Alkaline Trio – review

By guest blogger Gina Kershaw @gmkershaw91.

Alkaline Trio are subject to both a blessing and a curse. Formed in ’96, Trio have been staples to the punk/emo circuit for going on sixteen years and have a mass following who will religiously buy their tickets whenever they’re in town, decked out in black tee shirts baring the bands ‘heart-skull’ logo that epitomises their music pretty well. Their gigs always sell well; speak to any fan and you’ll find that they have seen Trio at least four times, if not more. You would think that they must do no wrong to achieve this kind of following but you wouldn’t be entirely right. There’s a sense among many that, unfortunately, they’re kind of past it now and rather than fans attending for a fresh experience, it’s more of a nostalgia evening with little hope for any mind-blowing set lists.
I went into the gig with an open mind as a newbie fan having never seen them live before, and I like to believe they proved the naysayers wrong. Despite Matt Skiba’s obvious sniffle he performed far past any of my expectations, as did Dan Andriano who can occasionally come across as the weaker singer of the two. Drummer Derek Grant is often the solid performer of the set and he played as perfectly and passionately as usual, despite lurking in the back of the set behind a huge red and black drum permanently in the shadows. Playing a mixture of cult classics from the first two albums with mass favourites like Private Eye and Time to Waste, the crowd slowly allowed themselves to be worked into frenzy before mellowing with a five part acoustic section including Dan Andriano’s solo work and some re-imagined staple Trio songs.
Alkaline Trio come across as a band who still loves fame and the people that helped them achieve it. Often musicians who have experienced world-wide success for a certain number of years can come across as distant and unappreciative of an audience who without they would not be experiencing the success they have today. Alkaline Trio still connect with an audience that has shown them love and devotion across eight albums and sixteen years and that’s where the magic lies. Despite many of the songs being composed quite a few years ago, they were played with gusto and passion that is required to keep material fresh and exciting, and those are two words I never thought I would connect with the band. It was an exciting gig, far better than I ever imagined, and I think I can call myself an official Alkaline Trio fan from now on.