Photo Cred: Joe McCabe

“When was it that you lost your youth or traded it for something more for them to use so jaded…In case you’re wondering, I’m singing about going up, about giving in.” Sifting through some of my favorite Alkaline Trio songs to open this post with, “Mr. Chainsaw” is awarded for its irony and poetry. Not to mention the screaming resemblance to my life right now.

Past And Perspective

As you all know, I love concerts. The day of the show routine roughly follows: singing “Punk Rock Show” by MXPX in the shower, prepping my jeans and black tank top, and heading out with the windows down and the music up. I literally feel the electricity just thinking of the scene to follow. This one was interesting because I’ve seen the few main bands before in separate shows, and The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA was a new venue for me (Previously named the Galaxy Theater).

New Found Glory live at The Observatory

Alkaline Trio took the spotlight in agreement with co-headliner New Found Glory to rotate turns on the tour. Their formation was the perfect illustration of punk rock passion, “brought together in 1997 by heartbreak, angst, and the companionship of drinking” (Pandora Radio). Now normally I take note of every song and post the set list online for the music community. After doing so for NFG’s portion and at previous shows, looking around the crowd full of phones and cameras I realized that it was kind of a sad distraction. Peering through a lens is not how to experience a concert, leave that to the photographers, just appreciate performance and sound.

So I don’t have a set list to share with you for Alkaline Trio, but I can promise you that it was an amazing show. The venue was intimate and creative with different tiers shaped around a half circle. I have to say, I’m a sucker for the classics so I was slightly bummed they didn’t play a ton of oldies, but they did have a pretty good range of songs from across their career including, “Take Lots With Alcohol” (2001), “Cringe” (1998), “Sadie” (2005), and Kat Von D’s showcase music video “Help Me” (2008). The ultimate showstopper though was one that many of my fellow Alkaline veteran fans hold as one of the best was their closer “Radio.” Needless to say the entire crowd joined in to sing.

I have always been pulled toward the darker lyrics, haunting vocals and harder rhythms of Alkaline’s music. Of course there is a hint of pop or they wouldn’t be headlining with NFG, but they are able to balance right between underground and mainstream with an army of dedicated fans. To me this is the sweet spot for alternative bands, hovering along the line of stardom. Whether intended or not, I thought it was awesomely satiric to see the band take the stage in personalized letterman jackets, outfits generally sported by members of the opposite end of the social spectrum.

The Kings of Pop-Punk

Admittedly, I tend to get weary of New Found Glory shows since the crowd can range from anywhere between 12 and 42. But let’s face it, they proudly own the term “selling out” by covering “Kiss Me” from She’s All That and “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from Armageddon. Hell its called pop-punk for a reason and they’re making better salaries than most of us while doing what they love, its respectable. The set list for NFG hit all the highlights, opening with “All Downhill From Here (2004) and moving to “Dressed to Kill” (2000), “Anthem For the Unwanted” (2011) and even a new song from their latest live album released just a few weeks ago. I’m a traditionalist and was stoked for “Hit or Miss” from Nothing Gold Can Stay, the band’s first CD in 1999, but overall it was a nice progression to their final song “My Friends Over You” (2002).

H2O live at The Observatory

It’s Not About Water

Working backward, the opening Band was H2O, or as Toby Morse, the lead singer, said translates to “Hard 2 Organize.” It is funny though because after checking out a few forums the alternative back story was that Toby was straight edge when he started the band and wanted to reflect a sense of purity and water represented the truest form. I do remember them being around back in the day, although my recollection has faded over the past 20 years since their formation, leaving me to rediscover their music as they played. It was pretty rad, fast and injected with high energy. I felt like I recalled a few songs including “One Life One Chance” and “Nothing To Prove,” but I’m not totally confident that I was there for them since I could more feel the presence of their influencers. They toured with NOFX and Pennywise in the past which was definitely recognizable in their sound. I always appreciate that raw feeling of true self-expression that bands from the genre projected and enjoyed H2O for carrying the tradition forward.

Thank you to all of the showcased bands for an awesome concert, and to the readers who stumble across this humble blog. To close with Alkaline, “Before we say goodbye, give us something to believe in” … They Did!