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By Adrian Gomez / Journal Arts and Entertainment Editor Published: Wednesday, July 27th, 2022 at 4:02PM Updated: Wednesday, July 27th, 2022 at 4:15PM
Time away from the road allows Zach Blair to recharge.
It’s much needed as Blair is often on the road these days.
As a member of rock band Rise Against, the band recently finished a European tour and is currently touring around the United States.
The tour will make a stop in Albuquerque at the Villa Hispana Pavilion at Expo New Mexico at 6 p.m. Friday, July 29.
The band is also touring in support of its EP, “Nowhere Generation II.” The set was released as a companion to the band’s full-length album, “Nowhere Generation.”
“We recorded the songs for the EP at the same time we were doing the original record,” he says. “We knew we were going to parcel it out in installments because listeners have shorter attention spans. It made sense in the long run.”
Blair says the five tracks look beyond its full-length counterpart’s scrutiny of the chronic social, economic, and political instability and inequality that pervades the modern age.
He says the EP is as biting as it is hopeful, and is a further testament to the resonance of the band.
“We’ve always done everything our own way,” he says. “These five songs were better on their own. It was a perfect way of navigating this new musical landscape.”
Rise Against formed in 1999 and has always made music with a message.
Blair says working on the body of work that makes up “Nowhere Generation” was done in the same process among the band members.
They recorded in Fort Collins, Colorado, as well as Nashville, Tennessee.
“For the most part, our process feels like it’s always ongoing,” he says. “We take some time away from the studio, but we’re always thinking about the next project.”
With a catalog of music that has inspired many of their fans, putting together a show can prove to be difficult.
Blair says it’s a moment of gratitude for the band because they have a foundation of eight or nine songs that remain in the set.
“We’re lucky to have that,” he says. “We have fans that show up to each show and if you don’t play those songs, it can be a disappointment. That’s a good problem for us to have. We have made a body of work that resonates with audiences. We start with some of those songs and then we can springboard to the ones that we want to play.”
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Over the years, Blair says the band has grown both personally and professionally.
“We tend to do long tours and you get to know your bandmates,” he says. “When we’re on stage, you know how they play and how they can push you to be better. That’s how you become a unit. My job is to know how my bandmates are playing and feeling.”
Life on the road can be complicated because each member is missing out on time with their loved ones.
Blair says before shows, it’s a very low key affair.
“We are usually just watching Netflix,” he says with a laugh. “We try to make it as comfortable as we can. It’s the calm before the storm. Once we’re on stage, we’re on another level and it’s amazing. It’s the reason we continue to make music.”
Rise Against With The Used, Senses Fail
WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday, July 29
WHERE: Villa Hispana Pavilion at Expo New Mexico, 300 San Pedro NE
HOW MUCH: $48.50, plus fees at ticketmaster.com