LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: Tom Morello in Boston, MA (11.17.25)
Tom Morello returned to Boston on Monday night with the force of a political rally, a punk show, and a guitar-wizard masterclass all rolled into one. Playing to a sold-out Paradise Rock Club packed shoulder-to-shoulder with middle-aged 90s rock diehards, the Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave icon delivered a fiery, career-spanning performance that felt as much like a call to arms as it did a rock show.
The night opened with San Diego’s rising act The Neighborhood Kids, originally a duo of DJs (which grew to a larger band for touring) whose rage-rap anthem went viral earlier this year after being amplified by Morello and other anti-Trump-era musicians. Their politically charged, old school style rap rock set —established the tone for what would become a night of solidarity and sonic rebellion. When Morello and his full electric band took the stage, the room surged forward with the kind of anticipation usually reserved for arena crowds. He wasted zero time, launching into “Soldier in the Army of Love” and “One Last Dance” before detonating the first nostalgia bomb of the night: a blistering Rage-era medley of “Testify / Take the Power Back / Freedom / Snakecharmer.” From that moment on, Paradise Rock Club felt like the most energized venue in Boston.
Morello, visibly joyful and bounding across the stage, took the chance between songs speaking passionately about radical compassion, resistance, and about refusing complacency in the current political era. His voice carried weight, but his guitar—emitting sirens, scratches, explosions, and extraterrestrial warbles—carried even more. The main set was a well-balanced mix of electric cuts (“Let’s Get the Party Started,” “Hold the Line”), deep personal tracks (“The Last Rung on the Ladder”), and quiet moments drawn from his Nightwatchman catalog, including “One Man Revolution,” “It Begins Tonight,” and “The Garden of Gethsemane” (which had been inspired by a text to Morello sent by Chris Cornell). These stripped-down interludes were contrasted by the massive visuals behind him: a rotating collage of polarizing political figures and slogans like “Torches, Pitchforks, Molotovs, and Bricks” projected in stadium-sized lettering.
One of the emotional peaks of the night came during “Like a Stone.” Under a single spotlight, a giant image of Chris Cornell glowed on the screen behind Morello. He hushed the room—no small task for a crowd buzzing with adrenaline—and invited a member of The Neighborhood Kids to take the vocals. The audience, respectfully silent at first, eventually lifted the chorus into a heartfelt sing-along. But any softness was temporary. Morello returned with a barrage: a Rage megamedley of “Bombtrack / Know Your Enemy / Bulls on Parade / Guerilla Radio / Sleep Now in the Fire,” punctuated with Audioslave-era squeals and the unmistakable DJ-influenced scratch-solo technique that only Morello can pull off live.
A hushed, acoustic “Ghost of Tom Joad” served as a rare moment of reflection, the crowd hanging on every word of the Springsteen-turned-Rage staple. But the night turned into a celebration again when Morello brought The Neighborhood Kids back out for a triple-threat finale: a riotous “Kick Out the Jams,” a full-stage, fist-pumping “Power to the People,” and a party-mode, everybody-singing “Rock and Roll All Nite.” And of course: “Killing in the Name.”
As he did during a legendary appearance at Old South Meeting House in Boston in 2018, Morello handed the mic to the audience, letting the packed house scream every word with near-religious fervor. With the guitars pounding behind them, the crowd delivered the iconic final refrain with the intensity of a thousand voices who grew up on it—and still need it.
By the end of the 21-song marathon, the Paradise was buzzing, sweaty, and politically invigorated. Morello proved once again that he is not just a guitar hero but a storyteller, an activist, and a master of turning righteous anger into joyful noise. This was not merely a concert—it was a reminder of the power of community, protest, and rock & roll in a turbulent era.
Photos – Tom Morello at Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA on November 17th:
