Related Items
The punk vets go acoustic, for the better
The punk-bands-go-acoustic trend doesn't always bode well, especially with groups that rely more on muscle than songwriting. Thankfully, Chicago's Alkaline Trio has a catalog of catchy, smartly-written songs about "Love, alcoholism, depression, fire, drugs, blasphemy [and] death," as lead singer/guitarist Matt Skiba once said. On Wednesday at Irving Plaza, the group celebrated its 15th anniversary with a half-electric, half-acoustic retrospective...and the quieter songs hit hardest. Reworked Trio angst-punk standards like "Radio" and "Clavicle" garnered mass singalongs, while new track "Olde English 800" (an ode to the malt liquor) reminded us that the band still possesses a dark sense of humor. With mewithYou and The Drowning Men.--Kirk Miller
