
Tag: alkaline trio

Sand in my Sax: Back to the Beach Festival
I voluntarily didn’t arrive to Saturday’s show until minutes before Reel Big Fish took the stage at around 4:00, which gave me plenty of time around town to observe the legions of bat wielding ANTI-FA members, as well as the brigades of MAGA hat wearing Trump supporters, that had gathered at the Huntington Beach Pier. I still haven’t found out if this was some coincidence or planned meet up or perhaps if some Ska against Racism club just showed up early with bandanas and baseball bats to walk around town, before going to skank to their favorite band. Regardless, the crowd inside seemed arguably worse, and considerably goofier than I had anticipated, but I suppose this should be expected when three of the four festival headliners (Aquabats, Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger) were nineties-era ska bands who’s music was more prevalent in between Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows than they were on Punk Comps. related content: Offspring In The Air: Sabroso Taco & Music Fest I shamefully grew up listening to Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish and Blink 182. They were my gateway drugs into the underground as I entered adolescence, and YES there was a time in the mid-nineties, outside of

Teen Angst Never Dies: Alkaline Trio at the Observatory
There’s really no point in beating around the fact that the average age of attendees at the shows I look forward to has well surpassed their mid-20s hipster cred and are slowly blending in with the crowds of parents — most are looking for a safe night out that can reinvigorate some of their teenage angst. Tonight, however, was a culminating difference in the obviousness of this dilemma, made apparent by the leagues of mothers rushing outside in between sets, to call babysitters, and make sure everyone at home finished their homework and chores. On Thursday, October 4th, Alkaline Trio headlined their second sold out night at the Observatory OC, with openers Sharp/Shock and Together Pangea falling mostly onto deaf ears. Though there might have been a few in the audience who closely follow lead singer Matt Skiba’s personal endeavors to recognize Sharp/Shock as one of the few bands on Skiba’s Heart & Skull label, most waited patiently for the headliners to show their face on the main stage. related content: When We Were Young Festival’s Most Dominant Demographic: Mine Sharp/Shock held their own with Together Pangea, and have cemented a worthy ability to share the stage with many of