20 Questions: Rise Against

1. The latest book or movie that made you cry?

Turtles Can Fly. That’s a sad fucking movie.

2. The fictional character most like you?

Tyler Durden from Fight Club.

3. The greatest album, ever?

Fugazi’s 13 Songs. Nobody has ever done anything like this record, or like this band.

4. Star Trek or Star Wars?

Star Wars, I mean, have you seen Trekkies?

5. Your ideal brain food?

A good book in a small mom and pop cafe sipping on a hot chocolate…

6. You’re proud of this accomplishment, but why?

Watching our last two records go gold was pretty overwhelming. I don’t think I was quite prepared for that. Reaching that many people, and realistically more, is far beyond any goal we set for our little punk band.

7. You want to be remembered for…?

Being part of the solution, not the problem

8. Of those who’ve come before, the most inspirational are?

Ian Mackaye, Kathleen Hannah, Joe Strummer, Angela Davis. The dudes that chucked all that tea into the ocean in Boston a few hundred years ago.

9. The creative masterpiece you wish bore your signature?

Any book by Cormac McCarthy. His writing is from another time.

10. Your hidden talents…?

I can scale tall backstage hallways.

11. The best piece of advice you actually followed?

Don’t get too comfortable.

12. The best thing you ever bought, stole, or borrowed?

Bought: A murdered-out moped.

Stole: A VCR/DVD player from my high school that I still use today.

Borrowed: A Kerosene 454 cd from Neil Hennessy of the Lawrence Arms. I don’t think he knows I have it, so don’t tell anybody.

13. You feel best in Armani or Levis or…?

Volcom jeans. I know they fit so I just keep buying them because I hate the idea of going somewhere and having to try on pants all day. That sucks.

14. Your dinner guest at the Ritz would be?

Trent Reznor. The man is genius. There is more punk in his pinky finger than half the mohawked bands out there.

15. Time travel: where, when and why?

DC in 1981 so I can see Minor Threat play a show. Or Chicago in 1968, the year of fire, the riots, the war, the music. I want to see our country the last time it was really fired up.

16. Stress management: hit man, spa vacation or Prozac?

I’m not a violent man and I can’t ever relax with some stranger touching me and I don’t do drugs. How about poolside in Southern California sipping on a Shirley Temple and reading.

17. Essential to life: coffee, vodka, cigarettes, chocolate, or…?

Chocolate. I’m afraid of coffee because I know too many coffee addicts. I’m straight edge so I don’t drink or smoke. But I’ll eat the shit out of some snocaps.

18. Environ of choice: city or country, and where on the map?

Country. Touring most of the year we see plenty of cities, but not enough of the country. I like to visit the town of Fort Collins in Colorado when I have off time. It’s got a great vibe and great people.

19. What do you want to say to the leader of your country?

I’d say she should have us on our show some time, we promise not to jump around on her couch like Tom Cruise did.

20. Last but certainly not least, what are you working on, now?

I’m working on trying to get to Vienna. I flew to Europe via London and got set down in Manchester because of a snow storm in London, their worst in 18 years apparently. Right now my band and crew are scattered across England and Ireland and we’re all trying to figure out how we’re going to get the show in Vienna tomorrow. Wish us luck!

TOUR DATES

June 4th Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum

June 6th Edmonton, AB Rexall Place

June 7th Calgary, AB Calgary Corral

June 8th Saskatoon, SK Prarieland

June 11th Denver, CO Red Rocks Ampitheatre

June 12th Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club

June 13th St. Louis, MO Pops (Outdoors)

June 15th Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amp

June 17th Montreal, QC Parc Jean Drapeau

June 18th Quebec City, QC Agora

June 19th Ottawa, ON Civic Centre

June 22nd Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion

June 24th Detroit, MI Fillmore

June 26th Minneapolis, MN Myth

July 6th Seattle, WA WaMu Theatre

July 8th Reno, NV Reno Events Center

July 10th San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amp

July 11th Los Angeles, CA The Forum

July 13th Las Vegas, NV The Joint

July 14th Phoenix, AZ Mesa Arts Center

July 16th Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom

July 17th Austin, TX Stubb’s

July 18th Houston, TX Verizon Wireless

July 20th Orlando, FL House of Blues

July 21st Orlando, FL House of Blues

July 23rd Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues

July 24th Baltimore, MD Ram’s Head

July 25th Philadelphia, PA Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing

July 28th Boston, MA House of Blues

July 29th Boston, MA House of Blues

July 30th Buffalo, NY Agri Center

July 31st Toronto, ON Molson Ampitheatre