His notable instruments include a Gibson Les Paul, a Gibson SG, and a Taylor 814ce. He attended Rolling Meadows High School as well as Northeastern Illinois University where he studied English and Sociology. Though McIlrath has been in several bands, his current and most relevant project is Rise Against, which formed in 1999. They signed to Fat Wreck Chords and released their first album, The Unraveling, in 2001. Rise Against has released seven studio albums to date.