GIN BLOSSOMS - HOUSE OF BLUES, HOLLYWOOD, CA - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009
It is a testament to the enduring appeal of the Gin Blossoms' brand of perfect pop music that I dragged my road-worn bum out to the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip last night to catch what was an immensely satisfying show. Believe me, after having spent three action-packed days in Vegas and driving the majority of the trip home to L.A., I was ready to pack it in, but I knew I would regret missing one of my very favorite bands from the 90's.
It should be no surprise to those that remember the Gin Blossoms soaring popularity on radio, television and film in the 90's that the band's set relied heavily on their 1992 sophomore album "New Miserable Experience" that brought them to mainstream attention with their Top 40 hit single, "Hey Jealousy."
"Hey Jealousy" was a highlight, along with "Found Out About You," and "Allison Road," which singer Robin Wilson endearingly encouraged the crowd to turn into rapturous singalongs. In fact, Robin was an interesting character to me, seeming to be a 180-degree difference from his sweetly vulnerable long-haired 90's presence to a vaguely cynical, wryly sarcastic fellow dressed in black Mad Max leather jacket and fingerless gloves. After mentioning that the band is signed to a new label (429 Records with the Savoy Jazz Group) and will release a new record this year, they played a lovely new song which I imagine will be named "Miss Disarray" (don't quote me), he joked, "Yeah, that one's going to be big in Japan. Maybe even Indonesia." This predicament is the whole reason that I do Damn The Man...to remind American 90's kids and their offspring that these bands are still out there making wonderful music that deserves to be heard.
The above description of frontman Robin Wilson, btw, is a good thing; Robin has an appealingly sympathetic stage presence that makes you feel as if he is directly communicating to you at all times. He gave high fives to everyone in the front row at the end of the show, which was almost too cute.
The Gin Blossoms also tore through one of Damn The Man's theme songs, "'Til I Hear It From You," off the 1995 Empire Records soundtrack, "Follow You Down" from their 1996 album, "Congratulations...I'm Sorry," (in which Wilson accidentally took out a stage light with his harmonica as he tossed it away behind him) and "Super Girl" from their 2006 album, "Major Lodge Victory."
The band ended with a cover of a song by classic 70's and 80's L.A. pop/rock band, The Plimsouls.
Overall, a good show where the band was in fine form (especially guitarists Jesse Valenzuela and Scott Johnson) and scores of couples in the audience swayed with pleasure to their romantic balladry.
Please enjoy the demo versions of "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You" from their 1989 record, "Dusted." These are great because they're much more punk rock than the popular versions:
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