Rise Against-Council Bluffs-10.9.26

Rise Against at Stir Cove in Council Bluffs, Iowa on October 9, 2026.

Photos and Review by The Pit Magazine Contributor, Bob DeHart Photography

Rise Against was the perfect ending to a great night at the Stir Cove. And…as fate would have it, the last show of the season for the venue. The night started with Teen Mortgage and then the two veteran bands finished the night. First the Alkaline Trio and then Rise Against. It was a great crowd in quantity and quality. They came ready to be loud and participate in any way they can. Literally singing word for word every song.

It’s these types of shows that I love to see. Even as a self-admitted casual fan of these bands, you can’t help but come away with a greater appreciation of them seeing the dedication that the fan base brought to the show. And let’s be honest, they did sound amazing. It was easy to get caught up in the frenzy.

I was looking on Spotify in the days leading up to the show to see what songs I was most familiar with. The obvious one was the song, Savior. That in my opinion is the defining song of the band. And at well over one billion streams, it would be difficult to argue that statement. There were a few others that I was familiar with. So I was looking forward to hearing them live for the first time.

Of course, Savior was the set closer but there were other highlights for me. Prayer of the Refugee, Hero of War, and Survive had me from the opening notes. Such great songs, and again, hearing the crowd during those songs, worth the price of admission alone. In my eyes Rise Against is all about unity. And that’s what I witnessed all night. They are a great band, and this was a great show, start to finish. And again, a perfect ending to the concert season at the Stir Cove.