Alkaline Trio/Smoking Popes/River City Extension at Metro, Chicago 8/1/2011

Let me just start out by saying that this show last night was awesome, though it was the biggest pain in the ass to get to and here's why: Paul McCartney. Right across the street, Sir Paul was playing Wrigley Field, and traffic and parking were both nightmares. Even though we walked two miles each way to avoid parking fees, it was worth it. We walked in just as the Popes played through a couple songs, and they were great as usual. I love seeing them headline though, because they are so much more into it and relaxed and into doing their own jamming. A year or so ago, I saw them at some old church-turned-venue in Naperville and Josh did a sweet acoustic solo rendition of Duvall's "Racine."
Anyway, the Smoking Popes were great as always; Neil Hennessy's stellar drum performance, Matt Caterer's choice of T-shirts, Eli Caterer's sweet lead guitar noodling and Josh's voice, always on target. Check out some photos Amy Meyer contributed to Squid Pro Quo. Thanks, Amy!














All photos by Amy Meyer for Squid Pro Quo

Alkaline Trio came on and played about a 90 minute set, half of what Paul McCartney was playing across the street (I heard that guy went for three hours straight. Stamina!).
Matt Skiba came out sporting a Cubs hat, which looked brand new. A little bit into their set, some random kid wandered up on stage with a Sox hat, and Skiba took off his Cubs hat, put the Sox hat on (to which the audience roared with applause), then when the kid was about to get escorted off stage, he took the Sox hat off and put his Cubs hat back on. More applause. It was a mixed audience and somehow, that kid managed to find his way back on stage a couple more times, and he stage-dove off before security could escort him. Skiba told him, "You've got balls, kid." He couldn't have been older than 9. So Alkaline Trio just released Damnesia, and so part of their set was broken up and stripped down to fit the Damnesia thing, so this is how it went:

Alkaline Trio Set List:
Cringe
In Vein
Private Eye
Nose Over Tail
Goodbye Forever
Another Innocent Girl
Old School Reasons
Mr. Chainsaw
Maybe I'll Catch Fire
Blue Carolina
Mercy Me
San Francisco
This Could Be Love
[Damnesia banter]
If You Had a Bad Time [Dan solo acoustic]
Clavicle [Matt Skiba acoustic with Dan's electric bass and Derek on drums]
You've Got So Far To Go [Dan acoustic]
Blue In the Face [Matt acoustic]
Olde English 800 [Skiba said he wrote this jingle 13 years ago]
I Held Her In My Arms [Violent Femmes cover/Hennessy on drums, Skiba on vocals, Eli on lead guitar, Dan on bass, Matt and Josh on backup vocals, Derek on acoustic guitar]
[Encore]
My Friend Peter
Crawl
97


















All photos by Amy Meyer for Squid Pro Quo