Rise Against always puts on one of the best live shows in music, so when it pulled out of Tuesday’s show due to an illness, many fans were left disappointed.
The silver lining was that the show went on, with Alkaline Trio serving as headliners and playing a longer set.
The show was moved to the brand-spanking new House of Blues venue downtown, and Alkaline Trio opened with one of its most beloved and important songs "Cringe." Songs from its latest album, Agony and Irony, were heavily represented with "Calling All Skeletons," "I Found Away," "Do You Want to Know?"
It is hard to write anything negative about The Gaslight Anthem’s performance, since the band members are friends of mine, and thankfully the band gave no reason to write anything remotely negative.
Guitarist Alex Rosamilia had to go home for a family emergency so Alkaline Trio’s Derek Grant filled in. The ’59 Sound was well represented with "The Backseat," "The Patient Ferris Wheel," "Great Expectations" and "Old White Lincoln." When the ever-so-lame Rise Against dropped from its show at the Verizon Wireless Theater I couldn’t have been more excited. Alkaline Trio took on the job of headlining the show and never once missed a step. Blazing through old crowd favorites like "I Lied My Face Off, "Goodbye Forever," and the cult-classic "Radio," the trio took the entire audience for a trip down memory lane while maintaining the ability to touch base on their newer albums. ?Thrice also did an outstanding job, as it brought back classics like "Betrayal is a Symptom" and "Stare at the Sun." It’s always good to know that bands realize some of its fanbase has invested many years, and do its best to play old material. Thrice even did its own rendition of The Beatles’ classic, "Helter Skelter."?The Gaslight Anthem surely won new fans over with their short, but very sweet, set filled with folk-laden punk rock. I was extremely impressed at how well the band played. ?Overall, the show was one of the best of the year, and I have little to no gripes about it. Be sure to check out these bands the next time they’re in town.
