Rise Against ‘Give It All’ at Mystic Lake Performance

I didn't feel great about being at a show on Wednesday night. My dad and step-mom are visiting from Des Moines, Iowa, and, although I know they are here to see my super cute baby niece, I haven't made it home since the holidays and don't know the next time I'll be able to make the trek, so I really wanted to spend some time with them. That being said, my life is shows and, as much as I love my parents, I need live shows to keep my head level. I felt bad leaving them after just a a little bit of visiting (and helping them with their ancient cell phone that they are planning on using for a trip but, let me tell you, I don't think this ancient artifact is going to make it) but I was excited as I drove down to Prior Lake to see Rise Against at the Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel showroom.

I was excited for this entire show, but was most excited to see the opening act, Koyo. This is a band that I have gotten into recently. They aren't super new, as they have been around since 2020 and are actually a supergroup of sorts featuring members of SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Typecaste, and a few other projects, but this was my first time being able to see their magic live. Koyo started their set about 10 minutes before the advertised start time, so people were still coming into the auditorium-style venue as they began, but that didn't stop this band from giving everything they had. Their music, which blurs the lines between emo, melodic hardcore, and pop-punk so seamlessly, had a polished feel and an insane amount of heart. As vocalist Joey Chiaramonte was quick to point out, this was the first time they had ever played a fully seated show (more on this later), and it was, quite honestly, a little weird. I'll agree with that sentiment, but loved how, even with that "weirdness," Koyo did their best to warm the growing crowd up for what was next. Between the seated aspect of the show and the fact that the vocal microphone seemed to keep cutting in and out, I feel like this wasn't the best Koyo performance I could have gotten but, as mentioned, the heart was there and this is absolutely a band that I hope holds their promise mentioned from the stage that they will be back to a more "standard" kind of venue soon.

There's a sense of attitude that radiates from Destroy Boys that makes them such an addictive band. The first time I saw them was back in 2024 at Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas. I remember their energy and that signature brand of attitude hitting me like a truck and loving every second of it. Although the setting for the show on Wednesday night was definitely a far cry from Punk Rock Bowling, the second this group hit the stage, that energy and attitude hit me again, and I was instantly in love with this band all over again. Like Koyo, Destroy Boys seems to take a whole bunch of genres and loop them into a cohesive sound. That sound is only amplified by the very theatrical Alexia Roditis on lead vocals. Don't get me wrong, this entire band is super talented, and they all caught my eye at one point or another throughout their quick set, but there's just something about Alexia. From the faces she makes to the poses she stops at, to say that she is a light on the stage would be an understatement. There was one point when Alexia leapt off the stage and stormed through the venue for about half a song. This would have been a perfect opportunity for me to snap some photos of the other band members, but, truthfully, I spent half the time trying to track Alexia through the seats because I didn't want to miss anything she might do. Much like Koyo, Destroy Boys was great and absolutely did what they could to minimize the "weirdness" of this being a seated show. They performed a great set, but it was one that I would love to see in a more traditional venue sooner rather than later.

I got a little taste of headlining act Rise Against just over a month ago when vocalist/guitarist Tim McIlrath and guitarist Zach Blair performed as part of a beautiful fundraiser at First Avenue featuring Tom Morello and a surprise performance from Bruce Springsteen, but, as mentioned, that was just a little taste. They only played a handful of songs, and they were stripped back, but that little taste left me craving a Rise Against full-band performance. Rise Against is one of those bands with a cult following. The Chicago rockers have a devout fanbase that lives and breathes their music. I am not one of those people. I like their sound and love how political and "real" this band gets in interviews and the lyrics of their music, but truthfully, they are not "my band." That being said, I have seen them many times before, and they have never let me down. I wouldn't say that Rise Against let me down on Wednesday night at all. Truthfully, they sounded great. They played all of the right songs and brought the perfect amount of electrifying energy to the stage, but something just felt a bit off.

Okay, let's call it out, the elephant in the room. This was a seated show at an auditorium-styled venue. That sounds rude, and I promise it's not meant to be. The showroom at Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel is huge, and it's comfy. From the seats to the space that you have around you in said seats (the rows are far enough away from each other where you don't have to rest your knees on the seat backs in front of you), I just thoroughly love the feeling of this space. Another selling point here is the stage. It's huge, which allows room for production. In the case of Wednesday night, that production wasn't much more than some extra lights, but the way the lights whirled and swirled around the giant room was insane and added a very larger-than-life kind of vibe. All of these things, plus the amazing staff who are always so helpful and just straight-up lovely and fun, make this a great spot to catch a show, but was this the right show for the setting? Absolutely not. Although people stood through most of Rise Against's thirteen-song set and three-song encore, it just felt off. There was no mosh pit, no real energy coming from the audience other than the people singing along to every word like their life depended on it. I don't want to say that it affected the band or their performance because, like usual, Rise Against sounded absolutely flawless, but I do think it pulled their energy back ever so slightly.

Even though the energy didn't feel like it had in the past when I've seen Rise Against, as mentioned, the band sounded flawless. Tim has a very distinct voice, and there's something about hearing and seeing that voice live that will always give me chills. Their arena-ready sound filled the room perfectly, but it was the heart that I felt radiate from the stage that made this a stand-out performance. I talk about the heart a lot. I know and I'm sure you're sick of it but, the truth is, if you're a band that isn't doing ths for the right reasons, I'll know it and instantly be turned off. Rise Against is doing this for the right reasons. It wasn't just the fire that came through the speakers as they played through their set; it was the words Tim chose to use when thanking the audience for being there. The words he used when describing how special Minneapolis, the Twin Cities, and Minnesota are in general when it comes to the current political shitstorm we are all in. There was something special about that and, seated show be damned, it made for a truly spectacular way to spend a Wednesday night.