Credit: Jason Shindler
Halloween is getting closer, and I find myself seeking out reasons to talk about it regularly. I’ll spare you in this post. To keep my mind off it, I’ve been going to shows in LA as often as I can. The most recent was Born Ruffians at the Troubadour. The first time I went to see these guys was a major date fail, because it sold out when we got there. Round 2, although, was a major success. I had heard great things about the Troubadour, but for some reason never went. They get pretty big acts to play there regularly, and it’s a relatively small/intimate venue. The bars were very accessible, and there was one exclusive to 21+ fans with a great view from upstairs. One of the coolest places I’ve been to without a doubt, especially for this music. To top it all off, Born Ruffians played a flawless set.
Their second album Red, Yellow and Blue is one of my favorite albums of all time. They played everything I wanted to hear from all of their albums with the utmost perfection that one could ask for. The sing-alongs and their energy matched the positive, uplifting vibes of their recordings to the tee. Definitely going to see them again when they return. I haven’t had that much fun at an indie show since I can remember. I even got a souvenir drum stick and this video to relive the occasion:
Delightful Mention!
Artist: Two Gallants
A gallant (gal-ant) is defined as being someone who is unflinching in battle or action. Pretty accurate description of the ferocity and passion behind these guys’ music. What intrigued me almost immediately about Two Gallants is that it really does consist of only two dudes. They are a folk/rock duo from San Francisco, made up of Adam Stephens on guitar/harmonica/vocals and Tyson Vogel on drums and backing vocals. Stephens’ raspy voice and mad guitar picking skills puts him apart from most people I’ve ever heard. The fact that he can put together such beautiful guitar lines while singing AND playing the harmonica always gets me. I can only imagine the hard work and bloody fingers he put in to multi-task as such. Most of the songs have more of a bluesy mood to them that is tough to listen to all the time.
I tried to include some of the more inspiring catchy songs that hooked me at the beginning. I put in some serious time to all three of their albums when I was going through an interesting point in my life. Pretty sure I owe most of my sanity to them. They’ve got some really powerful lyrics and one of my favorite lines of all time: “Never let your weakness show.” A really great all around band for people who are into the more folky/bluesy sound that takes you through the downtimes of life. It’s always nice to listen to a band that feels your pain…no homo.
