring band in more than 11 years. The group performed at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin, and the gig served to set off the North American leg of their reunion tour.

The concert was Rage Against the Machine’s first performance in the U.S. since July 30 of 2011, which was their L.A. Rising show at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It was also a reunion a long time in the making, as the band announced their reunion back in 2019, but the reunion tour was postponed multiple times due to the pandemic. Before the reunion announcement, three-fourths of the outfit performed as Prophets of Rage with Public Enemy’s Chuck D. and Cypress Hill’s B-Real on vocals.

As expected, the evening brought a bevy of hits, performed with a high-octane delivery. Vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, drummer Brad Wilk and bass player Tim Commerford plowed through songs such as “People of the Sun,” “Bulls on Parade,” “Guerrilla Radio,” “Freedom” and more. The group even performed their Bruce Springsteen cover of “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”

View the complete setlist from opening night of the “Public Service Announcement” tour and fan-filmed footage below.

“Rage Against the Machine 2022 Tour Kickoff in East Troy, Wisconsin, on July 9 (via Setlist.fm):

1. Bombtrack
2. People of the Sun
3. Bulls on Parade
4. Bullet in the Head
5. Testify (with Revolver intro)
6. Tire Me (first time since 2008)
7. Wake Up
8. Guerrilla Radio
9. Without a Face (first time since 2008)
10. Know Your Enemy
11. Calm Like a Bomb
12. Sleep Now in the Fire
13. War Within a Breath (first time since 2008)
14. The Ghost of Tom Joad (first time since 2000)
15. Freedom (with Township Rebellion outro)
16. Killing in the Name

Anne Erickson
Posted by Anne Erickson | Alternative, Music, Rock, Rock News

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