The surviving members of Power Trip have revealed their surprise reunion in December — the Dallas thrash group’s first gig together since the death of singer Riley Gale in 2020 — was not a one-off as the band has scheduled three more shows this summer.
Following their unannounced five-song reunion in Austin in December, Power Trip — guitarist Blake Ibanez, guitarist Nick Stewart, bassist Chris Whetzel, and drummer Chris Ulsh, along with Fugitive singer Seth Gilmore, who handled lead vocals at that Austin gig — have booked shows at Pomona, California’s No Values Fest on June 8, Dallas’ the Factory on July 6, and New York’s Knockdown Center on Aug. 24.
“Nearly four years ago to the day, unbeknownst to us, we would perform for the last time as Power Trip. It has been a difficult road since then, marked by deep pain, grief, and everything else that came with losing our brother Riley,” Power Trip said in a statement explaining the decision to continue on.
“We know this can’t be undone, and it will always remain part of us. We have thought deeply about the future of Power Trip and what always comes back to us is that this band was founded on resilience, perseverance, and most importantly: a love for the music and for all of the people it has brought us closer to along the way.”
Power Trip continued, “We’ll never have the words to convey our appreciation of the enduring support we’ve received over the years, and we feel as though the time is right to get back on stage for all of you who’ve been there throughout our existence as a band.”
Following Gale’s August 2020 death from an accidental overdose from the toxic effects of fentanyl, Power Trip went on hiatus and moved on to other projects, but the surviving members did not rule out a reunion someday. “We do want to continue to play music together; we just are not sure what that looks like at this time,” Ibanez told the Los Angeles Timesin March 2021, shortly after the group was nominated for a Best Metal Performance Grammy Award for their live rendition of “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe).”