In a joint effort with the ‘Iraq Veterans Against the War and Tent State University’ Rage Against The Machine will be playing a free show at the Denver Coliseum on August 27th during the Democratic National Convention. According to Billboard.com…

“The performance is part of the Tent State Music Festival to End the War, and will alsp feature Flobots, the Coup, State Radio and Wayne Kramer.

Tickets will be given away for free by lottery. Fans can sign up by presenting a photo ID at Cuernavaca Park at the university’s campus starting Aug. 24 through Aug. 26 from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The all-ages event is set to begin at 11 a.m. Rage has also scheduled a performance for Sept. 3 in Minneapolis, during the same week the Republican National Convention is rolling into town”

The band itself has not given any interviews or issued any statements regarding either shows at this point. I personally think the free show idea is a great way to promote the cause and a great way for the bands fans to get involved. These shows are also significant because they mark two of the bands only true headline concerts that are not huge festivals. Could this be a sign that the band may go into the studio? It’s possible, and I would definitely like to hear some new Rage and new Brad Wilk drum beats.

I have been trying to find out the specifics of the drum kit Brad Wilk is currently playing on tour with Rage but all I can find is information on his 1992-2000 Rage kit and his Audioslave kit which was a Gretsch with Paiste Cymbals. I assume this is his most recent setup. If anyone knows more about, please let me know.

Rage Against The Machine have announced a headline show at The Target Center in Minneapolis, MN on September 3rd. This is noteworthy because the band hasn’t played any solo headlining shows besides festivals and because its during the same time period as The Republican National Convention, happening in the same city from September 1st - 4th.

There is some controversy being brought up over this, with some saying that the band is looking for a conflict. Whatever the case may be, and regardless of what i think of this band at this point in time, I’ve heard they are still good live. Brad Wilk is an amazing drummer, he’s definitely a master of just straight-up 4/4 grooves. Hopefully nothing too insane happens on September 3rd.

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Rage Against The Machine frontman Zach De La Rocha is part of a new band/project with Jon Theodore, previously of The Mars Volta.

The band is called One Day As A Lion and is described as “a sonic reflection of the visceral tension between a picturesque fabricated cultural landscape, and the brutal socioeconomic realities it attempts to mask,”

Supposedly the record is an “exploration of kick and snare” which sounds really interesting. If this record turns out to be what I’m imagining (basically De La Rocha rapping over live drums with minimal instrumentation), this could be amazing.

Jon Theodore is a great drummer, as proven by his previous work in The Mars Volta. And I personally think this is cooler than getting a new Rage album. It comes out on July 22nd.

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