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Tom Morello in Concert
Tom Morello is one of rock 'n' roll's greatest guitar players, mainly because he isn't afraid to invert traditional techniques or sounds. As the founder of the rebellious political band Rage Against the Machine, he pioneered bold effects — exaggerated funk riffs, for example, or scribbles that resembled a hip-hop DJ scratching on vinyl — to form an aggressive, metallic foundation. His work with Audioslave was streamlined and even rock radio–friendly, although his towering squalls were a perfect match for frontman Chris Cornell's soaring, soulful vocals. And when recording as his more subdued alter ego The Nightwatchman, Morello even indulges his strident, acoustic guitar-playing folk-punk side.
Born in New York City but raised in Illinois, Morello grew up a massive fan of KISS, Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin, as well as Run-D.M.C. He attended Harvard University before heading out to Los Angeles, where he played in the funky hard rock group Lock Up before forming Rage Against the Machine. Even then Morello was a physical player who twisted his entire body into his guitar parts — something still evident today onstage, as he coaxes and teases out defiant sounds from his instruments. Yet Morello also knows how to blend in when needed: His frequent live guest appearances with Bruce Springsteen were so solid that he filled in for Steven Van Zandt during several 2013 E Street Band gigs.
In more recent times, Morello has indulged his penchant for political music with the left-leaning hip-hop/rock supergroup Prophets of Rage, and continued to push himself. In 2018, he released the collaborations-heavy solo LP The Atlas Underground, a master class in sonic possibilities. Although echoes of his Rage Against the Machine guitar squeals pop up here and there, the album also features electronica-swirled collaborations with Knife Party and Marcus Mumford, and a hip-hop-meets-hard-rock jam with Bassnectar, Killer Mike and Big Boi.
Morello starts out rising on to a pedestal in the middle of the crowd at the Fillmore and starts out jamming with hard driving rock. Wow. This show he put together was a theatrical work of art complete with hard driving riffs and matching visuals. An Incredible show. We want more of Morello i the bay area. Can't wait until he returns with whomever. Wow.
It was high energy and emotionally charged from the first note to the last. The multimedia projections grabbed you by the throat and held your attention all the while Tom shredded through song after song, wailing on his guitars pulling sounds and emotions you never knew a 6-string was capable of and you were held hostage as if you were caught in a vortex you didn’t want to leave. Unforgettable!
Was perfect - Tom is a great entertainer. Sound was perfect and so was the venue and the staff. I’ve seen many many concerts starting with the Faces and Led Zeppelin in the early 70’s and this was up there in the TOP 10! Thank you Tom!
From his concert start with a solo in the middle of the audience to his finale with 100+ plus concert-goers on stage singing along to "Killing in the Name," Tom Morello expanded his box of tricks at the Ace of Spades Saturday night and then went outside that box. Morello played most of the best tracks of the 2018 Atlas Underground release, sprinkled in some Audioslave and then debuted an acoustic original called "Garden of Consent" as a tribute to the late Chris Cornell. He asked for and got almost complete silence from the 1000 fans in the audience who had been whipped up with Morello's interesting mix of EDM, metal and pop. I'd never seen Motello play an acoustic guitar before and he wowed with the song. A few songs later, he ended the night by inviting as many people on stage as could fit and the group tore into "Killing..." with abandon as the rest of the crowd heartily sang along. Great show. Morello is a master.
Best concert I’ve ever seen at the ace! Got to go on stage with Tom! Best time ever!
One of the best shows of the year! What an amazing guitarist. A must see!
Tom Morello Totally blew me away! Opened the show playing his guitar in the middle of the crowd on the floor of the Commodore Ballroom before moving to the stage. He played a good mix of songs from his long career with different bands including Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave. The energy in the room was incredible and the audience was totally into it, singing along, fist pumping and head banging. He had a bass player and drummer but no vocalist other than a couple of songs that he sang. Instead he had a screen at the back of the stage playing videos that complimented his songs and music along with some prerecorded vocals on some of the other songs. This was all really well choreographed and did justice to the songs without feeling like something was missing. His guitar playing was dead on with lots of great effects and metal overtones. I am 61 years old but this show really hit the spot for me and ranks right up there with Joe Satriani and Jeff Beck. I really don't think that anyone who went was disappointed. According to Tom he said that the Commodore was the first show that sold out on this tour. If you didn't get a chance to go, there are a few short clips on YouTube of the Vancouver show.
Excellent guitarist but he only played for 1 hour and 35 minutes Most concerts that i go to are at least 2 hours or longer I almost feel like I got ripped off Stil......Excellent guitarist
It was a fantastic show overall, Tom really is a true rockstar, if you’re a fan of either him or RATM, you’ll have a great time seeing him.
The room was great the sound was great the opening act was great everything about this show was perfect... 2 days later Im still riding the high of the music he played.. I felt like I had the privilage to see an amazing moment in time.. Just loved every second of it...
