Pop Break Live: Gin Blossoms at The Gramercy Theater in New York City
Words: Anthony Toto | Photos: Al Mannarino
If there were ever a live soundtrack to compliment the visual aesthetic of New York City in the summertime, Gin Blossoms brought the perfect melodic soundscape to Gramercy Theatre for an unbelievable night of music that encapsulated and celebrated the past, present, and future for one of the greatest bands in alternative rock over the last thirty-years.
In 2018, Gin Blossoms are truly standing stronger than ever as they recently released their sixth full-length studio LP Mixed Reality on June 15. Without question, this album is one of their strongest collections of material to-date, and their New York City performance was titled as a “Record Release Party.”
For anyone who has enjoyed their timeless masterpieces New Miserable Experience and Congratulations…I’m Sorry, Mixed Reality invokes the prime emotional innocence, gorgeous melodies, jaw dropping musicianship, and uplifting sense of hope that is paramount to Gin Blossoms’ core sound. So many contemporaries from their era are no longer with us and to see a band of their caliber look as happy, healthy, and committed to achieving excellence on all fronts, through their songwriting and live performance deserved a New York City style celebration.
The Gramercy Theatre possesses an intimate setting that is ideal for concert viewing; the crisp melodic attack of the band’s songs just echoed across this historic venue. Gin Blossoms made the entire crowd feel at home, as if we were hanging out in Tempe, Arizona; an authentic family-friendly atmosphere that encouraged high-octane crowd participation from the very beginning.
Case in point, vocalist Robin Wilson rocked out to nearly every track with his signature tambourine, which had the audience clapping along throughout the entire night. He also handed off multiple tambourines to fans standing in the front and even a family sitting to the left side of the stage. Guitarist Jesse Valenzuela also handed off a guitar pick to this family’s young son and his reaction, a look pure excitement, summed up the powerful essence of witnessing live music and connecting with the band in-person.
Gin Blossoms kicked off their 20 song setlist with the all-time classic “Lost Horizons,” and Wilson’s voice was beyond astonishing; the quality and caliber of his vocal performance was identical to his original work, which was recorded over 25 years ago. Think about that for a second, how many vocalists could still sing in the same key, let alone range as their original recordings after 25 years? His commitment to his primary instrument and the confidence, calmness, and friendliness that he exudes as a frontman deserves the highest levels of respect.
Towards the latter half of “Long Time Gone,” guitarists Scotty Johnson and Jesse Valenzuela traded off extended guitar solo’s where every single note evoked the most heartfelt and soulful emotions. Having performed together for over two decades, their type of synchronicity and chemistry is one-of-a-kind. Their ability to harmonize, shift between rhythm and lead, and play off one another inspired the crowd to erupt in cheers, especially when the last string bend in Johnson’s climatic solo beautifully transitioned into Valenzuela playing the intro of “Allison Road.” The level of pure blissful happiness within the crowd during that performance, Gramercy Theatre should have been renamed “Allison Road.”
During “Hold Me Down,” drummer Scott Hessell and bassist Bill Leen fortified the band’s rhythmic attack; Leen’s roaring bass lines rumbled and grooved away and Hessell’s relentless snare hits raised the adrenaline to maximum levels. Within a single measure, he transitioned from playing a groove-heavy time signature into a percussive barrage of rock n’ roll onslaught. Also, Leen completely enters that indescribable musical zone as soon as the first note hits, especially on “Hands Are Tied,” where his eyes were closed and he constantly rocked out to the upbeat rhythm.
As I mentioned earlier, new tracks like “Here Again” and “Break,” especially the latter could have been placed on New Miserable Experience or Congratulations…I’m Sorry. In my opinion, “Break” should be heavily requested and added to every rock station’s daily playlist and deserves the opportunity to become a hit. The elegant guitar chords underneath Wilson’s massive vocal hook had audience members dancing and cheering along for what I consider a modern gem. Plus, it distinctly stood out as one of the show’s highlights and as a testament to its strength and accessibility, it was played right before “Found Out About You.”
Legendary Smithereens guitarist Jim Babjak joined the band on-stage for a rousing cover of “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones. Babjak played Valenzuela’s signature red stratocaster and Robin Wilson announced that he will be fronting The Smithereens for a New York City performance in January, which should be an unbelievable show considering his fondness and appreciation for The Smithereens. Gin Blossoms actually closed their set by covering Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll,” where the riff-rattling chord progressions and guitar solos of Petty’s most iconic work were so compatible with the band’s core sound.
To properly surmise the iconic aura of Gin Blossoms most beloved hits, I wholeheartedly believe their greatest work has had such a monumental impact and long-term positive influence that has unequivocally resonated with Generation X and beyond. Perfection is subjective when it comes to music, however, tracks like “Found Out About You,” “Until I Fall Away” and “Till I Hear It From You,” the stunning delicacy, emotional conviction, musical integrity, and universal subject manner within the lyrics, those songs were performed to absolute perfection and produced such a heartwarming atmosphere that unified the crowd in a fashion that very few bands could ever achieve.
There was a tidal wave of body movement where fans of all ages – young millenials and longtime fans alike – jumped up and down in harmony with the purest jubilation when Gin Blossoms kicked into “Hey Jealousy.” As those two words were delivered in the chorus, there was such a captivating back-and-forth between the band and crowd who shouted the lyrics with every ounce of air and energy in their lungs. The infinite goodwill and positive energy, which could be felt throughout the venue during “Hey Jealousy” was a picture-perfect moment.
During the band’s encore, the combination of heavily distorted guitars and epic cymbal crashes kicked into Robin Wilson’s legendary harmonica solo in “Follow You Down.” For the entirety of this performance, the crowd truly saw the sky, the highest possible reaches of cloud-nine. Anywhere this band took the audience throughout the night, their fans knew they were headed somewhere special and ready to celebrate Gin Blossoms’ legacy as far as everyone could go, from 1992 to far beyond.
Setlist:
Lost Horizons
Long Time Gone
Allison Road
Hold Me Down
Wonder
Until I Fall Away
Angels Fly
Miss Disarray
Hands Are Tied
As Long as It Matters
Still Some Room in Heaven
Cheatin’
Here Again
Break
Found Out About You
Hey Jealousy
‘Til I Hear It From You
Encore:
Wild Horses(The Rolling Stones cover with Jim Babjak of The Smithereens)
Follow You Down
Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover)
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