Greetings Rock ‘n’ Rollers! It is I, Ro, and I’m fresh off my latest live music extravaganza. Mr. Ro and I took a trip up to Portland, OR to see our daughter and to catch the Rise of the Roach Tour (which did not come to the Bay Area, which sucks, but we make do). The weekend was full of good food, fun sights, cuddles with my grandkittens, and the show was phenomenal.
The last time I was in Veterans Memorial Auditorium was last year for my kid’s graduation from college and when I bought the tickets I’d wondered if it would be a good venue for a show. It totally was. We had decent seats a couple of rows from the floor and we were surrounded by families with kids. My daughter’s friend said she was surprised at how wholesome the show was, which is funny because of the amount of f-bombs and middle-fingers-in-the-air moments, but it was true. Parents rocking out and headbanging with their kids is always a wholesome sight.
Opener Underoath put on a solid set, though I was hoping they’d play the songs I’d heard on SiriusXM Octane, but no matter. Then Rise Against took the stage and I was floored by their tight set with clear vocals and great sound. The moment that stood out to me the most was near the end when singer Tim McIlwrath spoke about the current dangers to our democracy and how it’s up to all of us to stand up for each other and for those who can’t speak for themselves before singing “Prayer of the Refugee.” It was a powerful moment, he was very eloquent, and seeing as less than 24 hours later, Senator Cory Booker would break the record for the longest speech on the senate floor—crushing the previous record held by racist senator Strom Thurmond, who filibustered to keep the 1957 Civil Rights Act from passing—it was a much-needed infusion of hope for me.
Papa Roach came out swinging and nailed the oldies but goodies from their debut album, Infest… which just turned 25. How is this possible? Jacoby joked about him and Chester Bennington getting their wives pregnant on their first big tour together, 23 years ago, and I looked over at my 23yo daughter and we both cracked up. The band has come a long way since Infest and they’ve evolved into elder statesmen of rock who never shy from discussing their previous mistakes nor the glaring issues of mental health in our society. Their songs alternate between ballads of the broken and anthems to our greatness. Songs like “F.E.A.R.” and “Born For Greatness” off recent albums are so powerful, they’re everything that we as GenXers have been telling folks all along.
The band formed just up the road from me in Vacaville, CA, and I’ve always felt an affinity for the boys from Cow Town. This show was my 5th time seeing them and they keep getting better every time. They weave in songs from our generation’s biggest moments in rock and Jacoby is so full of love he can’t help but run around the entire venue rocking out, even crowd surfing back to the stage! Tony Palermo is a genius on drums—we saw PR play at a Cruefest where he did double duty playing with Sixx:AM before Papa Roach went on—Jerry Horton is sophisticated grace pulling killer riffs from the aether, and Tobin Esperance matches Palermo’s pounding beat with precision, power, and prowess. Together, they are as tight as ever, and their creative spark continues to burn bright.
When their album Connection came out in 2012, I’d just finished writing my first book. The album became the soundtrack to the Teacher series, which was partially inspired by singer Jacoby Shaddix’s battle with a nodule on his vocal cord and subsequent surgery. The band released a series of videos chronicling the experience, and I was moved by their story. I’ve always been fascinated by stories behind my favorite music—I watched the VH1 series Behind The Music religiously as well as countless documentaries on my favorite bands—and you can see elements of those stories in my books.
The band released F.E.A.R., Crooked Teeth, and Who Do You Trust? over the next few years, and every single song on those albums are phenomenal. They’re records you can listen to from start to finish without any weak spots. It’s funny, when I tell people how much their music inspires me, they kind of wrinkle their noses and say, “you mean, that nu-metal band? ‘Cut my life into pieces’?” Then they go and listen and they tell me how much they love the music. I love being a Papa Roach Ambassador!
Ego Trip, the band’s most recent album, is absolutely brilliant. There are just enough moments of levity to keep fans smiling and headbanging, but there are genuine moments of heartbreak and empathy in there, too, and it has soothed my weary soul during the lockdown and beyond. As if I didn’t love them enough, then they came out with their Talk Away the Dark initiative to bring awareness to the heavy battles so many of us are fighting with our mental health. As a school counselor, I lost at least two students to suicide and attended their funerals. In my school days, I knew of at least three kids we lost to suicide. One of my dearest friends I’ve made as an author lost a child to suicide, and we have talked a lot about it over the years. It affects us all, and the band created a beautiful song to let folks know they are not alone “Leave A Light On.” I spoke with the representatives from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at the show, and I plan to contact my local organization to help. You can learn more here.
I can’t wait to hear what they come up with on their new album. It’s totally my dream to be a fly on the wall—or perhaps a roach on the floor—during their recording sessions to see how they put together such emotionally charged rock that is so goddamned fun at the same time—party songs with something real to say. If you haven’t listened to Papa Roach since “Last Resort,” give them a listen. Catch them on their Rise of the Roach tour this spring and be prepared to sing your heart out. I got to bring three new fans into the fold at this show, and there’s something so thrilling to me about watching friends discover the music I love for the first time and seeing their eyes go wide just before they quirk their upper lip and start bobbing their head.
If you haven’t been to a concert lately, make 2025 your year to get back into music. Support your local venue. Live music is the best therapy. Stay Tuned for More…
