Gin Blossoms Straight Up

Rob Wilson

The House of Blues in Atlantic City, New Jersey is an intimate arena to experience live music. My wife and I recently saw the rock band the Gin Blossoms play there. I managed to finagle my way to the front row of this general admission standing room only event. Concertgoers brag that the closer a spectator gets to the stage, the more intense the show becomes. My first time in the front row made me a believer through sight and sound. Outside of a small group of drunken women trading kisses with their tongues to my immediate right, I could not look away from the stage.

Enough slight of tongue. The Gin Blossoms boast a terrific sound. They played an assortment of pop rock songs with their trademark blend of melancholy embedded in their lyrics. The band gets regular radio airtime for “Hey Jealousy, Found Out About You, Follow You Down, and Allsion Road but I truly appreciated the tempo of every song they played.

The lead singer, Rob Wilson, showed a lot of charismatic energy. When he jumped from the stage to mingle with the crowd, my wife and I smacked him rousing high fives. The Gin Blossoms had straight up great sound. At least up close and personal, I had to hand it to them.