Rage Against the Machine | Paradise Rock Club | January 19, 1993
By PHOENIX STAFF | October 25, 2006
Rage Against the Machine back in the early 90s |
On a Tuesday night in 1993, Rage Against the Machine were little more than a buzz band on their first headlining tour for their homonymous major-label debut. At that point, the band had essentially no radio play, but they drew about 500 people to the Paradise anyway. They had the songs, the politics, a great rhythm section, guitarist Tom Morello’s arsenal of wah-wah and turntable impersonations, and charismatic vocalist Zack de la Rocha. The crowd knew the words, and when de la Rocha, after his between-song rants against capitalism, led them in sing-alongs to such subtle hooks as “Fuck you — I won’t do what you tell me,” he’d celebrate the metal-guitar release with two or three long bunny hops across the stage and a heedless, breathtaking back flip into the mosh pit. |
Were you there? Wish you were? Seen better? Tell us about it below.
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