So my colleague Annie Zaleski was less than impressed with Rage Against the Machine’s Sunday-night headlining set, but for this longtime Rage fan who never saw the band live in their ’90s heyday, it was more than good enough. I found the loudness and intensity impressive rather than bothersome, and the band’s tightness was phenomenal. I saw Audioslave in concert twice, and I’m always amazed at guitarist Tom Morello’s ability to re-create his intricate blips and bleeps onstage with just his instrument and a few effects pedals.

It was odd that frontman Zack de la Rocha didn’t indulge in any political speeches (as he did at the band’s first reunion gig at Coachella back in April), but as someone who’s always preferred the band’s music over their politics, I found de la Rocha’s reticence refreshing. The set list was a nice mix of songs from the band’s three studio albums, and there was even a short, impromptu jam that hinted at the possibility of new material to come. It’s been almost six months since the Coachella gig without any word of a full tour or a new album, so even that small taste was enough to offer hope - especially since I expect the reunion to fall apart at any moment.

I had been tempted to wear my Audioslave T-shirt just for fun, but the preponderance of aggressive shirtless dudes made me glad I didn’t; I wasn’t really in the mood for a beat-down. Instead I got an energetic and accomplished (if a little short; the band played for less than 80 minutes) rock show, exactly what I was hoping for, and a good way to make up for what I missed back in the day. (Full set list after the jump.)

Set list:

Testify
Bulls on Parade
People of the Sun
Bombtrack
Know Your Enemy
Bullet in the Head
Jam/new song
Vietnow
Tire Me
Guerrilla Radio
Calm Like a Bomb
Sleep Now in the Fire
War Within a Breath

Encore:
Freedom/Township Rebellion
Killing in the Name