Photos: Two Gallants w/Blitzen Trapper @ Casbah

With all the crazy wildfires of the past few days, this show seems like it happened much more than a week ago. I probably should have gotten the review up sooner, but last week was just one of those weeks at work – one of those weeks where you don’t have a spare minute to sit down during the days, and when you get home, all you want to do is veg on your couch until you fall asleep at a ridiculously early hour.

But even with all that going on last week, I dragged myself off of the couch on Wednesday night to head down to the Casbah. Blitzen Trapper really impressed me when they opened for the Hold Steady last spring, and I’ve been digging their Wild Mountain Nation album ever since. And Two Gallants? Well, let’s just say I’ve been held captive by their sound ever since picking up a used copy of The Throes at M-Theory. I knew it wasn’t a show to be missed.

Sadly, we missed Songs for Mom, an all-girls band that apparently earned their spot on the bill that night. But we had plenty of time while Blitzen Trapper set up, and I made sure to snag my usual spot front and center (I’m completely over that whole “leave five feet between the audience and the band” shyness by now).

Once Blitzen Trapper started playing, they had the full attention of everyone in the venue, even though it became apparent later on that most folks were there for Two Gallants. Their quirky songs veered through every different musical style known to man, and all the members of the band did a good job keeping the audience entertained, even if just by simply rocking out. Their songs were, of course, solely off of Wild Mountain Nation, and seeing them performed once again live, with the band coming off countless nights of touring, really made them stick.

Blitzen Trapper @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos

Blitzen Trapper @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos

Blitzen Trapper @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos

The band played what seemed like a short set, but maybe it was just due to the tightness of the songs. Once they were done, they thanked us for listening, and then quickly cleared off the entire stage for Two Gallants.

Coming upon the heels of the six-person band that is Blitzen Trapper, it was quite a shock to see and hear the numerically-accurately named Two Gallants. They made just as much noise, and had just as much stage presence, as their predecessors on stage. Even knowing this ahead of time, and listening to their records while keeping this in mind, I was still blown away by how full their sound was. I was equally blown away by how many male fans were there, singing along to every word of every song. I’ve never seen such a show of male love for a band before. In my experience, it’s usually been the females who sing along (for better or for worse). I’d wager a guess that males outnumbered females at least 3 to 1 at the Casbah that night. Strange indeed.

Two Gallants @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos

Two Gallants @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos

Standouts of the night were definitely the heartwrenching “Seems Like Home to Me,” and the newer “Despite What You’ve Been Told,” but really, it would be hard not to love all their songs. Adam sings in such an impassioned voice that would fill any room, no matter the size, and Tyson’s drumming is, well, unbelievable. Even being front and center and watching him half the time, I never quite believe he’d be able to grab his cymbals in time to quiet the noise. But he always did – because if anything, their music is built on the stutter-stop of his drums, building up to an incredible climax, and then just dropping out completely. It parallels the way that Adam uses his voice, and even his guitar. It’s amazing that the two of them can keep such perfect time with each other, with all the stops and starts and irregularities, but it works. It’s also a clue as to why there are only two of them in the band – it’s akin to the reason why the White Stripes can only be two people. Two people who intensely maintain eye-contact throughout their performance, and who just as intensely play the shit out of their respective instruments.

Two Gallants @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos

Two Gallants @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos

Two Gallants @ Casbah, shot by Natalie Kardos

I left the show exhausted, drained, and utterly worn-out – not because of my demanding week, but because of the emotional and physical catharsis that Two Gallants put me through. And for all that, I was happy.