Continuing my theme of the summer beach sound which I began with last week’s Best Coast show in NYC, I was interested to check out the pop rock, gritty vibe of the Jersey Shore that rolled into upstate New York on Monday night. Rather than easygoing, busty blond bikini-friendly melodious hooks, The Gaslight Anthem deals an interesting blend of Jersey punk, and Springsteen-style workin’ man’s rock n’ roll. Similar to Best Coast, the band’s members proudly wear their regional roots on their sleeves, albeit with much less pretentiousness. Lead singer Brian Fallon exemplifies this by spinning stories between songs about hangin’ out with the Boss (whose very mention received a smattering of boos from the Albany crowd) and playing shows “down the Jersey shore.” In my mind, all this New Jersey banter evokes images of unbearably humid weather, dirty beaches, and long drives through the never ending suburb that is the Garden State. I’m certainly no enemy of New Jersey (as I am of Southern California), but the place reminds me of an unpleasant scene several years ago in the middle of July when I got lost, a speeding ticket, and into a fender bender in Wildwood while en route to Cape May with my mother-in-law (still shuddering from the memory).
I once saw an interview on Youtube with bassist Alex Levine and drummer Benny Horowitz from The Gaslight Anthem who expressed resentment for the cast of Jersey Shore because most of the members were from places in New York such as Long Island and Poughkeepsie. 
They suggested that the cast be removed from the shore for more authentic Jersey-types. Hey, why not a Jersey Shore featuring the guys from the band and a bevy of cocktail waitresses from Atlantic City? After all, bassist Alex Levine’s pretty boy, southern European looks, could qualify him as a cast member for season five of the show.
Anyway, in addition to potentially becoming the physical personification of New Jersey (as Jersey Shore cast members), The Gaslight Anthem’s sweltering rock also sounds the part. Like Best Coast, their tunes are packed full of hooks and addictive riffs that could incite an intoxicated Snooki to run naked down the boardwalk.
Disturbing New Jersey images and experiences aside, being a fan of the Gaslight Anthem’s two pre-release singles from their just released disc Handwritten, I was intrigued to see their live set, especially on the eve of the release of the new album. When I arrived in time to check out most of the opening act Dave Hause, I was shocked to see my favorite venue closest to home in Vermont packed to the gills all the way back to the entrance and had to push my way to a reasonable position near the front.
The show itself was performed with workman-like efficiency to an extremely appreciative crowd (many of whom identified themselves as having traveled from Jersey and Philly to see the show). Aside from all of the stage-side banter about those good ol’ New Jersey times, Fallon and his band mates put on a serious concert, playing a solid two-hour, twenty-five song set that rocked throughout. The band was quick to please the crowd early by starting this gargantuan set with some of their hits such as “Old White Lincoln,” and “45”. Soon thereafter, the band premiered its newest single “Handwritten” (Fallon mentioned after the number that it was the song’s first live performance). The guys also played an interesting, completely reinterpreted cover of Dave Matthews “Crash into Me” (the unmistakable lyrics of the song were the only sign that it was a cover).
The highest moments, however, came later in the show with less familiar stuff. A couple of songs after the Dave Matthews cover, the tune from The ’59 Sound LP “Film Noir” offered a twangy country-sounding diversion from the heavy punk-influenced rock. The performance of “Biloxi Parish” from the new album was also a definite show highlight. The finest moment of the set arrived one song before the group departed before the encore with the sweet acousticity and guitar solo of “Here’s Looking at You, Kid.” The seven encore numbers offered a mishmash of covers (“Songs for Teenagers” originally by Fake Problems, and a Bob Dylan cover “Changing of the Guard”), megahit singles (“The ’59 Sound” was the show closer), and solid tunes from their back catalog (“We Came to Dance” and “She Loves You”). 
As far as I could tell, the band only played three tracks from the new album – “45,” “Handwritten,” and “Biloxi Parish” – which was a slight disappointment as the disc boasts some gems. All in all a good set, and now I feel like I’ve received an ample supply of New Jerseyness to get me through any yearnings for trips along the Garden State Parkway, whiny female accents, and challenging stares from muscle-bound Italian guys.
Here is a video from the show of “Here’s Looking at You, Kid” (a young woman named Leah Ann took the video and posted on YouTube – decent audio).