Posted: by The Editor
It’s fair to say that when Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs The Tour was announced, many fans of the lineup were already committed before tickets went on sale.
The tour kicked off in Anaheim, California at the House of Blues. With the show being sold out, it was no surprise of how insanely packed the venue was before things went underway. Getting the party started was melodic punk band, Worriers as they delivered a 10-song set. Most of the songs the band played were off the 2023 release Trust Your Gut. For anyone who didn’t know Worriers before, this was an excellent introduction as the album contains emotional and relatable lyrics with heartbreak and triumph being part of the story. Some songs off the album we were treated to were “Backyard Garden”, “I’m Not Mad”, “Hold My Breath”, “Top 5”, and of course, “Trust Your Gut”. Other songs the band played were “Big Feelings”, “PWR CPLE”, and “Grand Closing” off You or Someone You Know. The band took it a few years even further back by performing “Future Me” off Survival Pop and “They/Them/Theirs” off Imaginary Life. Worriers got the crowd pumped about what was to come throughout the rest of the night.
Following the stellar performance by Worriers was Drug Church. The Albany post-hardcore natives were able to squeeze 12 songs into their set. They touched different parts of their discography and played fan favorites such as “Grubby”, “Avoidadrama”, “But Does It Work?”, “Bliss Out”, “Fun’s Over”, “Myopic”, “Million Miles of Fun”, and “Weed Pin”. Even if you’re not into Drug Church, you’d still be able to tell the songs were fan favorites, based on the crowd’s reaction. At least around me, there was not one person not into the performance as it seemed that the crowd couldn’t get enough of Drug Church.
Chicago’s punk rockers, Alkaline Trio ended the night reminding us that they know how to mix the new with the old and deliver an awesome show. They kicked off their set with “Hot For Preacher”, the first song off their new album Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs. The band did not shy away from playing new songs off Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs as they played five more off the album including “Bad Time”, “Versions of You”, “Break”, “Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs”, and “Teenage Heart”. From the get-go, you’d be able to tell how fans were invested in their performance as a band, especially with the legacy they’ve carried. Of course, they couldn’t let the night get away without giving fans what they were hoping to get. Alkaline Trio played other songs from their discography including fan favorites such as “We’ve Had Enough”, “Stupid Kid”, and “Mercy Me”. The band’s two song encore was made up of two oldies, but goodies: “Time To Waste” off Crimson and “Radio” off Maybe I’ll Catch Fire.
Overall, it was a really fantastic way to kick off the tour. Considering that it was a school night, for an older crowd that was present, being out late seemed to be the least of anyone’s concerns. For anybody who is attending a show on the remaining dates, you are in for a treat as every band delivered and brought the heat. Alkaline Trio, Drug Church, and Worriers, are ending the tour on March 30th in Las Vegas.
Photos by Jazmin Lemus
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