concert review: The Gaslight Anthem @ Slim's 16 April 2009

Last Thursday night at Slim’s was marked by many things, and bad music was not one of them. The first act was an Australian band called A Death in the Family, whose energy and passion were only fitting for the opening slot at a Gaslight concert. Their sound was very raw, interlacing power chords and angry vocals that would have fit in nicely in 1977. Luckily, people can still appreciate the timelessness of punk driven songs, and the crowd was definitely on board with A Death in the Family. Most notably, their drummer was going wild, pounding away like there was no tomorrow. Great guitar work, too; I recommend that you guys check these Aussies out:

visit them on MYSPACE

Next on was Heartless Bastards, a band I’d come across various times on the blogosphere but never really listened to. More melodic than the opening band, this female-fronted group is like a cross between Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Regina Spektor, with a bit more edge than either of those artists provide. The lead singer had a great voice, and they delivered a smooth and masterful set.

visit the band on MYSPACE

The Gaslight Anthem’s set was so gorgeous that it nearly drove me to tears, which is strange because you wouldn’t expect that from a Blues-y Americana band. Even though their lead singer was recovering from some sort of ailment (he apologized for his supposed sub-par performance—I thought he was great), the entire band delivered a passionate set which was perfect in its very imperfections. The much proclaimed Springsteen influences in their song-writing really shone through on stage, especially through the lead singer’s slow and deliberate delivery. The Gaslight Anthem are one of the most underrated bands out there today; their sophomore album The ’59 Sound (which I think far surpasses their debut) is an incredible collection of guitar driven punk rock songs like the opener, “Great Expectations” as well as more reflective ballads like “Here’s Looking At You Kid”. The tying element between all of the Gaslight’s songs, however, is a rare synchronicity between impressive lyricism and superb musicianship. New Jersey never had it so good.

setlist:



visit The Gaslight Anthem on MYSPACE

The Gaslight Anthem - Here's Looking At You Kid [mp3]

photos:

A Death in the Family:





Heartless Bastards:



The Gaslight Anthem: