LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: The Gaslight Anthem + Laura Stevenson and the Cans (Dec 3 at 930 Club, DC)

Earlier this month I made my way out to the 930 Club in Washington DC to see the very popular rock group The Gaslight Anthem with Laura Stevenson and the Cans. Normally I shy away from the 930 Club (although it’s not a terrible venue) because generally a lot of the acts that play there I do not enjoy. However since the announcement in August that New Jersey’s best was coming to DC, I’ve been counting down the days to visit one of the longest standing music venues in the nation’s capital. I had only heard wonderful things about The Gaslight Anthem live, and after hearing their newest album Handwritten, I could not miss this show for the world.

Laura Stevenson and the Cans, ToZ Productions

Lucky for me, I got the opportunity to take photos at the show for Under the Gun Review, and it was an absolute honor for me to document the night in my own way. Laura Stevenson and the Cans was absolutely fantastic, and while I had some cursory knowledge of the band going in, I’ve since checked out more of their releases. Their new record Sit Resist is really awesome and you should go out of your way to give it a listen. Laura Stevenson kept the crowd relatively interested before the Gaslight Anthem came on, although there were some people who couldn’t care less (I can’t stand when people don’t pay attention to openers, you paid 40+ dollars to get in, at least try and enjoy them all). However for those that aren’t complete clowns, Laura and the rest of the band killed their set, and I was so glad I made it out (I missed the first opener because of work, I apologize). There were lots of really cool instruments, and the sound was quite unique and engrossing. Also, being one of the only people who recognized the Archers of Loaf cover was pretty cool as well. Damn yuppie DC crowds.

The Gaslight Anthem, ToZ Productions

The Gaslight Anthem was on last, and they played an absolutely gorgeous two and a half hour set. Frankly I’ve grown accustomed to the thirty minute set that punk dive bars have to offer, so to hear such a long show was a real treat. Brian Fallon’s vocals were spot on, and it was borderline scary how close he was to the way the record sounds. Kids were having a great time, push pitting (which makes no sense to this band, but who am I to judge) and dancing along to each and every song. The setlist spanned their entire catalog, from the first song that they’ve ever written to songs off of Handwritten. The instrumentals were on point, with everything in sync at all points during the set. Brian’s interactions with the crowd were absolutely hysterical, yelling at fans who kept making Redskins comments, and talking trash to them under his breath. I have a lot of respect for frontman who aren’t afraid to speak their minds or piss anyone off. All too often frontmen hold in their opinions, but you could really see the punk in Brian come out as the night went on. However the best part of the night wash sharing the show with my girlfriend. She was the one who got me into The Gaslight Anthem, so going with her to what appeared to be our first major venue show (we go to tons of weird punk shows together, just not established places such as the 930 Club) was honestly really amazing, and there was no better band to share that moment with than The Gaslight Anthem.

So now, I would love to share with you the photos I took from the night, and I hope that they captured half of the magic that The Gaslight Anthem and Laura Stevenson and the Cans brought to DC on December 3. Truly a beautiful event.

Written By: Tyler Osborne (Click to Follow on Twitter) 

Photos By Tyler Osborne, ToZ Productions

Laura Stevenson and the Cans

The Gaslight Anthem

 

 

 

Tyler Osborne
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One Response to “LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: The Gaslight Anthem + Laura Stevenson and the Cans (Dec 3 at 930 Club, DC)”

  1. chinesedude22 says:

    stranglers gonna make you pay