THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM/EMILY WOLFE – LIVE @THE DOME

On Sunday May, 21st, The Gaslight Anthem brought their dynamic tour to the Dome in the Oakdale Theater. For support they enlisted Oso Oso and Emily Wolfe. This is The Gaslight Anthem’s first tour since 2018 when they reunited for a string of shows celebrating the 10th anniversary of their impressive full length, The ’59 Sound. TGA‘s sound is a hybrid of New Jersey rock&roll cool and exciting punk sensibilities. The band hails from New Brunswick and their songs are short stories depicting the journeys of the universal everyman. Comparisons to Bruce Springsteen are common because both artists write memorable songs that totally resonate with their fans. Their listeners can fully bathe themselves in the immersive lyrical content.

The evening started out with the crushing Emily Wolfe. The scorching guitarist and tenacious songwriter put on a powerhouse show. Her songs rang with flamboyant riffs and monstrous solos. Wolfe’s vocals were heartfelt and bluesy. Think Joan Jett meets Johnny Winter. Throughout the set she focused her vibrant tunes firing direct salvos at the welcoming audience. Wolfe’s setlist encompassed songs from her two studio albums, as well as a cover of the T. Rex song “The Slider”. The crowd appreciated her musical honesty and relished in her spirited glow. Other highlights included “Violent Veins” and “Silencer”. Wolfe closed out with a bold rendition of her “Holy Roller”. The crowd clearly enjoyed her performance.

Up next was Oso Oso which is the brainchild of Jade Lilitri formerly of State Lines The band is based out of Long Beach, N.Y. and they have released 3 studio albums including Sore Thumb in 2022 which Pitchfork named “Best New Music”. Their music is indie with an emo leaning. Lilitri cites fellow Long Island bands Brand New and Taking Back Sunday as influences.

Oso Oso’s music has a very alternative feel with edgy accents which didn’t translate well with this evening’s audience. Their songs are strong and carry an artsy punch but something was missing. They opened with “computer exploder” off of Sore Thumb which also yielded several other tunes including “pensacola” and “father tracy”. Their 2019 release, basking in the glow, also surrendered “the view” and “dig”. Oso Oso ended with their high flying single, “gb/ol h/nf”. I believe a smaller more intimate venue would have yielded a better result.

When headliners The Gaslight Anthem hit the stage, the room let out a large roar. This was the band everyone was waiting for. Frontman Brian Fallon was in fine form. His voice carried an intense yet melodic quality which the audience enjoyed. As soon as they plowed into “45′ and “Handwritten” from their 2012 Handwritten, the crowd was singing along. The Gaslight Anthem played a 20 song set that was peppered with tracks from all 5 of their studio recordings. “Positive Charge”, their first new music in 9 years was a definite fan favorite.

“Stay Vicious”, “Mulholland Drive”, “We Came To Dance” and “Mae” followed and the Dome was really getting into it. Alex Rosamilia on lead guitar kept the energy flowing with amazing riffs. Alex Levine’s bass was forceful while Benny Horowitz’s drums slammed with authority. Touring members, Ian Perkins (Guitar/Keyboard) and Bryan Haring (Keys) filled the aural atmosphere with addictive vibes. The entire band was killing it with Fallon constantly drawing in the adoring fans.

Two covers, Mother Love Bone’s “Chloe Dancer” and Alice In Chains’ “Would” were well received. “Get Hurt” , “Here Comes My Man”, “Miles Davis and the Cool” and “Howl” furthered the excitement. The Gaslight Anthem finished with 2 songs off their huge album, The ’59 Sound. “The ’59 Sound” with Emily Wolfe and “The Backseat” cemented a night of stellar rock.

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