By Sona Stepanian
Daily Bruin Contributor
Using an upside-down American flag embellished with the symbol
for anarchy as a backdrop, Rage Against The Machine stormed the
stage of the Hollywood Palladium Wednesday night.
Playing their fourth and final sold-out show in Southern
California, Rage was met by a generally young, multicultural crowd
eager for some loud, anti-authority freedom anthems.
The predominantly male, testosterone-fused audience ignored the
"Moshing and Crowd Surfing Not Allowed" sign even before the four
members of Rage were visible. The hopping, stomping and
fist-shaking accompanied the band throughout its set of high-energy
songs.
"People of the Sun," the second single off "Evil Empire," the
band’s sophomore release, led the way. Hardcore fans mouthed along
with lead vocalist Zack de la Rocha and shouts of "fear is your
only god" rang out during their song "Vietnow."
A clear, crisp, electrifying sound swept through the chandelier
laden, standing-room-only Palladium. De la Rocha withheld nothing
as he utilized every inch of the stage, jumping in sync with his
loyal followers.
De la Rocha’s all-encompassing performance showed that he not
only sings lyrics on a page, but also lives and feels every word he
bellows. His total commitment to the performance of their highly
political songs was interrupted only by a few missed phrases,
during which a seemingly tired de la Rocha gasped for a few breaths
of air, preparing himself for the next onslaught of sharp, poignant
lines of musical poetry.
The only silences from the audience came when de la Rocha
reached over to his microphone in order to speak to the crowd. A
hush fell over the mesmerized yet attentive fans as they listened
to him speak out about political oppression, treating his words
more like a holy sermon than the usual small talk a vocalist makes
with concert-goers. Cheers continually accompanied his calls to end
racist attacks and fight legislation which "turns teachers and
health care workers into snitches for the government."
Despite the crowd’s passionate cries for de la Rocha’s words, a
patient audience waited calmly for about 10 minutes when Rage left
the stage to regroup and prepare for their second assault. De la
Rocha’s voice finally rang out once again as he called out "Chapter
Two" and the band charged into "Bulls on Parade," the first single
off of their latest release.
The audience was also treated by the guest appearance of Public
Enemy’s Chuck D. De la Rocha introduced Chuck D as a man who has
been "expressing political views through music and producing a
whole generation of revolutionary music." A surprised yet very
pleased audience rushed to the stage, hoping to get a better
glimpse of the ensuing duet between the two artists.
After a mini-performance and a high-five for a job well done,
Chuck D disappeared and Rage was left with the task of wrapping up
the show with the same "fight for your rights" attitude and
high-energy tone they started with.
By playing "Killing in the Name," their debut album’s first
single, they again managed to captivate fans who were ready to
fling their middle fingers up into the air and pound their fists
along with the thumping of the music.
Attendees of Wednesday night’s "freedom festival" not only
sampled music from Rage, Stanford Prison Experiment and Girls
Against Boys, but also had a multifaceted experience. Aside from
exposing them to great, gritty, honest music, Rage challenged
people’s conceptions of political and social policies by setting up
information booths offering pamphlets to kids shuffling through the
lobby. Volunteers passed out leaflets dealing with racist attacks
and were willing to stop and chat with interested fans about police
brutality. Finally, de la Rocha ended the evening by urging
concertgoers to sign a petition to end military funding to
Mexico.
From the first drum beats to the final guitar shrieks, Rage
delivered an awe-inspiring, heart-and-blood performance. They ended
the show with the call-to-arms philosophy that has fueled their
music for years, finishing the show with "Freedom," whose chorus
lingered on in the minds of audience members long after Rage had
left the stage.
CONCERT: Rage Against The Machine played
Wednesday at the Palladium.