Rise Against, Killswitch Engage and Letlive Give Crushing Performances in Central Park

Central Park, a place where you can have a picnic, read a book under a tree and more importantly a place to get your fix of punk rock, hardcore and metal! That's where Rise Against made their stop in New York City with Killswitch Engage and Letlive for an unforgettable show.

Rise Against headlined the evening and began their set with “The Great Die-Off” from their latest release The Black Market. Fans put the barricade to the test from the get go during “The Good Left Undone” and “Satellite.” Frontman Tim Mcllrath asked fans to “take three steps back” so no one would get crushed but then he quickly realized what city he was in as fans were going to do what they want.

From beginning to end Rise Against’s passionate fans were relentlessly singing and crowdsurfing. The energy didn’t falter even during acoustic versions of “Hero of War” and “Swing Life Away” which echoed throughout Central Park. The night came to an end with an encore of the notable “Dancing for Rain” and “Savior.”

Killswitch Engage kicked off their set with “My Curse” and “Rose of Sharyn," and fans went crazy right from the get-go. Concertgoers were also treated to the band's hard-hitting new track “Strength of the Mind.”

Towards the end of the set, vocalist Jesse Leach stopped “In Due Time” because he realized a fan was hurt in the crowd. Another fan said Killswitch were “the kinder, gentler metal” when really it was a great example of a musician looking after his fans and encouraging them to look after each other. Everyone was on the same page, and the crowd belted out “The End of Heartache” to round out the set.

When Letlive open up a show, the bar is set high. Whether they’re performing at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, Best Buy Theater in the heart of Time Square or under the New York sun in Central Park, they always bring their best. Singer Jason Butler is one of the most primitive and versatile frontmen in music today.

While they performed a good mix of songs from both of their albums, Fake History and their latest The Blackest Beautiful, the band also unleashed a brand new song. From that one new track, it’s an understatement to say that Letlive fans cannot wait to hear more new material from their forthcoming release. Whoever said punk rock is dead has obviously never seen Letlive perform live.

Check out our full gallery above of Rise Against, Killswitch Engage and Letlive performing in Central Park above.