Images: Alkaline Trio, together PANGEA, Sharp/Shock October 14, 2018 at the Brooklyn Bowl

If you know punk rock then you definitely know the three piece band from Chicago, IL, Alkaline Trio. They are 22 years into their career and certainly still going strong. Matt Skiba (singer/guitarist), Dan Andriano (singer/bassist) and Derek Grant (drummer) have always been persistent AND consistent in their music writing process.

They hit the stage to start off with one of my personal favorites, “We’ve Had Enough,” from the bands 2003 release Good Mourning. Other songs like “Armageddon” from their 2001 release From Here To Infirmary and “She Took Him to the Lake” from 2000’s Maybe I’ll Catch Fire were mixed in. The show was the day after the band’s debut album Goddamnit turned 20 so of course they played songs from that, including the opening track “Cringe” and fan-favorite “Clavicle.”

The Chicago natives were touring in support of their new album Is This Thing Cursed?, which was released at the end of August. I was happy to see some of my favorites from that album played as well like “Demon and Division,” “Blackbird” and of course the album’s title track which is also the opening song on the album.

The Trio had the crowd off their feet the entire time. Displaying the buzzing sound of Skiba’s guitar, rumbling of Andriano’s bass and the hoppy punk beats from fill in drummer Jarrod Alexander (The Sekrets, My Chemical Romance), giving the crowd what they paid for. Once the show was coming to an end they closed it out with two more album openers – “Private Eye” and “This Could Be Love.”

However, the fellas weren’t finished yet. They threw in three more encore songs: “Fine” from This Addiction,  “Warbrain” from Remains and finally closing the show out with “Radio.” It’s one of their most popular songs and gave the audience one last chance to participate for the night, the army of fans screaming out “I’ve got a big fat fuckin’ bone to pick with you my darling” as the chorus to the song hits.

It’s safe to say fans have not had enough of Alkaline Trio.

Another band people were drawn to was together PANGEA. The garage punk quartet currently residing in from Los Angeles, CA. They were definitely an interesting band, with a sound and style closer to the band Fidlar than to the Trio. They opened with “Make Myself True” from their album Badillac.  They also included the title track, a midtempo number consisting of a hint of surf twang and punk-dive grittiness. Some other newer songs they played from their last year’s release of Bulls and Roosters were “Money On It,” “Peach Mirror” and “Better Find Out.” PANGEA ended with shredding guitar solos and a hammering on the synth. The crowd seemed to be very intrigued by them.

Kicking off the night was three piece band Sharp/Shock, who played here last year with Bayside for their Birthday Walking Wounded Tour. Sharp/Shock is also signed to Alkaline Trio’s record label Heart & Skull Records. They brought the energy that prepared the crowd for the bands coming next. One highlight of their set was playing a cover “Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)” by the Buzzcocks. They had unique and memorable songs that I think will keep a lasting impression on fans.

-Kyle Voigt

Photos by Aaron Mattern | https://www.flickr.com/photos/akmofoto/