Rage Against the Machine Are Coming to Portland for the First Time in Over Two Decades

And they're bringing Run the Jewels with them.

Rage Against the Machine in 2007. IMAGE: Penner/Wiki Commons.
By Shannon Gormley

After months of speculation, it's finally official—Rage Against the Machine is going on a reunion tour, and they're coming to Portland.

In November, the rap-rock titans posted a photo of Chilean protestors on their Instagram with a caption that seemed to imply a few 2020 concerts leading up to their headlining gig at Coachella.

Today, the band announced a seven-month tour with dozens of stops, including one at the Moda Center in April.

The reunion ends a nine-year hiatus for the band, and a more than 20-year-long drought of Portland shows—the band hasn't played here since 1997.

Rage's openers for the tour are hardcore hip-hop duo Run the Jewels. Though hardly strangers to Portland, the duo last came to town two years ago, also playing Moda Center, then as the openers for Lorde.

This pairing makes a lot more sense: Run the Jewels and RATM frontman Zack de la Rocha have collaborated before, on two Run the Jewels tracks whose titles alone give you a pretty good idea of the groups' overlapping sensibilities: "Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)" and "A Report To The Shareholders / Kill Your Masters."

Rage Against the Machine and Run the Jewels will play Moda Center on April 25. Tickets go on sale at 11 am this Thursday, Feb. 13.

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