The group’s live show still hits the same after all these years
After all these years, and the ups-and-downs, the energy for an Alkaline Trio show is still palpable. The Fillmore in Philadelphia was packed to the brim, with some younger fans and fans that have been there since the very beginning. After opening sets from Worriers and Drug Church, Alkaline Trio took the stage and kicked things off with one of their latest, “Hot for Preacher,” followed by a furious rendition of their 2003 hit single, “We’ve Had Enough,” which immediately drew some crowd surfers from the capacity audience.
The band burned through a hefty 20-song set that mostly featured songs from their landmark album, 2001’s From Here to the Infirmary. However, they didn’t rely on their classic material to carry them. The band played five songs from their latest album, latest effort, Blood, Hair, And Eyeballs, back in January through Rise Records.
In addition to “Hot for Preacher,” fans got introduced to some choice cuts from the new record, including the singles, “Bad Time,” “Versions of You,” and the title track. The band also debuted “Break.” The new songs were well received, and it’s admirable to see bands continue to evolve, and not get stuck in their own nostalgia. Other highlights from the set included “Warbrain,” “Stupid Kid,” “Private Eye,” “Fuck You Aurora,” and their seminal hit, “Mercy Me,” among others.
The returned to the stage for just one encore, the nearly quarter-century old “Radio” from their sophomore effort, Maybe I’ll Catch Fire.
While they did a great job of debuting new songs, the group’s set was noticeably balanced. They pulled songs from eight out of their ten studio albums, guaranteeing that there would be a little something for each and every fan in attendance. It’s clear that this band still has a lot more gas left in the tank, and their fans are still on board for the ride. Despite being over two-and-a-half decades into their storied career, Alkaline Trio still attack the stage with the same visceral energy that won them the fans that are still packing venues to see them today.
While the band’s performance itself was the main attraction, the group has also curated a killer merch line for the tour, highlighted by several different tour poster variants.
Alkaline Trio’s all-new Blood, Hair, And Eyeballs marks their first LP since 2018, making it the longest gap between studio albums over their entire career. The album cracked the Top 25 on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums chart, and peaked at No. 3 on the UK’s Rock & Metal Albums chart. The record also marks the band’s final outing with dummer Derek Grant, who left the group last June. Frontman Matt Skiba and bassist Dan Adriano tapped veteran drummer Atom Willard (Angels & Airwaves, The Offspring, Social Distortion) to make them a trio again.
