Memorable live happenings

Ok, so I figured it might be fun to collaborate a list over some of the different things gaslight anthem has done, once or tour-wise, and might be interesting to see what people have experienced on the live shows.

Two examples I can relate too:
I'd woulda called you Woody, Joe with the Stand by me Intro.(Hove 2009) (Guess they did this the most of the 2009 tour, this one is from)
State of Love and Trust cover (Øya festivalen 2010) (Not a rare happening, but fun to actually experience it, allthought the press didn't seem to like it)

But that's not all of them, instead of song variatons or covers, what about stories brian tells, we know he likes to tell stories when he's on stage. So, people, share your memorable TGA live happenings.

theyve been doing the stand by me intro for longer than 2009. not trying ot be a dick, just saying

Right before Senor and The Queen came out, they played a bar basement here in NJ and kids were climbing on top of each other to get to the sing-along and kicking out the ceiling tiles. They also premiered a few songs off the EP at that show.

Well, rather personal and probably partly fictional but during 'boys will be boys and girls have those eyes (...)' in Here's Looking At You Kid (one of my favourite lines ever) in Amsterdam, Brian looked at me while I was singing along and he smiled with this big grin. Nothing too special, but for for me it was insanely amazing, having eye contact and sharing that boys will be boys, such a universal truth ;-)

I believe they also sang 'on all the Amsterdam streets, where you and I would meet' at a certain point, which was pretty cool =)

I will never understand why this is so memorable to me, but one particular moment stands out. I doubt I'll be able to put into words, either. During their performance at the Trocadero, the first time I saw them, Brian let go of his guitar while singing the opening lines of Cowgirls and extended the back of his hand and shaking it in this half-strange-half-awesome way to punctuate the line "mighta had a couple babies." Again, I totally can't describe it, but trust me when I say it was kind of awesome.

Jlblue wrote:

I will never understand why this is so memorable to me, but one particular moment stands out. I doubt I'll be able to put into words, either. During their performance at the Trocadero, the first time I saw them, Brian let go of his guitar while singing the opening lines of Cowgirls and extended the back of his hand and shaking it in this half-strange-half-awesome way to punctuate the line "mighta had a couple babies." Again, I totally can't describe it, but trust me when I say it was kind of awesome.

Haha I remember that. Everyone cheered him on, as well. Encouraging his zaniness.

Brian realising that both him and Alex Levine were wearing Blue jeans and white t-shirts dring the song in Manchester.

They might be the only band I've seen that actually played requests that were shouted at them (at Brooklyn Bowl w/ State of Love & Trust and Northern Lights with She Loves You).

Also, at a solo Brian show he was talking about how he's always nervous before a show and (I think) Benny is totally laid back. For some reason this made me feel less self conscious about being nervous before events from that point on. /tmi

At the Vic show in Chicago just recently the band had a really cool banter with the crowd about Layla, and then they just busting into it and played a solid minute of layla. So epic and I'm not sure how often they do that lol.

wellmont theatre 12/11/09. second to last song was diner. brian was going to sing along with the gang chorus at the end but the place was so loud and energetic he just stepped back from the mic and let the crowd sing it, and he kinda looked around with an incredulous look on his face like it was a dream or something. pretty cool.

Oh man I just made a thread sort of similar to this.

Completely unintentional.

kuruptlon wrote:

Oh man I just made a thread sort of similar to this.

Completely unintentional.

you can still delete it, as long as not one has posted anything

oldgospelchoir wrote:

kuruptlon wrote:

Oh man I just made a thread sort of similar to this.

Completely unintentional.

you can still delete it, as long as not one has posted anything

Well that would be my bad that you can't delete it

I kinda read these as slightly different threads. This be the "Share your cool story from live shows" and the other just being a collective thread of different versions of songs they've played, which I think is cool. Especially if links to said variations are provided.

JJW319 wrote:

oldgospelchoir wrote:

kuruptlon wrote:

Oh man I just made a thread sort of similar to this.

Completely unintentional.

you can still delete it, as long as not one has posted anything

Well that would be my bad that you can't delete it

I kinda read these as slightly different threads. This be the "Share your cool story from live shows" and the other just being a collective thread of different versions of songs they've played, which I think is cool. Especially if links to said variations are provided.

Exactly I just didn't want it to seem like I was stepping on any toes here.

I was more less looking for people to post links to cool live versions of songs.

When they played 1930 for me at the 9:30 club in DC

Also, the first time they played Bring It On ever at the Wellmont Theater. It was a magical moment. Everyone was just like holy fuck that is a damn good cover, then people started looking up its lyrics and realized it was an original. Just the perfect song. Absolutely perfect.

Hyde Park, 2009, when that other guy came on ... and when Benny recognised me in the crowd (not by chance, but I managed to get his attention).

Oxford, 2010, when they played 'We Did It When We Were Young' live for the first time ever and then also threw the setlist during the encore.

The solo show in LA...Brian played 'She Loves You' for the first time...everyone thought it was a cover and he simply called it a 'new york song'

Seeing the sheer joy on the guys faces when they played their first proper UK show at the ULU in London back in 2008. Never seen a band so appreciative of their audience.

rem999 wrote:

wellmont theatre 12/11/09. second to last song was diner. brian was going to sing along with the gang chorus at the end but the place was so loud and energetic he just stepped back from the mic and let the crowd sing it, and he kinda looked around with an incredulous look on his face like it was a dream or something. pretty cool.

Yes! I second this. I was psyched for the band. What a nice homecoming.
It's up on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D4wg0oBvW0

NeverTrustAJunkie wrote:

rem999 wrote:

wellmont theatre 12/11/09. second to last song was diner. brian was going to sing along with the gang chorus at the end but the place was so loud and energetic he just stepped back from the mic and let the crowd sing it, and he kinda looked around with an incredulous look on his face like it was a dream or something. pretty cool.

Yes! I second this. I was psyched for the band. What a nice homecoming.
It's up on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D4wg0oBvW0

I third that. I was hoarse for a while after that show from singing at full capacity. I think everyone was just belting along to every lyric.

loazis wrote:

I believe they also sang 'on all the Amsterdam streets, where you and I would meet' at a certain point, which was pretty cool =)

Melkweg this summer? He definitely did sing "on all the Amsterdam streets...". Great night.

ilockyer wrote:

loazis wrote:

I believe they also sang 'on all the Amsterdam streets, where you and I would meet' at a certain point, which was pretty cool =)

Melkweg this summer? He definitely did sing "on all the Amsterdam streets...". Great night.

Great night indeed =))))))))))))))))

kieran wrote:

Seeing the sheer joy on the guys faces when they played their first proper UK show at the ULU in London back in 2008. Never seen a band so appreciative of their audience.

i agree & then when everyone got up on stage to sing diner it was brill.

another moment i love happens at every gig of theirs i've been to, there#s always one point when brian steps back from the microphone & you can see he's having a few seconds to take it all in - the crowd, the atmosphere & the size of the venue & a big grin comes over his face.

ktp wrote:

kieran wrote:

Seeing the sheer joy on the guys faces when they played their first proper UK show at the ULU in London back in 2008. Never seen a band so appreciative of their audience.

i agree & then when everyone got up on stage to sing diner it was brill.

I was one of them

Such a fantastic show all round. I think they where shocked that so many people came out to see this little known band from New Jersey. Now look whats happened.

was anyone at the philly show when he changed the ending to blue jeans and white tshirts? and he said "someday ill buy you that house on cookman avenue, if the crime rate doesnt keep going up so high" it was hilarious. my favorite live happening would be in richmond, va when he put his hand over his heart and said "i will leave the front light on"