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Review Wed Jul 28 2010
Review: Gaslight Anthem @ House of Blues, 7/27
Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon (photos by Katie Hovland)
When the Gaslight Anthem played Bottom Lounge last April, singer Brian Fallon's vocals were a mess. (But he was pretty sick, as they cancelled the next couple shows.) When they came back around in August, it was my turn to be sick. (I barely made it through Constantines that night.) On Tuesday at House of Blues, though, everybody was in good health. Even if they weren't, they probably still had a good time.
Gaslight Anthem's Alex Levine (photos by Katie Hovland)
Touring in support of their latest album, American Slang, Gaslight Anthem was firing on all cylinders with a 90-minute set that featured sizable chunks from all three full-lengths. The show began with the new record's title track that quickly built up into their Americana-tinged punk with chunky hooks and Fallon's working class stories. From the onset the sold out audience was completely enthralled. After two more newer songs, the band went back a couple years for perhaps their most popular song, "The '59 Sound." It's a bold move to bust out your hit so early, but Gaslight Anthem clearly have the confidence in their other tunes to not let it be their peak. And soon enough they were pacing themselves (and the audience) by dropping the tempo with "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "Miles Davis & The Cool" before playing songs from their debut album seamlessly mixed in with some American Slang.
Gaslight Anthem's Alex Rosamilia (photos by Katie Hovland)
Three albums (and some EPs) into their career, each release has taken on a different angle of their malleable sound, so it's not a strain to hear songs from years ago alongside ones released last month. With that being said, a risk runs in songs sounding too much alike. Late in the show I twice thought they started a song they'd already played. Only when lyrics began did I realize my mistake. Of course, a strong majority of the audience were never in doubt as they screamed along to nearly every word Fallon sang. (Only "Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts" from a 2008 EP and a cover of Lucero's "The War" tripped up the most vocal.) With such devotion, it's hardly a surprise that Gaslight Anthem's popularity has swelled. The way things are going, I wouldn't expect a dropoff either.
Brian Fallon (photos by Katie Hovland)
drunk with power / July 29, 2010 11:36 AM
I was wondering why they were so lame at that bottom lounge show. They more than made up for it on Tuesday, nice review. I dug the long set.