Saw an absolutely remarkable Two Gallants show at Bowery Ballroom Monday night...In the wake of The White Stripes, The Black Keys, and DFA 1979, there are countless two-person bands floating around right now, most of whom suck. I'm thrilled to see Two Gallants not getting lumped in with those knuckleheads and getting the notoriety they deserve.
Musically sounding like a cross between X and The Pogues, with vocalist Adam Stephens' stinging rasp of a voice channeling Faces-era Rod Stewart and The Undertones' Feargal Sharkey all at once, the Two Gallants live sound grabs you with intensity and compels you to listen to and feel their tales of sadness, protest, and confusion. Their lyrics are heavy and the melodies are forceful, making for a set of music that can't just be experienced passively. Though I stood still in my spot for the whole show, I was exhausted at the end...in a really good feeling way.
Two side-observations about the show:1) There were a ton of single (or maybe I should say unaccompanied) girls there...more so than your average rock show at The Bowery, most of whom knew all the words to all the songs. Is that a Saddle-Creek thing?
2) What's up with the resurgence of The Mosh Pit in front of the stage? I thought we were finally over that junk, but the last few shows I've seen at Bowery have featured a 15'x15' piece of stage-front real estate full of dopes throwing elbows and knocking shoulders like it's a Gorilla Biscuits show. Those fools missed a great concert.
Two Gallants - "My Madonna" mp3 buy
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