Tom Morello, legendary guitarist, activist and socialist firebrand rocked Orange County last week, playing a special headlining gig at the House of Blues in Anaheim that helped raise money for Southern California wildfire victims. Morello ripped through (bomb) tracks from his solo career, covered iconic rock ’n’ roll anthems with special guests and played medleys from some of his gnarliest songs with Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave. System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian’s new band, Seven Hours After Violet opened the night with their energetic mix of melodic alternative rock and pummeling metalcore.
Morello took the stage at 9 p.m. on the dot and the packed venue erupted. Joined by his phenomenal backing band, The Freedom Fighters Orchestra, as well as his teenage son Roman Morello on guitar for select songs, Tom Morello’s commanding stage presence and explosive guitar playing in such a small venue was truly a sight to behold. It’s safe to say that most people in the crowd were accustomed to watching Mr. Morello rock massive stages in arenas or outdoor festivals with his previous bands, or have only ever seen him performing on TV or phones screens; so watching Tom launch into a twin guitar attack with his son in a such an intimate setting (the fact that a 2,000-capacity music hall counts as a small venue underscores how massive of a riff master Morello truly is) was all sorts of mind-blowing.
Opening with “Solider In The Army of Love” and tearing through Nightwatchman era jams like “One Man Revolution,” performing stellar MC5 and AC/DC covers with the singers from Måneskin and The Struts, then pulverizing the crowd with iconic riffs from Rage Against The Machine bangers like “Bulls on Parade” and Audioslaves’s “Cochise” to name a few, Morello’s special appearance at the House of Blues was one of the most electrifying and surreal ways to kick off 2025. Of course, nobody seemed more thrilled to there than Morello himself, jamming with his son onstage while sharing his lifelong advocacy for civil rights, organized labor and the gospels of anti-capitalism in the heart of Regan’s America …Orange County, CA. “I’ve been waiting to play this song in Orange County for a long time!” Morello said early in the evening before ripping into Rage Against The Machine’s “Testify.” On this night Tom Morello conquered the OC, the next evening it was Hollywood; one glorious day in the future, it will be the world!
Tom Morello
Seven Hours After Violet
