photo credit: loren wohl

To sum up the music of The Gaslight Anthem in one word: earnest. From their grassroots beginnings in New Brunswick, NJ with a heavy influence of Bruce Springsteen (the one and only time i’ll mention it, i swear) to a national touring act that can headline Warehouse Live’s 1500 capacity ballroom, the boys of The Gaslight Anthem have kept their “awww shucks” demeanor no matter the amount of success obtained. These guys are as blue-collar as they come, but sure bring out the big guns in support of their latest release American Slang.

Hit the jump for the rest of the recap.

– sunbear

photo credit: loren wohl

Hightailing our way from the Vampire Weekend show across town to Warehouse Live where we worked our charm with the doorman (see: running in when no one’s looking), we entered to the emotional grit of Gaslight Anthem’s “Old White Lincoln,” the consumate Gaslight song telling the story of getting in your junker and getting outta dodge. Actually, all their songs are of that subject matter, kind of like uhh… that one guy.

On record, American Slang is a far more subdued record than its brisk predecessor The ’59 Sound which, in turn, was mellower than sink or swim. Live though, the songs flourish and make for good bed fellows with their livelier counterparts: “The Spirit of Jazz” rubbed elbows with “I’da Called You Woody, Joe,” “The Diamond Church Street Choir” nestled in with “High Lonesome.” All songs retained their particular brand of heartland rock that make Gaslight sound like your dad’s band.

photo credit: loren wohl

Essentially a warm-up for their appearance at Austin’s ACL Festival this Saturday, the band treated this show as if it were their last: Brian Fallon poured his heart and emotions into every song, smiling all the way. In fact, I’ve never seen such a cheery front man in my life. One minute he’s the thunderous voice of The Garden State, the next he’s a modest, self-effacing everyman. It’s that endearing quality that make The Gaslight Anthem so lovable: that they never try to be anything other than what they are: heart on your sleeve rabble rousers.

Closing their show with perennial anthem “The ’59 Sound,” Gaslight were called back to the stage by chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” and did the band ever respond in kind. Not being the least bit shy of their influences, Fallon kicked into the opening octaves of Tom Petty’s classic “American Girl.” The Houston crowd were as boisterous as ever as it was all smiles and camaraderie in the pit. Everywhere i looked were familiar faces brought together by Gaslight’s music: people i had met at prior Gaslight shows in San Antonio, friends who appreciated the same brand of midwest rock; Call it schmaltzy but Gaslight’s fans are a united bunch: a community of fist-pumpin’ music lovers who would rather hear the cracks and pops of vinyl and the hard twang of a Fender Telecaster than get into the latest fleeting trend. The Gaslight Anthem effortlessly encapsulate the the New Jersey sound of their contemporaries into a modern sound that’d make you proud to be into good old fashioned rock.

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For more coverage check out out friend Mike Damante’s recap of the show for Houston’s 29-95 music blog, here.
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