By Once again, the Saturday night started by searching for the right people who worked at the Troubadour to secure passes into the show. Somehow, I was stiffed and was out of a ticket to the show. So in the style of every teenager trying to get into a show, we went to the back of the venue in hopes of carrying some equipment in exchange for entrance.
Luckily, the Two Gallants drummer, Tyson Vogel, happened to be a very friendly person. He allowed my friend Danny and I to carry in all the drum and guitar equipment. Once we were in we stayed inside for as long as we could. A short while there after, at the beginning of the sound check, we were asked to leave.
Unlike everyone else in the band, we did not have special wristbands. So we were once again standing outside without entrance to the show. After about 30 minutes of fruitless arguing and asking, we ended up buying a ticket.
Once Danny and I entered the Troubadour for the second time that night, we had a chance sit down with Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel at their merchandise booth. The band’s tour with the Trainwreck Riders and Longhorn Slim and the War Eagles had been going well. After a long fall tour, they were finally heading back to do two hometown concerts in San Francisco. After the tour, the group will have a week of down time to reconnect with its hometown before beginning a tour in Europe.
Being a band that we’ve held up so high and listened to for so long, it was refreshing to learn how nice Two Gallants is to all its fans. Vogel said it best. “It’s not about all the band shit, it’s about meeting nice people.”
The show began with the Trainwreck Riders, a small band, but if you haven’t heard them do so quickly. The band had great stage presence, sound and above all, great music. It brought a high energy folk-rock vibe to all the attendees at the concert.
Following the Trainwreck Rider’s performance, Longhorn Slim and the War Eagles took the stage. If you haven’t already you must discover this band too. No matter how first-rate you find the recordings, I strongly encourage you to see this band live. The group has created a great big sound without screaming electric guitars, double-bass pedals, or worse, psychotic female fans. The singer/guitarist did an excellent job keeping the energy level high and the crowd entertained.
The Longhorn Slim and the War Eagles’ performance seemed more like that of a headlining band than any opening band I have ever seen.
Finally, Two Gallants took the stage with great power. Vogel’s drumming could fill any room with that great energy the one only hears of in rock ‘n’ roll folklore. Stephens guitar playing is the perfect compliment to the drumming but could easily stand strong unaccompanied. Two Gallants played one song after another and each one hit the audience like “Street Fighter” punches. The band was powerful, strong, tight and furiously energetic. The lyrics are great, the music is unique and well-written and the weekend performance was rock ‘n’ roll at its very best.
Aside from the performance, the Two Gallants guys are good people. They treated us well – even before they knew we’d be reviewing the show. The band came from a great background of creating unique music, and not just for the sake of being unique. Two Gallants has been signed to one of the best indie labels in the country, Saddle Creek Records, and deserves it. The band is what musicians should be. Play intimate shows, perform as well as its recordings if not better, treat the fans right, and be honest. Go learn about, listen to or see Two Gallants. The experience is more than worth it.
