The Gaslight Anthem Live In Portland

The Gaslight Anthem Northcote Sammy Kay PASSWORD: GETHURT45RPM Saturday, March 21, 2015 Wonder Ballroom 503-284-8686 128 NE Russell St, Portland, OR 9pm (doors open at 8pm). All Ages. $23.00 advance tix from Ticketfly. $25.00 at the door. ABOUT THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM-- New Jersey has an air about it, sometimes I think it lives in the concrete like blood through its own veins. If you're from here, you never lose it, if you're not you recognize it from a mile away. The Gaslight Anthem, hailing from New Brunswick, NJ, are no exception. Their lyrics are riddled with Jersey references, it's almost like there's a deal you have to make here ... It'll let you out, if you promise to give her a line or two. But more so than the "Jerseyisms", The Gaslight Anthem are carrying on for a bigger, less localized movement. It's a punk rock tradition of no frills, good times, wearing it on your sleeve, staying hungry, and playing every show like it was your last. The Gaslight Anthem's mixture of punk rock sing-along?s, folk story telling, and a unique soulfulness underneath it all has been bursting out of its own seams since their inception in the winter of 2005. With lyrics focused on hard luck, hope, the labours of love, and the ragged invitations of "jukebox romeos" as conveyed by singer/guitarist Brian Fallon's gruff baritone. It's not hard for people to relate to the mis-adventures of the common man. The Gaslight Anthem are steadfast on retaining their relate ability to everyone. The future road is long for The Gaslight Anthem but these boys are hungry, in fact they're "just about starving tonight," to quote another New Jersey native. ABOUT NORTHCOTE-- Matt Goud (aka Northcote) may take you by surprise when he steps up to the mic. Though the soft-spoken Goud is known by friends and family as a gentle giant, he infuses his original songs with a uniquely powerful and confident voice. Born and raised in small-town Saskatchewan, his early exposure to music was a mix of traditional country on AM radio and the hymns he learned at his childhood church. However, it wasn't until he discovered punk and hardcore music that he realized music's healing and therapeutic power. Over the past 8 years, few young musicians in Canada have put on as many miles as Goud who toured for years as a member of a post-hardcore band and has more recently transitioned into life on the road as a singer/songwriter with accompaniment by an ever-rotating slew of guests and friend musicians. Northcote is set to return to centre stage in 2013 with a new self-titled album due May 7th via Black Box Recordings (Canada). Produced by Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Cave Singers, Dan Mangan) at The Hive in Vancouver, the album is Northcote's most forthcoming and confident album to date, reflecting this young songwriter's increasing maturity and experience. Breaking the stereotype of the reserved and solemn cafe singer/songwriter, the album entices both the performers and the listeners to come out of their shell. On NORTHCOTE, Goud further strengthens his voice as an emerging Canadian artist. Confident, full chords replace contemplative ballads, and the influence of his eclectic background of punk, soul and blues create a unique sound. On the track How Can You Turn Around, the crew vocal soars behind the chorus of the song, replicating the sound and emotion of singing along with friends in the front row of a rock show. Songs including Counting Down the Days and I Hope the Good Things Never Die are more fully realized and richer than Northcote's previous efforts, replete with grooving soul drums, horns, bouncy bass-lines, atmospheric guitar and sing-along group vocals. These songs signal that there is no need to sit passively by to experience the fast-paced, exuberant music of Northcote. The hope and positivity of the material is apparent in the song Find Our Own Way, which challenges: "...whatever you got, you have to let it fly. Whatever you got you, have to give it one try" This song reflects the anxiety of coming of age in a media-saturated culture, where one can be so connected and yet be left feeling inexplicably lonely and at times with little direction or meaning. This album sees Goud joined by Blake Enemark (We are the City, Forestry) on Guitar, Marek Tyler (Kathryn Calder, Dan Mangan) on Drums, Olivier Clement (Aidan Knight) on Horn, and Calgary artist Francis Gerrard on vocals throughout the album. Victoria-based musician Kathryn Calder, known both as a solo artist and as a member of The New Pornographers, appears on lead vocals on the late-night kitchen party track Only One Who Knows My Name, which closes the album. In NORTHCOTE, Goud turns a new page with a strong, self-titled record penned primarily in the passenger seat of a Dodge Van parked along a seaside road in Victoria, B.C. Many pensive nights spent walking home from writing sessions and gigs throughout sleepy Victoria streets have helped shape a newfound confidence and connection to life as a musician for Goud, and you can hear this transformation in his voice.