One of my goals for 2012 is to see more shows / concerts / live performances. After their show Sunday night, The Gallery took the honor of being the first band I saw in this new year. Read on for some quick thoughts.
The show took place at Rockwood Music Hall in the Lower East Side. I hadn't been there before, but one cool thing I learned is that venue often has free shows – at least on one of their two stages – in a sort of SXSW / CMJ style: bands get short sets on the hour, each hour, for many hours (weekends usually go 3 to midnight). Definitely something to keep in mind. The Gallery is a four piece band that plays a sincere brand of Americana and blues-tinged rock and roll. They reminded me a bit of the Wallflowers. Their songs are full of hooks and impassioned vocals and they threw in a cover of Oasis' "Don't Look Back in Anger" that really showcased singer Brendan's vocal chops. I particularly liked their set closer, "Catalyst," which can be found on their latest EP Come Alive. I could scarcely tell from the way things sounded that they were breaking in a brand new lead guitarist, which is testament to strong musicianship. Their stage presence might have been a little tentative due to these transitional circumstances, but I am confident the energy will grow as they gel around their new member. Overall, I enjoyed their performance.