"Oh, and I, would just die
If you ever took your CONCERT away”
For
those who weren’t satisfied with the 14-song, rather rollicking, quite solid
Gaslight Anthem set — hoping the encore would take things from good to great — at
Pier 26 Sunday night: THAT is exactly what happened. Lead singer of Gaslight
Anthem, Brian Fallon, became the overtly ultra-sensitive character he plays (and GA fans LOVE) when he writes songs, and decidedly “heartbroken,” usurping
the carpet from under a few unruly fans, and overall a pretty poor audience in
general. But, in a quasi-unrelated story, he also took a quality show away from
those that love him/them in the process.
He
more or less told the audience they ruined the show, and later wrote on the
band’s website that they (we?) broke his heart, finding that record stopping
moment leaving anyone with any sense (drunk, high, haters, etc) jaw-dropped in
the awkward moment. It was approximately 55% of the Ryan Adams “Summer of 69” debacle. It was very real, emotional, and disappointing if you are a big fan
and didn’t contribute to the chaotic melee.
(Writer's note: The below Tweet/link is imperative to this piece)
(Writer's note: The below Tweet/link is imperative to this piece)
Hey Brian Fallon, wherever you are, on behalf of @rvrctyext- thanks http://t.co/4NLEe7276Y
— Joe Michelini (@hocus_mogus) August 2, 2013
So, how did we get here?
It
all started with The Hold Steady. Technically, one might point out it all
started with the rain, but that happens at outdoor shows. I’ve been to a number
of quality rain shows this summer, and that is something you have to deal with.
I don’t know why people choose to deal with The Hold Steady. Apparently, they
are one of Brian Fallon’s favorite bands. I must say, I’ve seen them a
half-a-handful of times and they are one of my least favorite bands. That
happens. Sometimes you have to endure through a set you don’t want to, even if
you hope you’ve arrived late enough to miss them. It’s raining and I’m listening to The Hold
Steady. It’s still beautiful outside, the rain is not intrusive, and one of my
favorite bands is eventually going to take the stage. Life isn’t too bad. Yet.
My
biggest problem with the Hold Steady is that so many people like them. Why? I
don’t get it. I must say, I LOVE the lead singers stage presence. I just wish
he were a silent film. I don’t like what he has to say, and I don’t like the
way it all comes together. There really isn’t much more I can say about it. Something
doesn’t strike me right, and when I hear the words coming out of this clown’s
(again, I enjoy the spastic presence, but the guy is a clown) mouth, I just
cringe. They were given an elongated set, or so it seemed, and quite a popular
one at that. I feel like, as many people were there to see the Hold Steady as
the Gaslight Anthem. It’s always kind of strange to move up 15 rows at a
concert when the opening band leaves the stage. Right from the get-go, this had
the feel of a split, semi-ambivalent crowd.
Anyone
that’s been to a Gaslight Anthem show at MHOW, Bowery or say Webster, would
attest to the spirit. It’s typically a pretty unified, fist-pumping crowd, intimidatingly
so, even to me, and I’m a big guy. I’m pretty sure I wrote once that I’d love
to get more (or any for that matter?) tattoos, a tight black T-shirt, and
perhaps some kind of airborne martial arts training to get my game right for
these kinds of shows. Something like that, sometime. Anyway, the point is
unity, and perhaps it was substance abuse (pick your poison, it was very
obvious as I was sick all afternoon, and sober), the rain, the billing, but it
was decidedly lacking on this particular evening.
The
Gaslight Anthem takes the stage, business as usual. Vocals were a little low to
start, but were adjusted in a timely fashion. Lots of energy, lots of Brian
Fallon smiles, there was scattered fist pumping and, really, I think everyone
was having a good time. The new material sounded great. I know Handwritten isn’t their most popular
album, but there are a number of intriguing songs on it, and they play the new
ones with more immediacy than the old ones, so they have a little luster to
them. Boisterous “45” and the huge hook of “Blue Dahlia” were the winners of
this set. Everyone sang, loud and proud, the choruses to these songs, “45” to
the point that Brian Fallon could leave the mic stand and direct the “gospel
choir” himself. All the usual GA qualities were present. There were a few old
songs, at one point during the show Brian Fallon told a gregarious story about
how everyone you see on stage is “just a bunch of guys from New Jersey in a
band!? (shrug).” Towards the end of the set there were a few slow songs, “Blue
Jeans & White T-Shirts” most notably, a rare cut called “Halloween” I was
digging capriciously, and “The Backseat” brought the set to a close. Rock. I
love it. Fantastic. I was having a shitty day, and it was much better for
having seen this show. All I would like is a few more of my favorite songs
during the encore, and I will feel really good about this purchase. This band.
My life. I think of Snatch when ALL Brad
Pitt needs to do is STAY DOWN.
Then,
the encore happened. And, now, we’re fucked…
The
premise was solid. Brian Fallon wanted to buddy-buddy with the audience in a
real way. Like a human being. Like the sensitive man he seems to be. He had a
bottle of beer in his hand, with an “I just got out of work, let’s sing some of
our favorite songs” kind of vibe. After all, he DID just complete a three-night
stand in NYC. I do this with my roommates from time to time, when I get home
from a long, long day of work and like to unwind with brew. He explained that
he didn’t necessarily like the kitschy call-and-response stuff of arena shows,
but, together, singing some classic hits can be kind of fun. So, he started
things off with “Ice Ice Baby” and gave some whimsical banter about the man,
the legend. The opening verse went well and eventually faded out at the word
“dance,” to which Fallon lamented, expectedly, “that’s about where that stops.”
And, pretty much, that’s the last moment this show was fun.
What
proceeded from here was really awkward to the point that I don’t remember the
order it all went down. I remember having my jaw on the floor and
saying/thinking to myself, “is this really happening!?” There were probably
several thought bubble “OMG’s” floating throughout the night sky, enough to
cloud the delicious view of the Freedom Tower just off to the left. Because, I
can’t remember the order specifically, I think the best way is to bullet the
problematic proceedings…
(Writer's note: I apologize for the spacing of this bulleted list. I've given up trying to fix it. The only way I know how is through the HTML, which on bulleted lists is just a mess.)
(Writer's note: I apologize for the spacing of this bulleted list. I've given up trying to fix it. The only way I know how is through the HTML, which on bulleted lists is just a mess.)
· Brian Fallon engaged
in a back-and-forth with one audience member who said something about Bruce
Springsteen, to which Fallon sharply throttled him with, “that’s a cool thing
that happened to me, NOT YOU.” Swiftly ending the engagement by telling the
person to “go see his (Bruce Springsteen’s) show!?”
· Following Vanilla
Ice, he tried to get the crowd to sing Lady Gaga. This failed miserably! To
which Fallon, kind of agitated, but still trying to remain playful, said
something like, “wow, that is terrible, that SUCKED, we did this last night
with a couple hundred people and they WIPED THE FLOOR WITH YOU!?”
· This lead to another
back-and-forth with an audience member who obviously bashed Lady Gaga, to which
Fallon went on a tirade, hilariously mocking Jersey Shore types that are too
“tough” to like Lady Gaga, rallying the crowd around the fact that, “this is
NYC, and even hardcore dudes love GA shows, because THEY like to have fun.”
· He didn’t give up,
yet, on the sing-a-long idea. He proceeded to try to give the audience OPTIONS,
hoping to rally everyone around his vision. Unfortunately, he didn’t foresee
the progression he inevitably lead himself down. I don’t remember the next song
he suggested, but I DO remember the second song was Bon Jovi’s (New Jersey?)
“Living on a Prayer,” which he followed with a teasing, “…orrrr,” to which the
crowd erupted "Bruuuuuuuuuuuce!" If you think about it, there are two sides to
this street. He pretty much teased this out of the audience, but anyone that
knows anything about GA knows they are SO SICK of this, and wouldn’t dream of
asking for that. And, obviously, this was the last straw.
· From there, he
literally threated to, “go Axl Rose and not play another song.” This, I think,
at would have been the right call. Perhaps in hindsight, Fallon wishes the same
thing.
· Instead, like a
crotchety old man swatting a fly, he said, “ahhh, you ruined it.” Like a GIF in
my head, I cannot scrape this from my memory. I wish I could.
· He angrily slung his
guitar over his shoulder proclaiming they’re going to play Gaslight Anthem
songs, and played three GA songs with ZERO enthusiasm whatsoever, and closed
ironically with the Who’s “Baba O’Riley.”
· The band set down their
instruments and flatly walked off stage.
END
SCENE.
(Writer's note: After completing this piece, I found an NPR posting a video of the actual event. I think it's ironic to note how far OFF my memory was. That just tells you how much of a state of shock I was in at the time.)
(Writer's note: After completing this piece, I found an NPR posting a video of the actual event. I think it's ironic to note how far OFF my memory was. That just tells you how much of a state of shock I was in at the time.)
I’m a Huge Fan of Brian Fallon
Because
of what Brian Fallon wrote in his letter about spiteful critics, I feel the
need to profess my love for the man. I love this guy. The Gaslight Anthem has
continued to climb the “charts” if you will of my favorite bands. Over the few
GA shows I’ve been to the guy won me over hand over fist.
First
and foremost, his lyrics are THE BEST. He is my favorite lyricist, hands down.
Perhaps, I try to think of myself as too much like him. We’re both blonde
haired, sensitive guys that are “cut to ribbons” by girls eyes. (I know this
description is incredibly narrowing) Yes. We even pretty much have the same
name. I just like the approach he has to writing these edgy hard rocking songs,
with these almost flowery, poetic, lovin’ the ol’ times with tears running down
your face lyrics.
Second,
he seems like an awesome dude. I love how he smiles the entire time he sings,
and after seeing that encore, it’s quite apparent that the songs really need to
be sung with emotion, or they are really fucking flat. That emotion means a
great deal. In that way, what happened was shined an illustrious light on that necessary
variable. Besides the unconditional happiness he seems to sing with, I love his
banter. He destroys hecklers with sharp wit. He’s obviously very quick and
loves to use it. He always tells stories that are coy about his fame, and
typically end with something along the lines of, “we’re just average guys that
happen to be in a band. We quit our regular jobs and THIS is what we do now.
Thank you for coming to our show, we’re going to work really hard to make a
product that makes you proud in the future.”
I
can get behind that.
I
will always be a big fan of the band because of these concepts. The ‘59 Sound will always be in the
conversation when I talk about my favorite albums of all-time. The time I saw them at MHOW (A few months prior to Handwritten being released if I do recall) is one of the best concerts I have ever seen. I’m always going to hang on to what we’ve had and the memories I have tied
to these gracious entities—whether they become muddled amongst the heap remains
to be seen.
I
cannot wait to see Gaslight Anthem again.
I Get It, I Really Do
But,
seriously, I’m now in a position that I HAVE to see Gaslight Anthem again. I
need to see them put on a great show, or I will forever have a bitter taste in
my mouth. I need to cleanse the Gaslight Anthem palate!? In the words of
General Hummel, from Alcatraz, “Damn you (Brian Fallon) for putting me in this
position.”
With
that said, I get it. From what I can gather, there have been little murmurs and
slight disturbances throughout Fallon’s recent touring that would indicate that
this is all getting a tad old. He’s tired of ungracious patrons of shows trying
to jack his show up with inattention and retarded banter. Audiences are getting
more and more A.D.D. with phones, camera’s and other assorted technology. You
see so many people go to shows and just take pictures of themselves the whole
time and upload them on Facebook right there at the show. It’s the new next day
t-shirt?! And, when you get bigger, more and more folks come out, just to say
they were there. Do these people really even enjoy going to the show? Crowds
are so unresponsive that artists that rely on audiences for feedback, have to
come up with new ways to “live in the moment” on stage. Like a standup comedian
telling jokes in an empty studio. It’s very sad.
The
band itself is CLEARLY at a crossroads. They probably feel like they’ve brought
it upon themselves from the course they’ve paved rising to the top, but really,
it’s something EVERY band has to go through, and there is no reason to feel
singled out or embarrassed. I think that’s why there’s a “Rule of 5” for bands.
If you can make it as a band through five albums, you’re a legit band. You’ve
had to wind through a trend or two, and diversify your sound a time or two, not
to mention the core human element of just living as a band family of human
beings. People that change and have to spend obscene amounts of time together
in close quarters, most of the time without money. There are uppers, downers, girl
drama, and all kinds of life problems that someone in the family is going to battle
and need support threatening to bring the whole band family production to its
knees. It’s a real accomplishment.
GA
is definitely at a point where they need to find something new for their fifth
album, and Fallon has alluded to the band taking a “No Code (Pearl Jam’s surprising change to a mellower tone) type of
turn” with their next album. I would expect it would be more acoustic based,
mature and eerily complex. I’m really fucking excited about it to be honest
with you. Hearing Brian Fallon play GA songs solo, they definitely carry over. See
you on the flip-side, sir!? Some of the songs sound completely different and
will certainly have a whole new resonation with long-times all the way through
first-timers, which is a rare and beautiful thing when bands can do that with
their songs. My favorite band, the Foo Fighters, are absolute wizards at this
maneuver.
With
these things in mind, I think it’s entirely possible Mr. Fallon was in his head
a little bit, and just became, honestly and purely… heartbroken. When
you’re sensitive, and live by the emotions on your sleeve and let your heart
drive you, life can be a rollercoaster. As someone who lives this way, it’s
definitely worth it, but at times you have to be able to coach yourself out of
the very thing that makes life so amazing. You can’t berate your strengths when
they become weaknesses. That emotional jolt leads one down ridiculous paths and
causes the pot seemingly inexplicably boil over. When in front of an audience,
even the experienced get frazzled and don’t have time to think through actions.
People
with broken hearts usually don’t follow logic and make the best decisions. More
often than not, a guy that gets his heartbroken will immediately try to fight
for whoever did the heartbreaking, when in fact, this is almost never the right
choice. It’s what the heart wants, but the heart doesn’t have the thought
process to do the make the right move in that situation, which is almost
always: Focusing on yourself and reacting indifferent to the heartbreaker,
until they realize THEY made the mistake. It’s fucking that simple. It really
is. Anyone that follows their heart first will make this mistake, and have to
live by it.
I
think that analogy reigns supreme in this situation and it caused Brian Fallon
to make an illogical choice, punishing himself, his band, and the actual fans
that were in love with the show. The very fans that realize the band supersedes
the faulty, stereotypical, utterly ridiculous and unfair branding of a Bruce
Spingsteen tributary pop-rock cash cow, and ultimately the show became crippled
because of it.
I
can’t say I haven’t done the same in similar situations (I’m obviously not a
rock star), but in hindsight it makes it easy for me to pontificate to this
laptop and discuss why it was the wrong call. In some ways what happened at
Pier 26 was awesome, because it was real, and it solidified the lyrics in
Gaslight Anthem songs as something that comes from a real human being, not just
a talented writer, though if you’ve read this far, you realize Brian Fallon is
that, in spades, as well.
Why It Was Wrong?
Again,
I think the show would have been better if they walked off stage when things
went bad. Walk away before you do and say things you don’t mean. But, Brian
Fallon claimed he was going to, “play Gaslight Anthem songs.” He did that, yes.
But, unlike what Grantland and countless others reported, they didn’t do it
diligently or professionally. He played the material to say he finished his
setlist, and to avoid potential pandemonium. What he really did is murder his
own material. This is never ok.
I’m
a big enough fan that I’ve been running the Gaslight Anthem pretty heavily in my
music rotation, despite the disappointing aftertaste. Typically a bad concert
will cause me to put the bands catalog on ice. After a poor Tom Petty concert,
I didn’t listen to the man for five years. It can be THAT serious. I think just
yesterday I ran through GA’s entire catalog twice. Hey, I am writing this
piece, and my current love life needs Brian Fallon’s vulnerable vernacular. I
did, however, skip three songs both times. Can you guess which they were? 1) “Here
Comes My Man” 2) “Mulholland Drive” 3) “She Loves You,” yeah, yeah, yeah.
(Note: Setlist included at the bottom)
In
fact, I’m reading the Pete Townsend autobiography right now, so I’ve also been
listening to the Who a great deal, and I’m skipping “Baba O’Riley” currently as
well. That album just doesn’t sound as good starting with “Bargain,” though
that may be my favorite song the famed album (Who’s Next). I just can’t with that shit right now. You can’t kill
your songs. It’s like hanging with a bunch of people that suck AND aren’t much
fun at karaoke (dealing with one is tolerable). Every selection they make is like
shooting a flaming arrow into your collection. It heals, yes. “Mulholland
Drive” is too good of a song to remain on ice. I’m not sure the other two will
make it for me. I just don’t know at this point. It’s very raw and unseasonably
sensitive right now.
When
you kill your own songs you’re punishing your own fans. Why, would anyone do
that? Do you think the hecklers shouting about Bruce Springsteen have the iTunes
exclusive “She Loves You” American Slang B-Side?
There is nothing to gain by playing a song some audience members don’t want to
hear, poorly. Nobody wins. Everyone losses.
There
has to be some options where SOMEBODY gets what they want. Honestly, the encore
performance was so terrible it was comical. If Brian Fallon was truly
heartbroken and he did this to punish people, I just think there were better
options, than playing your own songs flat, and bitching to your band mates about
the audience while playing. That’s what it looked like was happening. He wasn’t
even really enunciating the syllables. It. Was. Bad.
I,
however, have some suggestions that would be more constructive, or more comical
so SOMEONE wins and can gloat at those that lose. Isn’t that what it’s about?
1.
Play BRUCE songs
poorly
– You want Bruce? Play a handful of Bruce Springsteen songs as terribly as
possible. I once watched Ben Folds bastardize “Brick” by playing a heavy metal
version on just a bass, essentially sticking it to people that came to hear his
biggest hit—Screaming, “SIX AM!!!! DAY ATFER CHRISTMAS!!!!!?!?!” It was fucking
awesome! Comical for those that knew
what he was doing and horrific for those that wanted their live moment with
that 90’s super-staple. Can you imagine like a ukulele version of “Born to Run”
or perhaps a choppy unrehearsed take of “Glory Days!?” Oh my God, that would be
hilarious.
2.
Play YOUR songs…BETTER – You won’t sing my
sing-a-longs? You want covers? Here are 10 Gaslight Anthem songs down your
fucking throat, fuckers!??!! These songs fucking rock, we’re a great live band
and nobody can stop us!!!! Play them hard, play them emotional, and play them
without banter. Say, “we are Gaslight Anthem, you’re not, FUCK YOU.” Walk off stage.
This would be AMAZING for the diehards!? It would take the voice out of the
hecklers, and besides the extra work, be a pretty amazing thing. If you’re
going to sit around, and post a heartbroken letter four hours after playing
anyway, wouldn’t you rather do easier work like playing songs you know by
heart? Make your point by playing your best show ever, and gain three hours
getting drunk with The Hold Steady. You can win a crowd over!? I saw it this summer with Born Ruffians. That was a first; I wish this had been the second.
Pete Townsend, to spite the critics of Tommy
when it was initially not well received, invited all the critics he could,
put them in a room, gave them free beer, and proceeded to put on the best
performance possible, winning the critics over and launching the band into the
next level of musicianship. That’s rock ‘n roll.
3.
The Andy Kaufman
Treatment
– Grab a Bruce Springsteen lyric book and read it to the crowd until everyone
leaves. You know what? I think it’d be funny enough that not everyone would
leave. Start with Greetings From Asbury
Park, N.J. (1973) and see where it takes you.
4.
Poorly Executed
Technology Gag
– Have Bruce Springsteen call or record some voice message greetings and play
them to the crowd. Play them over the phone in a way where everyone would have
to be quiet (this would be a spectacle, possibly lead to a couple fights) to
hear what he’s saying. The gag would be, he would never end up saying anything
exciting. He would just talk about mundane things like what kind of salad he’s
eating on tour.
5.
Bring the Hold Steady
Back Out
– I can’t imagine a worse line item, the Hold Steady cover Bruce Springsteen.
Or, you could jam with your buddy’s, produce something unique, fuck around
hanging out and having fun in front of an ungrateful audience. Why care if
you’re just jamming with your buddies? How about a song like, “For All Y’allThat Wear Fanny Packs!?”
6.
Play the Same Bruce
Song on Repeat
– Again, this is alot of work, but Jay Z (mimed “Picasso Baby” for six hours topromote Magna Carta Holy Grail) and
the National (played “Sorrow” for six hours straight) just accomplished it for
the sake of “art.” Pick a song and play it over and over again. By the third or
fourth time, I think people would get the point and it’d turn into a true rock
spectacle. People have already started the movement, put the fuck you in the
movement by sticking it to the haters, and giving the people that want
something unique a little something unique!?
7.
Play “Fred’s Got Slacks” – Just once I want a
legit band to play this. Not my most thematic suggestion.
I
hate to say it, but I don’t know what the big deal is? I know ANY joke or
reference gets tiring over and over and over again!? This has been happening
for EVER. How about “Free Bird?” You know? I’ve seen two separate bands (Builtto Spill and Ben Folds, this is my fourth Folds reference in this piece, yikes)
stick it to audiences that yell “Free Bird” by actually playing “Free Bird” in
its entirety. There has to be a way to embrace your idols and be yourself in
the same breath, but embrace your idols. Embrace where it’s gotten you. (GA has
done this well, and even in his note he did this profusely) The comparison is a
GOOD THING. If people called me Klosterman Zerfas or whatever and constantly
compared me to my idols of writing, I would be flattered. It would get old and
I’d try to separate myself from it, but I can’t imagine biting the hand that
feeds.
Besides,
it’s an unfair comparison anyway. Anybody that knows anything about music would
realize GA have made changes to their sound over time and have proven to be a
band that’s beyond the Bruuuuuuuuuuuuce shadow.
Why
is this album NOT Bruce? A quick album arc of Gaslight Anthem…
· Sink or Swim – This does have some of the old time flare
(records, Judy Garland, boys and girls being boys and girls) that I think helps
the association. I just think it’s more of a punk album, more like the Clash.
Not as much like Bruce.
· The ’59 Sound – You can’t write a song like “Meet Me By the
River’s Edge” and not garner Bruce comparisons. This is the breakout album that
cemented this comparison, and even myself, on this day to a friend that hadn’t
heard the band before, painfully, and with unintentional foreshadowing, dropped
the Bruce Bomb. This album lead to Bruce joining the boys on stage. There is a
great deal of diversity on this album with, “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,” a song
that has the depth and guitar sound of an ACTUAL blues song and “Film Noir”
which is a stomping punk rocker that reminds me of the Living End.
· American Slang – Not at all like Bruce. This album has a tasteful whisk of Motown and plays out like a
rolling collage of driving heartfelt pounding the pavement soul, with a full
snapping fingers gospel choir, kids playing basketball turning their heads to
the parade, and a road trip with a lot of bridge tolls. That may sound like
Bruce, but really, it’s Brian. It’s too intrinsic to be altruistic. It’s a fun
diversion from the previous two albums, without losing the essence of the band.
· Handwritten – Just
a straight rock record. Bruce doesn’t
record straight rock records? Sure, he has an “ooooooh” on “Born to Run,” but
almost every song here requires a rock chorus of some kind of chanting vowel
sound. I think Bruce would get bored, but I wouldn’t. It’s a damn good rock
record. Like Tom Petty’s Damn the
Torpedos with bigger choruses and a divine obsession with the Ramones. It’s
simplistic, yet effectively communicative.
The
people that love you, know you’re not Bruce. The people that don’t, are too
stupid to dignify with a response. You guys are doing a great job; I can’t wait
for the fifth album, apparently coming out sometime in ‘14. We’re all eager,
and I’m betting you’ll make enough of your fans proud that the Bruce ordeal
will decrescendo at tad. And a tad more over time. Furthermore, I’m predicting
their sixth album, whenever it comes out, will be even HARDER rocking than any
of these other albums. I honestly am projecting a masterpiece. I think these
guys have it in them. They will make a softer, beautiful adult album, and then,
much in the vein of the Foo Fighters Wasting
Light they will want to rock one more time before they get “old.” Razor
sharp, reinvented and so G.D. effervescent, Bruce will join them again, and it
won’t even be a big deal. Because it’s all going to blow over.
Unless
you keep acting out like this. Then, you’re writing your own eulogy, and even
“spiteful critics” won’t be able to save you. Enjoy the extra press, press your
grown up button ups and get that fifth album to the press—you are the new
idols.
No
retreat, no regrets.
Setlist
Handwritten
The
’59 Sound
The
Diamond Church Street Choir
Biloxi
Parish
We
Came to Dance
Blue
Dahlia
Howl
Halloween
45
Old
Haunts
Great
Expectations
Too
Much Blood on the Page
Blue
Jeans and White T-Shirts
The
Backseat
Here
Comes My Man
Mulholland
Drive
She
Loves You
Baba
O’Riley (Who cover)
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