Concert Review: Jesse Valenzuela

As I was getting ready to write this concert review, I looked up my previous review, from shortly after Hotel Defeated came out. I had ended with saying that I could imagine a good solo show from that.

Yes, it was a very good show. It was also not completely solo, in that Valenzuela was accompanied by Darryl Icard on bass. As good as Valenzuela is, I am sure he would have been great as the only person on the stage, but I also heard that the music was richer and fuller with someone else there. This became especially clear on "Broken Hearted Kind".

The effect of the combination was impressive on its own. It would be easy to expect more of a lead guitar/rhythm guitar arrangement, but this was fantastic, and gave me a new appreciation for the capabilities of bass.

In addition, while it may be unfair to draw comparisons between the opening act and the headliner, the extra years of experience in performing and composing and traveling were all evident. Sitting down instead of standing, having someone to banter with, it all worked together to create something more compelling, more rich, and more fun. (I can't rule out there being some nerves - at least about having to deal with merch - but it wasn't evident.)

The White Eagle Saloon is a fairly intimate venue anyway, and it was filled with a few familiar faces, but there was more than that working together to make it such a comfortable place.

Of course, many of the attendees have been fans for a while. Jesse said it has been thirty years with the Gin Blossoms. As those hits were added to the mix, memories came back of college and young adulthood, and shows not that long ago, and there was a lot of good feeling in that. There were also songs from both of Valenzuela's earlier releases, and at least one from a new album due in the spring. The beat goes on, even if it adapts to go a little more slowly.

That was a reference from Valenzuela, referring to a composer who recommends playing everything as slowly as you can manage without it falling it apart, and then it's at a good tempo. (Plus there may have been some jokes about that being an old age thing.)

Although that did briefly remind me of that nightmare Dashboard Confessional show, that's not what this is. I'm not sure if it is even truly slower so much as it is mellower. Maybe we don't need to cram in quite as many words and angst as before, but we know what we mean. Being there for it was a total pleasure.

If we were looking for slower Gin Blossoms songs to add in, beyond the hits, I would think that "29" and "Until I Fall Away" would be reasonable starting places (personal prejudice on my part for loving those songs being an obvious factor). However, listening to Valenzuela and Icard play together, I can imagine them doing a great version of "Cajun Song", and that just belies everything about being old and slow.

I look forward to the new album.

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