Musically Speaking -- Paul Saitowitz

On my constant never-ending quest to see every touring act in the

history of space and time, the powers that be brought me to Chain

Reaction in Anaheim last week to watch the blissfully melancholy Alkaline

Trio.

With lyrics running the gamut from girls and alcohol to alcohol and

girls, the Trio is a band that truly resonates with their many fans.

Count me as one of them.

Vocalist guitarist Matt Skiba, with his tatoo-laden arms and sweet and

sour vocals, crooned the night away on such hits as “Private Eyes”: o7

New Years’s Eve was as boring as heaven I watched flies F*** on Chanel

11, there was no one to kiss there was nothing to drink except some old

rotten milk some one left in the sink.f7

His partner in crime, the Vin-Diesel-looking bass player Dan Andriano,

struck at the core of the crowd with his tortured vocals and pounding

bass line on “Crawl”: o7 Waking up zeroed in on medicine, am I waking up

at all today. f7

The thing about the Trio is that their music isn’t incredibly original

-- Face to Face, Smoking Popes, The Cure -- but the lyrics and heartfelt

manner in which they are conveyed just seem to make them relatable to

just about anyone.

If you’ve ever had your heart broken and felt like drowning your

sorrows in the drink, these guys are for you. If you have ever broken

someone’s heart and felt like drowning yourself in the drink, these guys

are for you.

The capacity crowd of people -- mostly in their late teens and early

20’s -- sang every word so loud it was often difficult to hear the band.

When we are shrouded in a period where radio and MTV give us songs

from the likes of Limp Bizkit -- o7 Give me something to break -- f7

and Drowning Pool o7 -- Let the bodies hit the floor -- f7 lets be glad

there are bands like the Alkaline Trio around.

Anyone need a beer?

* PAUL SAITOWITZ is a news editor for Times Community News. He can be

reached at (949) 574-4295 or by e-mail at paul.saitowitz@latimes.com.