Rise Against

On March 23, 2026, Rise Against brings its Chicago‑bred melodic hardcore to Burton Cummings Theatre in Winnipeg. Formed in the late 1990s, the band forged a tense, melodic sound around Tim McIlrath’s voice and the rhythm section of Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes. Early albums The Unraveling (2001) and Revolutions per Minute (2003) leaned into the speed and bite of hardcore punk, before Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004) and The Sufferer & the Witness (2006) opened up structures and choruses for wider rock stages. With guitarist Zach Blair joining in 2007, a stable core pushed through Appeal to Reason, Endgame and The Black Market, balancing fast tempos with mid‑tempo heft and alternative rock textures. Wolves (2017) and Nowhere Generation (2021) carried that thread, with lyrics focused on social tension, U.S. politics and the push‑and‑pull between personal agency and power.

Alongside them, Destroy Boys arrives from Sacramento’s DIY scene. Built around singer‑guitarist Alexia Roditis and guitarist Violet Mayugba, the trio channels a brisk, melodic punk shot through with pop‑punk, garage and grunge. Songs tackle identity, relationships, gendered violence and mental health with direct writing. After early self‑released tracks and two albums, Sorry, Mom (2016) and Make Room (2018), the band signed to Hopeless Records for Open Mouth, Open Heart (2021), sharpening the contrast between urgency and melody while staying rooted in alternative, queer and feminist spaces.