Gin Blossoms Bring a ’90s Alt-Rock Party to The Underground
It was the summer of 1993 and an alternative rock band from Tempe, Arizona was about to break out in a huge way. Their latest single “Hey Jealousy” from their 1992 album New Miserable Experience was getting a ton of radio airplay, entering the Top 40 over a year after the album’s release, and making the Gin Blossoms a household name.
The song was catchy and perfect for driving down the highway with the top down or cruising across the lake with a boat full of friends. After all, Tomorrow we can drive around this town/And let the cops chase us around/The past is gone, but something might be found/To take its place. The band is currently out on tour celebrating thirty years of this iconic album and recently made a stop in the Queen City at The Underground for a night fans will not soon forget.
Kicking off the evening was local favorites Crenshaw Pentecostal from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The band brought a unique blend of alternative and Americana that was thoroughly enjoyable and a great way to start things off.
Their set was full of energy with the highlight being a cover of “Can’t Hardly Wait” by The Replacements with a guest appearance by Robin Wilson from the Gin Blossoms much to the delight of the crowd. This is definitely a band you’ll want to keep an eye out for. In the meantime, you can check out a video for their song “Bad Heart” and get a taste of what they’re all about.
After a short break, it was time for the Gin Blossoms to hit the stage and give the audience what they had been anticipating all evening long. The band came out to thunderous applause, bathed in blue light as lead vocalist Robin Wilson gave the crowd the horns up. The jangly guitars of Jesse Valenzuela and Scotty Johnson had us up and moving to the opening tune “Follow You Down” and the party was off and running. When it comes to the Gin Blossoms, it seems as if time truly has stood still because they sound as good as they ever have with bass guitarist Bill Leen and drummer Scott Hessel driving the pace amidst the catchy riffs of Valenzuela with Wilson still being the consummate frontman handling not only vocal duties but an acoustic guitar, harmonica, and tambourine as the night progressed.
The setlist was unique because we were treated to a full album performance of New Miserable Experience in honor of the 30th anniversary of the album as well as a few selections from their other albums. We danced to “Hey Jealousy,” swayed to the rhythms of “Until I Fall Away,” and sang along to “Found Out About You” with a smile on our faces as we let the music envelope us. It was one of those magical times when you could forget about the outside world and just live in the moment. Closing out their regular set was the final song from the album “Cheatin.’” Don’t worry, the night was quite over yet. The band came back out for a two-song encore of “Long Time Gone” and a special cover tune. During the course of the tour, the Gin Blossoms have been changing up the cover song from night to night. The band may have you rocking to some Tom Petty or “Twistin’ the Night Away” with a Sam Cooke classic. For the Charlotte stop, fans were treated to a remarkable version of “Just Like Heaven” from The Cure and it was a perfect ending to a wonderful night of music.
Gin Blossoms are out on the road well into summer and this is definitely a show to add to your must-see list. You can check out upcoming tour dates here.
