“Where have I been all your life?” Fans of The Lawrence Arms know this feeling – the feeling of being reunited with someone/something you love after what feels like a long absence. Last month, TLA released their first full length album in nearly eight years, titled Metropole (check out our review here), and the punk community rejoiced. The news of this album had been teasing fans for a year and it truly was a sweet, sweet reunion. As the album release got closer and closer, I (along with every other TLA fan) waited anxiously for the tour that would follow. During this waiting period, I was lucky enough to see them twice last year – first at a secret show they did in LA at The Viper Room and then as one of the club shows at Punk Rock Bowling in Las Vegas. This past sunday, I attended the Metropole tour (featuring support from Nothington and Great Apes) at the El Rey in Los Angeles.
I only caught the last few songs of Great Apes, but they were decidedly catchy and I recommend checking out the band if you have a chance. Nothington were up next and killed it. Their set energized the audience with anthemic songs like “Far to Go,” “A Mistake,” and “The Escapist.” It is evident that Nothington and TLA like touring together (they played the PRB club show last year together as well) and their sets compliment one another. Nothington is the kind of band that puts on a kick ass show no matter what – I highly recommend checking them out on this tour or any other tour they play.
Seeing The Lawrence Arms is like hanging out at a party with your best friends. Not only do they put on a great live show musically, but you can also count on their on stage presence to be extremely entertaining (I seriously think Brendan Kelly should just do a comedy tour). They are the kind of band you root for – you can relate to their lyrics as if they are talking directly to you and then you want to hang out with them and grab a drink afterward. This show proved that they are back with a vengeance with the release of Metropole – incorporating tracks like “You Are Here,” “Drunk Tweets,” and “Beautiful Things” into their live set. Additionally, TLA played crowd favorites including, but not limited to, “The Slowest Drink At The Saddest Bar On The Snowiest Day In The Greatest City,” “The Ramblin’ Boys of Pleasure,” “Are You There Margaret? It’s Me, God,” “Necrotism: Decanting the Insalubruis (Cyborg Midnight), Pt. 7,” and my personal favorite – “100 Resolutions.” Let’s hope it’s not another eight years before another new album and tour…but for now, enjoy our photo gallery from the Metropole tour below.