Recap And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead at the Bluebird, March 9

Austin-based And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead is undeniably a live band. They thrash guitars, they scream into mics, and they have self-destructive on stage fits all in the name of rock ‘n’ roll—at least, that’s their reputation, and they certainly tried to live up to it at their show Monday at the Bluebird. Although never a bore to watch—the dudes ran around as if sponsored by Adderal, and the packed house seemed to enjoy it—it’s Trail Of Dead’s own musical shortcomings that suck the life out of its live shows. As someone during their set commented, “I have three of their albums, but all the songs kind of blur together for me.” That’s the thing about Trail Of Dead. The band has a handful of standout tracks, but unfortunately the bulk of its catalogue is bogged down with boring and uninspired indie rock. It’s a strange dichotomy for a group to be both really good and really bad, and it makes for mixed feelings when watching these songs get played live. There was, however, one highlight during Monday's show, which, incidentally, had nothing to do with music: After one fellow got kicked out of the Bluebird for jumping on the stage, Trail Of Dead retaliated against the bully security guards by allowing the entire front row up to join them during the encore. A band that stands up for its fans is a band that knows how to keep them (even if its music kind of sucks).