They may hail from the windy streets of Chicago, but nothing could blow out the fire recently lit on Alkaline Trio, putting them in direct running for “next big thing” status. Alkaline Trio ignited the Middle East on Sunday, April 8, a sold-out show and the last stop of its “Plea for Peace” tour.
Alkaline Trio was preceded by Sweep the Leg Johnny, Certainly, Sir, and the Ivory Coast. Sweep the Leg Johnny, on tour with the Trio, played a 45-minute set heavy with instrumentals and dragging with repetition. Sweep the Leg Johnny did, however, display a unique dynamic. The band’s front man, Steve Sostak, sang the few vocals present in their songs and played the alto saxophone. The rest of the band, comprised of drummer Scott Anna, bassist John Brady and guitarist Chris Daly, took off where the sax rhythms ended, creating an interesting, if not completely avant-garde sound. Sweep the Leg Johnny performed both old and new songs, including several from their latest album Sto Cazzo! (Southern Records).
In spite of a decent amount of time allotted, there wasn’t much opportunity for Sweep the Leg Johnny to play many songs, considering the fact that each one lasted anywhere from five to ten minutes. Lyrically, there’s no telling exactly what they’re trying to get across because Sostak’s raspy shouts were incomprehensible.
Whereas lyrics and vocals are not Sweep the Leg Johnny’s strong suit, the band does rely heavily on a jazzy, punk, progressive-rock sound, as chaotic as Sostak’s antics on stage. He went from being bug-eyed, to bug-eyed and sweaty, to tattooed, bug-eyed, sweaty monster glaring at audience members. In between songs, Sostak was friendly and all smiles, but once the amps were turned up, he was completely consumed by the music. And that music, while intense, was too dissonant too often. Jarring drumbeats drowned most of the sax notes, and the guitar jams were almost impossible to discern as well.
Sweep the Leg Johnny has obvious potential and seems more than willing to do something different from the usual band set-up. Yet, although the band has been together for four years and has played more than 400 live shows, a sense of unity is clearly missing from their dynamic.
Alkaline Trio took the stage around eleven, each of the three men clad in matching black suits and dark maroon ties. They immediately launched into “Private Eye,” the first track off the newest album From Here to Infirmary (Vagrant Records). With that, they were off.
Although often slapped with the stereotypical “emo” label, Alkaline Trio now sounds more like pop punk than ever before. Their lyrics, which are likely the cause of their emo categorization, still provide a good clash with their instrumentation, as in the up-beat “Private Eye,” where vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba sings, “There was no one to kiss, there was nothing to drink/ Except some rotten old milk someone left in the sink/ And there’s no one to ring on the phone anymore/ There’s no reason to call I passed out on the floor/ Smoked myself stupid and drank my insides raisin dry.”
Bassist/vocalist Dan Andriano, and drummer Mike Felumlee round out Skiba’s sound perfectly, forming a Trio that knew they had rocked the venue as soon as they played the opening notes to “Cringe,” from the band’s first CD/LP, Goddamnit (Asian Man Records). The crowd surged, the wild, slightly belligerent dancing began and Alkaline Trio genuinely smiled at the obviously adoring crowd.
Alkaline Trio played an excellent variety of older hits, and what will clearly become new favorites, judging by audience reaction. Among the old were “Cringe,” “Bleeder,” “Cooking Wine,” “Radio” and “I Lied My Face Off,” from previous records You’re Your Lungs Only, Maybe I’ll Catch Fire, and I Lied My Face Off (Asian Man Records). There has been an obvious development in the Trio’s style and sound since the switch from Asian Man Records, their original label, to Vagrant. While their older songs where harsher, more brutal, thriving on penetrating guitars and stabbing vocals, their new material leaves behind a distinctly punk and rock aftertaste.
Regardless, it’s impossible for Alkaline Trio to completely change their style. The addition of punk to the description of their sound only serves to highlight the complexity and flow of their music. Their energy on stage is incredible and the obvious enthusiasm and excitement catches like wildfire. There’s no question Alkaline Trio is still putting the “rawk” in “rawk-out.”
Both Skiba and Andriano provided the main vocals for the songs they had each written, respectively, creating an adept impression of variety throughout the set. This variety is, not regrettably, absent from their lyrics. Alkaline Trio’s songs, are all mainly written about the same thing: drinking, being drunk, getting drunk and the opposite sex, as in “Take Lots With Alcohol” off “From Here to Infirmary.” (“Hello what the hell am I doing here./ See I don’t know if you can help me or not/ Cause I don’t feel sick/ But the pains in my head have almost put me/ Underground./ See I don’t know why I don’t fall in love./ Just give me medicine prescribe me anything”)
The band seemed to disappoint only once, when, in spite of requests, Skiba refused to play “Clavicle,” stating “I’m sorry, but I have some personal reasons against playing that song.” All was forgotten, though, when halfway through their set, Skiba grinned and muttered, “Yep, I’m really drunk right now.”
Alkaline Trio will begin touring with Blink 182 starting April 30. They aren’t indie anymore and they aren’t quite emo, but they can’t be called punk either. But it really doesn’t matter what they are, but who they are and what they play. Alkaline Trio may be getting bigger, but it’s no secret that they only keep getting better.
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