MUSIC

Verizon Wireless Theater and 94.5 The Buzz present Buzzfestivus with Rise Against, Flobots and The Riverboat Gamblers.

Rise Against  (pictured) was formed in Chicago in 1999 in the wake of the breakup of melodic hardcore band 88 Fingers Louie. At the time, the lineup was slightly different, including Mr. Precision on guitar and Tony Tintari on drums. Rise Against moved on to Dreamworks in 2004 to begin the most successful part of their career. At Dreamworks, they recorded Siren Song of the Counter Culture, but by the time the album was released, Dreamworks no longer existed, having been swallowed up by Geffen. This didn't prevent the band from launching forward, and 2006 saw The Sufferer and the Witness, peak at #10 on the Billboard 200, while their 2008 release Appeal To Reason brought them even bigger commercial success, opening at #3 on the Billboard 200.

The Flobots are a political rock and hip hop musical group from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2000 by Jamie Laurie. Flobots found mainstream success with their major label debut Fight with Tools (2007), featuring the single "Handlebars", which became a popular hit on Modern Rock radio in April 2008. n September 2009, the band finished recording their second album. The band announced on YouTube that the album was to be titled Survival Story. The album was released on March 16, 2010. On September 17, 2011 while performing at the Gallogly Events Center, UCCS, Colorado Springs, the Flobots announced that "they will be releasing an album in 2012  entitled Stop The Apocalypse.

The Riverboat Gamblers rocked their way out of the university town of Denton, TX, in September 2001 with the "Jenna Is a No Show" 7". It's unclear how the vinyl sliver was able to effectively harness the sonic fury that the Gamblers' legendary UNT house party live act had become; nevertheless, an instant classic was born. A Tim Kerr-produced, eponymous LP followed on Vile Beat; it poured a pint of whiskey on an already raging rock & roll fire. Led by the whooping vocals of Teko (Mike Wiebe), the band also featured guitarists Freddy Castro (Fadi El-Assad) and Colin Ambulance (Colin James), bassist Spider (Pat Lillard), and drummer Jesse 3X (Jesse Hamilton).

The Riverboat Gamblers signed with Volcom Entertainment in April 2005, spent time on the summer's Warped Tour, and released To the Confusion of Our Enemies in April 2006. By this time, Wiebe, Castro, and Lilliard were rounded out on guitar by Ian McDougall and, eventually, drummer Mark Baker. This lineup only lasted a few more tours, as by March 2007, while on the road with Against Me!, former Gorilla Biscuit Luke Abbey was enlisted to take over the drum kit.