The Gaslight Anthem Brighten The Fillmore Friday Night

photos by Vito Ingerto

It’s been reported in some circles that Minneapolis is a burnt out, barren cinder. For being a dystopian wasteland, it sure was hard to find a parking spot Friday night.  The only thing I saw on fire was Gaslight Anthem, who rocked he snot out of the Fillmore Minneapolis, bringing their unique brand of New Jersey inspired rock and roll to a packed house. They brought Joyce Manor and Pinkshift with them to the Fillmore to round out the bill.

Formed in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 2006, the band released their first album Sink or Swim in May of 2007. The band cut their teeth rocking bars along the Jersey shore with basically the same lineup they currently tour with, which consists of Brian Fallon, lead vocalist and guitars, Alex Rosamilia on lead guitar, Alex Levine on bass and Benny Horowitz on drums. It was the release of The ’59 Sound in the summer of 2008 that catapulted the band into national attention. Europe was quick to follow, with Kerrang! Calling them “The best new band you will hear in 2008”. 2009 brought them to even bigger stages, playing at Glastonbury Festival, London’s Hard Rock Calling and Lollapalooza in Chicago. After a break of nearly a decade, the band released History Books in the fall of 2023 and has been back on the road ever since.

First up Friday night was Baltimore rockers Pink Shift. I was late and missed their set, but the buzz in the audience indicated that they rocked hard.

Joyce Manor was up next and the high energy set really had the Fillmore energized. Kinda punk, kinda indie all fun, the band had a large contingent of fans singing along with every song. The SoCal band leaned into there 2014 release Never Hungover, with tunes “Victoria”, “End Of The Summer”, and “Heart Tattoo” getting a huge response  from the audience. 

The Gaslight Anthem came out right around 9pm with the sounds of “Girls Just WanT To Have Fun” from Cindi Lauper serenading their entrance, and went on a four song tear. Opening with “Autmn”, the band romped through “American Slang, “45” and “Handwritten” before taking a breather. The band dropped in a little Pink Floyd with a “Vera” into “We Came To Dance” jam. The Gaslight Anthem were at peak performance Friday night, with their signature Modern Classic sound well honed with their time on the road. “45” sounded especially “Springsteeney” with this live performance.

While this current run is being The History Book Tour, the majority of the setlist was nearly equally divided between Handwritten, History Book and The ’59 Sound. “Howl” and “Mae” blended seamlessly with “Great Expectations ” and “The Backseat”. “Spider Bites” and “Film Noir” back to back made a perfect power duo. “Michigan, 1975” sounded ominous in one of the rarer moments when the rowdy  crowd quieted down to absorb  the moment.

Its easy to see why The Gaslight Anthem has retained its popularity, even after an extended hiatus. Tremendously talented musicians coupled with captivatingly honest lyrics show a band continuing to keep the great vibes going.