Lobot Gallery October 19, 2005 Review by Jake Thomas This show was actually my backup show for the night, as I couldn’t make it over to the city for the Constantines/Hold Steady gig; nonetheless, it was a ruler and I wish all back-up plans turned out this great. espite my best intentions, I don’t think I had seen Two Gallants since they opened for Britt Daniel some time back, and that show was quite impressive, enough so that I bought their CD. Sadly, while a good listen, their recorded output can’t even come close to capturing the energy of their live set, and it is truly the best way to see them. Their shambolic folk music could probably be compared to some of Connor Oberst’s work, but despite his popularity I think Connor ain’t got nothing on this duo. There’s also a heavy blues tinge running through much of their work...they have a couple of tracks I could hear Son House or someone similar playing in a very stripped down form. The crowd seemed pretty into it, and understandably so, as it was a great set. They closed with “Nothing to You”, a predictable move as it seems to be their go-to finisher, but it bats clean-up for a reason: it’s probably their best song. Rogue Wave closed the night, and sounded exceptional on the heels of the copious amounts of touring they’ve done this year. This was actually my first time seeing them in quite a while - after they first formed I must have seen them a dozen times at least, but I think I burned myself out and needed a break. Of course, upon seeing them again I was instantly reminded why I saw them so many times in the first place, as they write and perform some of the prettiest pop music to ever grace the Bay Area. They played a lot of new tracks for the home crowd, all of which were great but veered towards the mellower end of the spectrum; I dunno if this was just because of these particular songs or if it’s a new direction for the band, but I really like the “70’s A.M. Gold” vibe of it all. Great songs for a lazy summer day of sitting on the porch and watching the grass grow. Also - it should be noted that Pat’s hair still looks awesome and Gram has a really great moustache going on right now. Good hair always helps with the live show experience. --- Read our previous Rogue Wave experiences: Interview: March 2004 with Zach Rogue Photos: March 27, 2004 @ The Independent Review: March 27, 2004 @ The Independent Review: January 27, 2004 @ Thee Parkside Review: October 9, 2003 @ Bottom of the Hill Review: August 15, 2003 @ Café Du Nord Review: February 4, 2003 @ Make-Out Room Check out our previous Two Gallants review: November 11, 2004 @ Swedish American Hall ©2005 playinginfog.com |