The story of …and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is like one of those epic tales that gets passed around from person to person - changing and evolving each time it’s told, always fueled by the heroic narrative. The account of how the creative elements of Trail of Dead came together first to become indie-darlings, then to become the focus of a negative backlash, only for them to end up saying “fuck it” in the long run - and go on to become the talented and creative tour horses that they are now - is indeed a folk tale for the ages. Through all of this, Trail of Dead’s main principles Conrad Keely, Jason Reece, and Kevin Allen have given 150% of their blood, sweat, and soul to the magnificent little band from Austin with the name you cannot forget.
On Friday night at The Bowery Ballroom, Trail of Dead unleashed their most primal performance in the area to date, a 90-minute extravaganza that blew the doors off of their hinges and rattled the foundations below Delancey Street. During “Caterwaul,” Reece jumped into the crowd, where he and hundreds of fans crowded the microphone to sing the track’s anthemic passages. Meanwhile, Keely strummed at his guitar like his life depended on it, his body hurling and flinging in unison with the pounding drums. The crowd had the same reaction to the music, as bodies began to pack together and rise in unison as the ascension of “Will You Smile Again?” took lift. Call it a beautiful act of synergy, or just the result of a holiday weekend and a full moon, but as the steam rose to the ceiling, the jubilation washed over the crowd in waves.
When all was said and done, it was well after midnight and the stage was left in shambles: drums kicked over, keyboards torn to the floor, guitars passed over the crowd for each person to clutch. However, the legend of …and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead lived on in the faces of the awestruck witnesses.
On Friday night at The Bowery Ballroom, Trail of Dead unleashed their most primal performance in the area to date, a 90-minute extravaganza that blew the doors off of their hinges and rattled the foundations below Delancey Street. During “Caterwaul,” Reece jumped into the crowd, where he and hundreds of fans crowded the microphone to sing the track’s anthemic passages. Meanwhile, Keely strummed at his guitar like his life depended on it, his body hurling and flinging in unison with the pounding drums. The crowd had the same reaction to the music, as bodies began to pack together and rise in unison as the ascension of “Will You Smile Again?” took lift. Call it a beautiful act of synergy, or just the result of a holiday weekend and a full moon, but as the steam rose to the ceiling, the jubilation washed over the crowd in waves.
When all was said and done, it was well after midnight and the stage was left in shambles: drums kicked over, keyboards torn to the floor, guitars passed over the crowd for each person to clutch. However, the legend of …and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead lived on in the faces of the awestruck witnesses.
