By Anthony Moore
This past January Alkaline Trio released their 10th studio album Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs and have been touring the United States the past two months in support of the album. The Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon hosted Alkaline Trio this past Monday with support from Drug Church and Worriers. The crowd was filled with fans you would expect from a generation that grew up spending the summer at the Warped Tour – while the emo and punk kids are just a little older now, it didn’t stop the crowd giving their all to the bands on a Monday night in Portland.
Post-hardcore punk Drug Church put on an energetic performance, hyping the crowd up for the headliners Alkaline Trio. Spite having some technical issues where the mic cut out a few times during the set, Drug Church singer Patrick Kindlon didn’t let this slow him down. Powering through the issues, he ensured the crowd was pumped with adrenaline, motioning for half the crowd to circle pit and telling the other half to go vertical. He thanked the fans for coming early to see Worriers and Drug Church while acknowledging the crowd was there to see Alkaline Trio, with the crowd responding in kind with a thunderous roar. Kindlon gave the crowd one more chance to keep bodies in motion finishing out the set with their song “Weed Pin”.
The energy from Drug Church carried over and when Alkaline Trio took the stage in matching slacks, jackets and ties the crowd erupted with excitement. The technical issues from Drug Church set were resolved during the change over and Alkaline Trio put on a flawless performance. With a set that saw the band provide a heavy blend of songs from early 2000’s album From Here to Infirmary, a hearty taste of new songs from Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs and other favorites from the bands earlier albums. The crowd was rowdy all night, singing along to songs like “Mercy Me” and throwing up middle fingers to “Fuck You Aurora” with fans screaming along with singer Matt Skiba during the chorus. Alkaline Trio put everything they had into the packed 20 song set, finishing out the night with one more fan favorite “Radio”, sending the crowd home happy.
Even with being the tail end of the current tour and a weeknight, Alkaline Trio still rocked the house and showed their longevity as a pop-punk main stay. Giving a true dedication that the fans have come to expect and has kept them coming back for the last 25 years. The U.S. portion of the Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs tour wraps up on Saturday March 30 at the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas. The band will be back to touring this summer with various dates through out the United Kingdom and Europe. A full list of dates and tickets can be found via the bands website. Until then Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs is available to check out on all major streaming platforms.
