Gin Blossoms fill gorge with melodic alt rock
Published: August 13, 2009, 12:30 am
Story tools:
Share this story:
LEWISTON — The most popular and iconic music to come out of the ’90s alternative movement was performed by artists who tended to be loud, self-loathing and dressed like dirty lumberjacks. But for better or for worse, the “alt” tag was also slapped on a lot of bands that seemed quite comfortable maintaining the status quo of mainstream rock.
Like the Gin Blossoms, for example — a Tempe, Ariz., quintet playing jangly, Tom Petty- and R. E. M.-influenced rock that was lucky enough to be considered a part of the alternative nation in 1992. That stroke of good fortune, coupled with a pair of light, radio-ready singles, made the band’s second record, “New Miserable Experience,” a blockbuster.
While they were more than a flash in the pan, staying relevant for longer than, say, Sister Hazel, the Blossoms faded along with the cultural phenomenon they rode in on, calling it quits in 1997. But as the years pile up, so does the nostalgia, and now there seems to be some demand for unadventurous ’90s bands. Better Than Ezra came to town this summer, and the Gin Blossoms concert on Wednesday night at Artpark was its second area appearance in two years.
Admittedly, the turnout was somewhat thin, making the beautiful, spacious venue look rather empty. But this was likely the result of the show’s last-second lineup change — the original opening act, Canadian power-pop act Sloan, had to cancel when its bass player broke his collarbone. Still, the people in attendance were enthusiastic to hear those Gin Blossoms songs that remind them of a simpler time in their lives, when they didn’t have to worry about global warming or understand why “Reality Bites” is a terrible movie.
They got one of those tunes right off the bat, as lead singer Robin Wilson led the band through “Follow You Down” to kick off the festivities. The cut off the band’s 1996 album “Congratulations I’m Sorry” epitomizes their style — three open chords, a bouncy melody and ambiguous lyrics about following somebody anywhere, but “not that far.”
“Until I Fall Away” ensued, and was the same kind of deal. The band didn’t try to spice up their old arrangements for the live setting, opting instead to just let the simple progressions and gentle vocals lie unadorned. And it was a wise move.
Sure, a Gin Blossoms performance isn’t going to get you in an excited or introspective mood, but their sound went down easy on this idyllic summer night. The venue deserves a more majestic soundtrack—it’s been said before, but this is the best outdoor concert milieu in these parts — but you can do worse than friendly guitar pop performed with humility.
Gin Blossoms has aged gracefully and doesn’t pretend to be anything more than what it is. And yes, what it is isn’t exactly cool. But as these guys shared songs from their 2006 comeback album “Major Lodge Victory,” older numbers like the Peter Buck-biting “Found Out About You” and the pleasant, Petty-ish “Allison Road,” and a surprisingly gorgeous rendition of Elton John’s “Rocketman,” the Lewiston crowd was privy to a band that’s comfortable in its own shoes.
Concert Review
Gin Blossoms
Wednesday night as part of Wednesdays on the Gorge series at Artpark.
Newsletters
Sign up now for daily and weekly newsletters from BuffaloNews.com and get quick links to the info you want delivered directly to your inbox.Reader comments
Log into MyBuffalo to post a comment
MyBuffalo is the new social network from Buffalo.com. Your MyBuffalo account lets you comment on and rate stories at buffalonews.com. You can also head over to mybuffalo.com to share your blog posts, stories, photos, and videos with the community. Join now or learn more.
Comments have been disabled.
Due to a high volume of submissions that violate The News’ guidelines, commenting is no longer available on this story. If you’d like to share your thoughts on this story, click here to get information on contributing to The News’ opinion pages.