Gin Blossoms @ Argosy Casino 7/8/06

UPDATE: I drop some knowledge on the Gin Blossoms in a guest post at Oh Word, the best hip-hop site on the Internets, according to its owner Rafi Kam. You're going to want to check that out.

If there's a moment this site's been leading up to, other than someone dying on an episode of the Real World[1], or myself doing the nasty with Natalie Portman, it's this: the Gin Blossoms are back on the road in support of their first new album in ten years.

The group reformed and have been playing the state fair circuit since 2002, the first of my several senior years in college, but this was my first real chance to check them out live. I've been a huge fan of the Gin Blossoms, and especially their 1992 debut New Miserable Experience, since about 2000.

When I heard they'd be playing the Argosy Casino, in Alton, Il, I wasn't sure what to expect. Lo and behold, the Argosy could very well be the worst place in St. Louis (actually, a nice little hike from St. Louis) to see a concert.

I had read in different places that the show would be starting at 7:00 and 8:00, so I figured the Gin Blossoms wouldn't be going on until 8:00. I figured I'd get there at 7:00 and pre-game for an hour. A momentous event like this, you like to be ready, you know.

Much to my chagrin, by the time I actually got to the venue, the Gin Blossoms could very well have already been on for a good 30 minutes. I know for a fact that I missed "Follow You Down," "Found Out About You," and the new one.  Who the fuck starts a concert at 7:00 anyway?

When I got there, they were towards the end of the "here's another song from our new album" portion of the show, so that was kind of a bummer. They must have rocked for a good hour and a half though, so I got to hear "Lost Horizons," "Till I Hear It From You," and "Hey Jealousy," which are arguably their three best songs.

The crowd, which must have had a median age of 50, went suitably nuts when "Hey Jealousy" came on. It's hard to describe, but it's a unique experience hearing a rock song that's been played on the radio more often than almost any other song from its era played live. Imagine if Nirvana came back and did "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

The venue didn't seem very well-suited at all for a rock concert (there were Copa Cabana-style tables and shit), but the Gin Blossoms managed to sound pretty good anyway. It could be the case that their mid-tempo '90s rock is uniquely suited to these smaller venues, but I'd put their sound right up there with groups like Hootie and the Blowfish and Blues Traveler.

Robin Wilson's sensitive white guy singing translates surprisingly well to a live setting. The rest of the group I found more competent than really impressive, but I wasn't expecting too much anyway. Guitarist Scotty Johnson can't really pull off the guitar solos you hear on the album, but I found his effort rather amusing in and of itself.

I was kinda pissed that I had to drop $20 for half a show, but otherwise this was one hell of an experience. I look forward to checking them out live again - hopefully, in a much better venue.

[1] Three months later doesn't count.