Lady Gaga's Drummer Tosh Peterson Joins Alkaline Trio for Rise Against Tour

A 24-year-old drummer who's been playing arenas with Lady Gaga is about to step into one of the most iconic seats in pop-punk. Tosh Peterson has officially joined Alkaline Trio, and his first major run with the band will be a co-headlining tour alongside Rise Against this September and October.

I'll be real, this is one of those moves that sounds wild on paper but makes total sense once you dig into it.

How Alkaline Trio Got Here

Alkaline Trio has been cycling through drummers for a while now. Derek Grant, who held the seat for over two decades, departed the band in June 2023. Atom Willard stepped in as his replacement, but that didn't last long either. Willard announced his exit from the band on February 2, 2026, posting on social media that he had "parted ways" with the group.

That left guitarist Matt Skiba and bassist Dan Andriano looking for their fifth full-time drummer since the band started back in 1996. Enter Tosh Peterson.

On March 19, Skiba reshared an Instagram video of Peterson and didn't hold back, calling him "already the best drummer in the world in our book" and saying the band is "HONORED" to play with him. Peterson followed up with his own post confirming it: "OK, Matt Skiba spilled the beans. I'm the new drummer for Alkaline Trio!!"

Who Is Tosh Peterson?

If you don't know the name yet, you will. Peterson started playing drums at two years old and was touring professionally by 16. The guy has been a hired gun for some seriously big names. We're talking Machine Gun Kelly, Bad Bunny, The Kid LAROI, Jung Kook, Filter, Lil Nas X, and JxDn. Most recently, he's been behind the kit for Lady Gaga on her Mayhem Ball tour and her Coachella headlining set.

There's also a great Drumeo video from 2023 where Peterson explains how he learned 25 Fall Out Boy songs in less than two days when he had to fill in for Andrew Hurley. That's the kind of work ethic this guy brings. Honestly, the range on his resume alone is ridiculous for someone who's only 24.

Two Chicago Punk Legends, One Tour

The bigger picture here is the tour itself. Rise Against and Alkaline Trio are co-headlining a run that kicks off September 22 in Dallas. Both bands came up through the same Chicago punk scene, the same basements and bowling alleys. Rise Against called this tour "a celebration of two bands that sprung from the same soil," and that's exactly what it is.

Rise Against is coming in with momentum from their tenth studio album Ricochet, which dropped August 15, 2025 and was produced by Catherine Marks. They're already out on a spring tour right now with Destroy Boys, Speed of Light, and Koyo before these fall dates.

Alkaline Trio released their tenth album Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs on January 26, 2024. So this tour will be a chance for fans to hear that material live with a completely new energy behind the drums.

Full Tour Dates

Tickets

Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster and AXS. You can also check Rise Against's official website for more info.

Honestly, if you're a fan of either of these bands, this is the fall tour to prioritize. Two Chicago punk institutions sharing a stage, Rise Against touring behind a strong new record, and Alkaline Trio rolling out with fresh blood on the drums. That Red Rocks date on October 12 is going to be something special. Don't sleep on this one.

Cover photo courtesy of Ticketmaster