I returned to the Starland Ballroom for my second time
this year on a Sunday night in late April to see Brian Fallon in concert. The
weather was chilly, but clear. Playoff hockey was still going strong (at least
for my favorite team, who would be eliminated from the playoffs just over a
week later). Baseball season had started and my favorite ballclub was getting
hot. And I was preparing for my annual trek to Columbia, Maryland for the M3
Festival. All these wonderful thoughts of Spring were on my mind as I rolled
into the parking lot of The Brass Monkey Bar and Grill to have dinner with my
cousin prior to the show.
Should you ever get the chance to visit the Starland
Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, I A: highly recommend that you do, B:
implore you to stop at The Brass Monkey prior to the show. This is one of those
hole in the wall dive bars that has great service and some of the best burgers
in the state. Discovered by my friend Bobby during our trek to see Theory of a Deadman where I would discover Pop Evil, The Brass Monkey is just amazing. Great food, great service,
and great prices. You really can’t go wrong if you eat there prior to attending
the concert. My cousin got to experience this place for the first time and he
was impressed.
After leaving with a belly full of hard cider and amazing
burgers, we ventured to the venue to see Brian Fallon perform. We got in with
plenty of time to grab a drink, pick a spot to stand, and wait for the opening
act to grace the stage.
Caitlin Rose was that act and while I had never heard of
her prior to this show, I certainly know who she is now. She was terrific!
Seeing her live made me seek out her material and I added spending quality time
with her music to my to-do list. I was impressed with her stage presence, her style,
and her magnificent voice. A tip of the cap to Brain Fallon for choosing her to
open on this tour. It was a terrific option to say the least.
I had not seen Brian Fallon perform a solo show before,
and I had not seen him perform at all since one of the final shows the Gaslight Anthem did in New Jersey. Since then he had released two solo albums
that I fell in love with and left me craving more. The songs from these records
were all terrific and I was excited to see which ones he would perform. I was
also curious to hear how they would sound in the live setting versus the studio
version. The short answer is wonderful. Brian Fallon was in extraordinary form
that evening.
I’ve always felt that the best concerts are the ones
where you leave with a new favorite song. Perhaps it’s a song you hadn’t heard
but now love, or a song that you forgot about and had the joy of rediscovery
during the live setting. In the case of that Brian Fallon show, I was fortunate
enough to leave with two new
favorite songs.
“Sugar,” is a forgotten gem from The Horrible Crowes, a
one-off studio album that Fallon recorded with Ian Perkins in between Gaslight
Anthem albums. When I heard it on Elsie
I thought it was a good song, but never gave it proper attention. “Sugar” is a
slow, dark song and I was more attracted to the harder rock style songs on that
record. Yet, hearing “Sugar” live for the first time totally changed my
appreciation for this song. I never realized how magnificent the song truly is.
Since this night, I’ve listened to “Sugar” dozens of times. I am grateful that
Fallon decided to perform this one in concert.
“My Name Is the Night (Color Me Black)” is a song from
Fallon’s latest release, Sleepwalkers.
It’s a song that I liked a lot after hearing it on the record, but it’s also a
song that I now absolutely love. I most likely would have fallen in love with
this song given enough time, but hearing it live just promoted the timetable.
Fallon’s live rendition of this future hit was spot on. Most of the crowd
seemed to enjoy the song as well because they were singing the lyrics right
back to Brian. This is a magnificent song, that will be enjoyed for years to
come. It will probably also become a go to request for future Fallon concerts.
The night wrapped up in an odd, but spectacular fashion. Technically,
there was no encore, but the way Fallon addressed this was exceptional. After
the performance of “Etta James,” the band walked off the stage and Fallon moved
over to the onstage keyboard. He addressed the crowd about how encores have
basically become fake. You know that the artist is coming back out, they just
go backstage and wait it out. What are they even doing back there? Fallon
suggested that rather than wasting time like that he could play another song
instead. The crowd roared their appreciation.
Brian then performed the jewel of the evening. A stripped
down, piano only version of the classic Gaslight Anthem song “The ’59 Sound.”
The new arrangement was breath taking as the focus was clearly on the lyrics in
this quieter rendition. Hearing this song in that arrangement was a real treat
to the ears. It was a beautiful version that I hope will be captured on a live
record someday for all to enjoy. Although, with the power of today’s internet,
I am sure that you can just look it up on YouTube and see it for yourself.
The evening wrapped up with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t
Think Twice (It’s Alright),” which was performed as a duo with Caitlin Rose.
She mentioned how she was overwhelmed by the response the crowd gave her that
evening to which Fallon replied “This is Jersey! These are my people!” That of
course got one of the loudest roars of the night. “See You On The Other Side”
came after the duet and the hard rocking “If Your Prayers Don’t Get To Heaven”
(one of my favorites) closed out the show.
The end of the night came much too soon and left my
wanting so much more. I don’t say that like it’s a negative either. That’s the
sign of a great performance! Hopefully I will be able to catch The Gaslight
Anthem at one of their anniversary shows this summer. If not, I will just have
to hope that Fallon decides to make a return trip to New Jersey for a solo
performance. As soon as it is announced, you can count me in!
Setlist
Last Rites
Forget Me Not
Red Lights
Come Wander With Me
Ladykiller
Bell Bottom Blues
Sugar
Neptune
My Name is the Night (Color Me Black)
Among Other Foolish Things
Watson
Downtown Train
Rosemary
A Wonderful Life
Smoke
Etta James
The ’59 Sound
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (w/ Caitlin Rose)
See You On The Other Side
If Your Prayers Don’t Get To Heaven
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