Rise Against

Rise Against Artistfacts

  • 1999-
    Tim McIlrathVocals, guitar
    Joe PrincipeBass
    Brandon BarnesDrums
    Zach BlairGuitar2007-
    Chris ChasseGuitar2004-2007
    Todd MohneyGuitar2002-2004
    Dan WleklinskiGuitar1999-2002
  • All four members of Rise Against identify as both straight edge and vegetarian. All actively campaign with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).
  • After forming in 1999, they used the name Transistor Revolt. They performed for two years with this name, but changed it to Rise Against before the release of their first full length album, The Unraveling, in 2001.
  • Tim McIlrath, the lead singer of Rise Against, was previously in a band called Baxter. Baxter existed for only a few short years, but had a great impact on the Midwestern hardcore scene of the mid-1990s.
  • In 2007 the band announced that they would endorse a new line of shoes for Vans that would be entirely vegan, not using any animal products.
  • Tim McIlrath has heterochromia, meaning his eyes are two different colors, blue and brown.
  • McIlrath loves science fiction books, which are often an influence on his lyrics. "Even before I got into music and punk and hardcore, I was just a nerdy kid who loved sci-fi," he told Songfacts. "I was a big reader, and I was stumbling across a lot of coming-of-age classics like 1984 by George Orwell or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I was really roped into the books because of their sci-fi nature, and didn't realize what dystopian literature was when I was reading that. I was getting education in it by just reading that."

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