Can We Please Get The Gaslight Anthem Back Together?

I’ve been on a Gaslight Anthem kick recently. You know, the rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey? While I’ve been focusing on their last two records Get Hurt, and Handwritten, I have listened to their entire catalog multiple times. It not only reignited my passion for the band and reminded me how fantastic they are, but it also led me down a trip where I was listening to lead singer Brian Fallon’s other band, The Horrible Crowes. Their cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” is truly amazing. Yes, I did just say that.

Brian Fallon’s ability with the written word is just uncanny. He is as intense a lyricist as exists in rock music and he is also one of the finest in his field.

Here are some key examples:

All my friends want to get in to Heaven

And all I keep thinking is I wish you were here

I heard that they’ve been calling me The Great Depression

Rollin’ and tumblin’ breaking my own heart again

                                                                                … From “Rollin’ And Tumblin’”

I’ve been fumbling with your heart strings

And that’s good enough for me

And If I rained on one of your hours

Then I know I must be working 

Try it on for size my darling

See what a man you can make of me

I will eventually haunt you

You will eventually be my queen

                                                                                … From “Biloxi Parish”

You remind Anna, if she asks why

That a thief stole my heart while she was making up her mind

I heard she lives in Brooklyn with the cool

Goes crazy over that New York scene on 7^th Avenue

But I used to wait at the diner, a million nights without her,

Praying she won’t cancel again tonight

And the waiter served my coffee with a consolation sigh

You remind Anna, if she asks why

                                                                                … From “Here’s Looking At You Kid”

It is rare to find an artist that can write with such intensity and passion. I like to think it’s because he’s from Jersey like yours truly, but it is more likely that he was really blessed with the gift. And as great as solo Brian Fallon is (Painkillers is an exceptional record) it’s just not the same. The entire band needs to get back together.

The Gaslight Anthem went on their hiatus after recording and touring for the greatest album they had made to date. They went out on a high note, and they left their fans craving more. I was fortunate enough to see them live once on their Get Hurt tour and I was left mesmerized. Their live show is as superb as their albums. And then, shortly thereafter, the band announced their hiatus.

They were riding the wave to the top and then abruptly decided to halt their progress. Little information is available as to why The Gaslight Anthem went on hiatus. Brian Fallon has stated that “it was getting crazy” before they halted and that everyone was “relieved a little bit.” So, there may have been some undocumented turmoil going on within the band that caused the stop.

But with Fallon hard at work on his second solo album and amid a European tour, I don’t see The Gaslight Anthem getting back together anytime soon. There may be a better chance of getting Brain Fallon’s side gig The Horrible Crowes back together before The Gaslight Anthem reunites. And that’s sad.

The Gaslight Anthem is an exceptional band and it takes all four members to create the music they made. It’s not just Brian Fallon. It’s Fallon with Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine, and Benny Horowitz. All of them together are responsible for the sound and the style of The Gaslight Anthem. And while Fallon may be the principle songwriter and lyricist in the group, I think it’s the influence of his bandmates that makes their songs so amazing. It’s the collective unit that produces a better creation. Again, Brian Fallon solo is great stuff, it’s just not The Gaslight Anthem.

Hiatus is a tricky word. A lot of bands have taken a hiatus and were never heard from again. Other bands have taken a hiatus and came back completely different with other members. I don’t think that would be the case here, as Fallon has stated he would never record under the name The Gaslight Anthem without all four original members. But I do think that hiatus is another word for finished. As much as I want to have them back, hear a new record, and see them on tour, I don’t think that it’s going to happen. It saddens me to state this, but I think we have seen the last of The Gaslight Anthem.

Perhaps I’m wrong. Maybe the time off has been good to the band members and someday soon they will realize how much they miss each other and get the urge to record music together. It’s possible, but doubtful. There are too many documented instances of bands going on hiatus to never return. And after almost three years apart it gets easier and easier to just continue to drift away. The Gaslight Anthem are an incredible force and now at the prime of their careers, they’ve turned away from each other to take some time off. It’s hard to find a particular level of success once, getting it a second time is near impossible.

So, while I may never get to hear any new music from the band, I will always have their five-album catalog, and it will always be in my regular rotation. And that will have to be enough for me. I’m just thankful that there was a Gaslight Anthem at all. Spectacular music is getting harder and harder to come by, but The Gaslight Anthem filled that void for a little while. 

Concert Review: From Good Homes - December 18, 2015

It was only the third time I was able to witness the magic of From Good Homes live. I had seen them once way back in 1998, once in 2010, and on the first chilly night of 2015 I was going to see them again.

From Good Homes performed their annual December shows in New Jersey, using the Newton Theatre for the third year in a row. The Newton Theatre is an interesting venue. It is a small, quaint, converted movie theater that holds approximately 600 fans. On that evening, every seat was sold and filled. Prior to the start of the show, an advertisement was shown portraying the history of the theater and asking for donations that were necessary to complete a planned bathroom renovation. The theater is clearly in need of some work, including upgrading their bathrooms, and hopefully they will get the necessary money. The venue is a nice one overall, and I am very open to seeing other shows there in the near future.

Since I had seen From Good Homes twice before, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from their show, and I just knew they would be amazing in concert. My buddy Adam who was attending his first From Good Homes show had the benefit of never seeing the band live. I knew that he was going to be blown away and want to see them again.

Since it was a Friday night in Newton, I believe there was a curfew in place. From Good Homes is known to play lengthy concerts and that night was no exception. The concert time listed on the ticket was 8pm and at 8:03 the band was walking to the stage. Without much more than a “good evening,” they tore into their first song, “The Ballad of Todd and Tracy.” It was a magnificent choice for an opener and started the night off right.

The first set was a great mix of songs from their 3 official albums as well as fan favorites and a terrific cover of Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower.” I never expected the band to cover that song, and I was glad to witness it live. They did a wonderful rendition. The set ended with one of my favorite From Good Homes songs, “There She Goes.” By this time, the entire audience was on their feet, dancing and singing along. As usual, From Good Homes poured everything they had into their performance and ended the first set on a high note. Their performance was spectacular and left us wondering what they were going to bring out for set two.

The second set was just as spectacular as the first. Halfway through set two an amazing run of songs were played: “I’m Your Man,” “Broken Road,” “Wide Open Wide,” and “I’m A Mess” were performed in succession and made for the best run of the evening. Four of the best songs in the From Good Homes catalog performed back to back---what more could a fan ask for?

And the band kept cooking from there. After “I’m A Mess” Adam turned me and asked “What more can this band have in them?” I just smiled and replied “You’re about to find out.” And the band played on. A brilliant version of “Raindance” came out just before the set closing “Second Red Barn On The Right.” And with that, the second set was over and it was hard to believe that nearly three hours had passed us by.

The encore was a three song beauty of the earliest From Good Homes songs. “Grandma’s Apple Dumplings,” “Charlie Hogan,” and “Comin’ On Home.” During “Comin’ On Home” there were a couple of false starts, as Todd sang the wrong verse due to following the crowd’s lead. This prompted him to ask if anyone knew the words to this song. The audience responded by singing the appropriate first verse and the last song of the night was played out from there.

Once again, From Good Homes was terrific in concert, and I found myself wondering why it had been five years since I had seen them last. If they come around for the December shows again in 2016, I will have to make more of an effort to attend. They are definitely worth the price of the ticket.

Setlist

Set One

The Ballad of Todd and Tracey

Drivin’ n Cryin’

Bang That Drum

Cool Me Down

House On A Hill

Sunshine

Butterfly & The Tree

All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan Cover)

Celebrate

There She Goes

Set Two

Dance A Hole

(Nothing But) Flowers (Talking Heads Cover)

Suzanna Walker

Where Songs Begin

I’m Your Man

Broken Road

Wide Open Wide

I’m A Mess

Decision Song

Raindance

Second Red Barn On The Right

Encore

Grandma’s Apple Dumplings

Charlie Hogan

Comin’ On Home