Alonso Yanez
“I can tell they are going to start with ‘Testify’ by the way Morello is holding the guitar. What can I tell you? I’m a nerd. I came all the way from Sweden just to see Rage,” said a fan right before Rage Against the Machine took the stage.
And he was not wrong. A little before 11 p.m., as the desert cold night refreshed the thousands of tightly-packed fans and red lights illuminated the group’s red star logo in the background, the band made their much anticipated appearance.
On Sunday night the whole crowd jumped together as if it were a beast, screaming and moshing to the seditious lyrics of the favorite band. They relieved themselves of the frustration of not having seen RATM in more than seven years.
The explosion of adrenaline was a constant throughout the whole one-hour show. After opening with “Testify”, the quartet played all-time favorites such as “Bombtrack,” “Bullet in the Head,” “Calm Like a Bomb” and closed a little after midnight with an incendiary combination of “Freedom” and “Killing in the Name” that left the audience wanting more.
The whole atmosphere was right from the beginning. Short lines and efficient security guards made it possible for the attendees to enjoy the festival despite the scorching sun and the attendees behaved well until the main event started. However, when RATM took the stage all camaraderie was lost. Moshpits appeared everywhere, as thousands of fans pushed their way forward.
As soon as the show started the organizers started to throw bottles of water to the crowd, who devoured them anxiously because of the unbearable heat created by the intensity of the concert.
In the climax of the event, while the fans close to the main stage stood on their toes to try to catch some cool air, Zack de la Rocha commented about the current administration’s war on terrorism and how discontent the nation is. He finished by saying that our president “should be hung, tried and shot, just like every other war criminal,” receiving a loud approval from the fans.
Overall, this was probably the best concert I have ever attended and I think that anyone else who went shares my opinion.
Even though I wanted to hear more than the 12 songs RATM played, I do not think I would have been able to stay on my feet much longer, like many other fans that passed out next to me during the show.
After the concert, as I walked to the parking lot with my sweat-soaked shirt and bruises all over my body, a smile appeared on my face.
Their performance satisfied the beast for that night. Luckily the group has announced three more shows in Southern California later on this year, giving fans more opportunities to see they have not lost their chemistry as musicians.