The Bridge City Sinners Bring Passion And Fun To 7th Street Entry

Going in blind when it comes to concerts will never get old. You may walk in knowing nothing about any of the bands after having a terrible day and walk out with a new favorite band and a giant smile on your face. That’s exactly what happened yesterday. Well, I mean, it wasn’t a terrible day but I’m still California dreaming after my vacation and that has me in a bit of a funk. I mean, how cool would it be to live in California and be able to see the ocean every day. My day was spent daydreaming which led to a slow-moving day where every work phone call and e-mail was painful at best. I needed my fix, my cure, I needed a show so I got in my car and headed to one of my home away from homes.

I walked into the 7th Street Entry just as opening local act The Von Tramps were kicking off their short but powerful set. I have caught these guys a couple of times already this year and I have yet to get sick of them. Always full of energy and talent, The Von Tramps are definitely my new favorite local act. Although the crowd was still growing as they powered through their set, none of the members held back. They treated their quick opening set as if they were headlining a sold out arena show and that’s one of the main reasons why I love them. The Von Tramps truly treat every show like it will be their last and I think that’s something that many local bands lack. You never know who is going to be in an audience so make sure to always give whatever crowd you have everything you’ve got. This young band is making waves and leaving lasting impressions on everyone that sees them. There are huge things in their future. Seriously.

Up next was The Tejon Street Corner Thieves from Colorado. Their set up had my friend and I intrigued. The drummer was replaced by a washboard with what looked like pet bowls and a cymbal attached to the bottom of it. Instead of an electric bass it was an upright bass– I mean, I was sold on whatever they were doing before they even did it. Keeping the energy bar that The Von Tramps had set high, The Tejon Street Corner Thieves blasted into a set that had the entire room moving and grooving to the beat. Their unique blend of bluegrass and folk all tied up in a bow made of punk, it was the perfect soundtrack to any Thursday slump that you were feeling. The amount of fun being had on stage and in the audience was beyond obvious. Although clearly talented musicians, there was something so informal and fun about the performance. Nobody on stage took themselves too seriously and, in turn, nobody in the audience did either. It was definitely one of those “come as you are and be true to yourself” sets.

The Bridge City Sinners closed out the night in the most perfect way. Taking the unique sound of The Tejon Street Corner Thieves and expanding on it, this punky bluegrass band had me in the palm of their hands within seconds. Sharing members with The Tejon Street Corner Thieves, there were obvious similarities between the two bands but The Bridge City Sinners were also clearly their own band. With songs that made you want to dance jig while drinking some whiskey, the energy in the 7th Street Entry stayed sky high until the very last note was left hanging in the air. Although I had never heard of The Bridge City Sinners prior to last night’s show and was honestly just at the show on a whim, it’s clear that they have a cult like following. The people around me were singing along to every word while gently pushing and shoving each other in excitement. The audience was somehow calm and rowdy at the same time and I honestly have no better way to describe it. Again, a very “come as you are set”, there was so much passion that radiated off the stage that I was left nearly speechless.

As amazing as all of the music was, the most touching moment of the night was when The Bridge City Sinners’ vocalist Libby Lux started talking about Profane Sass member Tomas Garreton who tragically passed away way before his time should have been up. After reading up a bit on The Bridge City Sinners this morning, I’ve come to realize that the band members met while busking on the streets across the country. They knew Tomas well so after he passed, The Bridge City Sinners formed to pay homage in a way to the amazing man and musician that Tomas clearly was (and always will be).  Libby struggled to find the words while holding back tears when it came to talking about Tomas. I never met the man and don’t know much about Profane Sass but the love that was clearly coming from Libby’s heart said absolutely everything that needed to be said. A touching moment mixed into a show that had everyone cheersing strangers as if they had been friends for years– everything about the show was perfect and done with an undeniable sense of heart and passion.

I know I end a lot of my posts the same way but I can not stress it enough– go to a show you know nothing about. Make some new friends and share a couple drinks. Life’s too short to not go to the show.