The Gaslight Anthem live @ MGMG Music Hall, Boston, MA [08-18-24]

Sometimes you miss the bus. A certain album drops, it creates a splash, it’s on everyone’s best-of lists of the year and FOMO sets in. You check out the album and try to hop on real quick, but for some reason, the inclination to do so never comes. What’s all the commotion about? That was my feeling on the 59 Sound when it came out in 2008. Everyone wearing a scallycap and donning nautical tattoos proclaimed it the second coming of Jesus…or at the very least felt comfortable vindicating themselves by saying “Hey, it sounds like Bruce Springsteen!” A more unintentionally half-hearted endorsement I’d never heard.

But then again, I didn’t like Bruce Springsteen at the time. I blame my old boss. He sucks, and so I felt like his music taste ought to suck. He would play Born to Run and I just couldn’t get over the production and the xylophones. But eventually, years later, I decided to give ol’ Brucey another shot. Born in the USA hooked me, and it was an easy path to appreciate Darkness on the Edge of Town, Born to Run (those xylophones, though!), the River, and even Tunnel of Love. Nebraska, I don’t wanna talk about.

But with this newfound knowledge I revisited the 59 Sound, and yes, I was able to appreciate it more. Some of the songs stood out better. The story-telling song-style was easier to absorb. The Bruce-ness of it all made it easier to consume. It’s much better than I remembered it.

The MGM Music Hall is one of the few venues in Boston I’d never visited, and I can see why. It lives in purgatory where it’s too big for any real bands to play, and too small for aspiring pop artists. But good for the Gaslight Anthem for nearly filling the place up. They’re clearly lifers as well as the professionalism was evident and the songs I knew were played expertly. The band is lively, fun, and radiating good vibes. It was hard not to have a good time especially when you sneak up to stage a little. They even played my favorite song High Lonesome. What’s not to like? Nothing, that’s what.

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